Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-05-02

Tho born in this desert and doomd by my birth
To pain and af1iction, to darkness and death,
On these let my spirit rely
Like some rude dial, that fix d on earth.
{ Still looks for the light from the sky
The landing of the Pilgrim Fathers at Ply
mouth, may be ranked among the most inter
esting events recorded in the annals of history
Their suflerings and privations were many
but disregarding danger and personal priya
tion, these prescribed people commenced the
great work, and succeeded in establishing col
onies in various parts of New England. In the
year 1880 tho governor and company of the
Massachusetts, Bay, in London, deemed it adj
viSable that the governor himself should re-
side among the colonistS; and the then officer,
Mr.. Craddock, not being willing to undertake
the voyage, they chose John Winthrop, Esq,
uty, with several worthy and competent per-
sons as his council, who embarked with
their families for New England, with fleet of
ten sail of ships, whereof the admiral was call
ed the Arabella, in honor of the lady Arabella
Johnson, who with her husband, Isaac John
son, Esq, were on board of her. With them
| embarked Sir Richard Sallonsal, Theopolus
Eaton land John Vern, ,Esqrs., with several other
! gentlemen and ministers, and about two hun
| dred passengers, whom the heat Of persecu-
| ton forced out of their native land The
| fleet arrived at Salem in the month of July, in
very sickly condition. Lady Arabella John
son died soon after she came on shore, and
her husband who .doated on her, followed
month after; thus were the words of the poet
Garth, emphatically realized -
'To die is landing on some silent shore"
The greater portion established themselves in
place which they called Charlestown, on the
north side of the river, which still goes by that
name. Here they suffered intensely, which
added to the threatning posture assumed by
the Indians, rendered their situation far from
agreeable. A powerful chief called Wequash,
who headed portion of the Narraganset tribe,
was the most dreaded. He never shed unneces-
sary blood, his hatchet was never raised, or the
war-whoop sounded, while the whites kept
away from his hunting grounds, and the graves
of his fathers, over which the lone willow wept,
and the tall cypress sighed their requium.
In CONSCIENCE of this chiefs resolve to omain-
tain his ground and power, part of the colo
ny of Charlestown removed to a peninsula
which lies at the extreme end of the MaSsachu-
setts Bay, and is the most commodious for
trade and commerce of any place in that sec
tion of the country. Here they built the town
of Boston. Wequash viewed their departure
in silent astonishment, their every movement
indicated thorough knowledge of the best
ground, ahd when he ascertained that they had
actually settled down at the bottom of the bay,
he began to think that their object was to mo-
nopolise the waters Of his country to them
selves. For the purpose of establishing the
truth Of his surmises he started with a portion
Of his tribe to pay them a friendly visit. His
appearance boded no good; yet his general
peaceful character secured for him, and his
attendants warm and cordial reception for
it was the object of the colonists to secure the
friendship ofthe Indians by acts of benevolence,
and honest, upright transaction in dealing.
Wequash as usual encamped in the wilds of the
surrounding country, and occasionally come to
the town of Boston to watch the progress the
whites made in building and extending their
power foot by foot on his own ground. Al
though these proceedings stirred up the feel
ings of the savage, they were easily subdued
the colonists. If he could have raised up the
curtain Of the future, and in the dim perspec-
tive, traced the outlines of our present great
ness, rivers of blood would have flowed, and
the savage king would have ruled still: the
war-whoop would echo on the shores of the
Delaware and Hudson, and in the Tallies of
the Mississippi-where now is heard the puff
of steam, and the gladsome voices of civili-
zed men. 1t was SO destined.
AS an instance of Wequash's friendly dispo-
sition toward the colonists, we viii relate cir
cumstance which occurred while on a visit to
the town Of Boston. a body of Pequots con-
sisting of nearly three hundred men, came
down the Massachusetts, Bay, in canoes, and
menaced the colony by threats, loud whoops,
and shouts peculiar to that bloody and vindic-
tive tribe. They showered poisonous arrows
into the town, to the great alarm and conster-
nation of the inhabitants. Wequash appeared
on rock, over looking their feet of canoes,
and intimated to them by wild gestures, his re-
solve to protect the sspale faces y inasmuch as
they were MS frlenIs1s and had petitfoned the
great Maneato to avert dire calamity from his
POOPiS' t'iio Slslii PoA-) NO sooner dld the
Pequots hear this, than the heads of their ca
noes were turned, and they sent messenger
for the prophet, (the DOCTOR, who had satisfied
the angry, spirit, and made him, available
present. Consisting of fur and silver. They
then retired into two strong forts higher up the
te =.