The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-02-09

led the bull-by the ring in his nose"
A man capable of such a daring gall
lantry could certainly have added much
to Thanksgiving feast
Massasoit was then about forty years
old. He was an able-bodied, tall man.
grave of countenance and spare of
speech; his face was painted with sad
red and oiled, both head and face, that
he looked greasily." His followers were
also painted red and black, yellow and
white. They were mostly dressed in
skins. Massasoit's dress differed some
what from theirs, particularly in the
addition of great chain of white beads
about his neck, on which, from behind,
hung little bag of tobacco, which he
smoked and offered his friends to
smoke. His tribe, short time before
the Pilgrims landed, was numbered by
the thousands, but direful disease had
reduced it to such an extentthat, at this
time. it counted only about three hun
dred.
As the chief sat there, the guest of the
Colonists, he must have heard some
little "reminiscences given of their hard
ships endured, as well as of their joys
and sorrows. Of course the mind of
Miles Standish went back to the times
of three years before, when he led a
party of the newly-landed Pilgrims into
the thick forests in search of the needed
food: he must have recalled how they
found an Indian grave-mound, in which
was a little old basket full of ''faire
Indian corne," and large round
basket, narrow at the top, with some
thirty-six goodly cares of corne, which
was goodly sight, for it held about
three or four bushels, which they shared
in common, to be saved for seed, and how
they had then proposed as soon as they
should meet with any of the Indian in
habitants, ito make them large salts
faction" which proposal they had
carried out some time afterwards on
meeting Massasoit.
OF course they talked over the hearty
s.welcome" which, two years before,
they had received from Samoset, the
first Indian whom they had personally
known; for they remembered his tall,
straight figure, nearly naked, his black
hair, long behind and short in front,
his beardless face and his bow of two
arrows, "the one headed and the other
unheaded." They remembered how
he had brought Squanto to them as an
interpretor-since he had been slave
in England-who brought from Massa-
soft message, desiring an interview
with the Governor; how the Governor
had sent Winslow back with him, with
present of s'three knives, a copper
chain with jewel attached, an ear
ring, pot of strong water" and some
biscuit, to the great Sachem. who had
met them with sixty of his followers;
how, after brief parley, Winslow had
been left behind as hostage, while
Massasoit and twenty unarmed follow
ers had met Standish and others at the
brook which divided the parties; how
they had been conducted 10 an unfin-
ished building where rug and cush-
ions had been spread for them; and
had met the Governor and some few
musketeers, with their ''drums and
trumpets;;' and as they referred
to this, Massasoit must have re-
membered how treaty had
then been made that he and his people
should offer no injury to the English.
which treaty he was proud to feel he had
thus far kept. Perhaps he remembered
how afraid he was of the guns, so much
so, that, trembling all over, he had
motioned them away. He surely re-
called how, after the interview, having
left hostages behind, he was led back
to the brook by the Governor himself to
rejoin his party; where he found that,
in the meanwhile, the Governor had
sent for his kettle and returned it 'sfull
of pease." As Governor Carver had
died soon after this meeting with the
great chief, he was not present at these
festivities to add his memories of that
pleasant occasion. Perhaps this little
remiHiscence reminded Massasoit of a
little later time, when an embassy, with
Squanto as interpreter, from the Colon
lists, came to his home in Narragansett
Bay. and brought to him as present a
red cotton coat s.laced with slight
lace" and to his chiefs some beads and
jack-knives, how he received them
gladly, adorned himself in the coat,
"made great speech, !" assuring them
of his friendship and cautioning them
not to trust the rival tribe of the Nara
gansetts.
At the mention of this tribe some of
the colonists must have been reminded,
even in the midst of their feasting, of
the sad fate of poor Squanto. who was
killed by one of its chiefs; but they
were doubtless proud to relate how ten
of their number, armed, surrounded the
tribe numbering its several thousands,
on its own dominions and conquered
them. Squanto was dear to the Pill
grims, for it was he who had told them
how to cultivate the corn and to manure
it with fish; and how to raise and cook
the squashes, pumpkins and beans
which added so much to their feast.
Massasoit must have missed, in these
festivities, the bright young face of the
gentleman-born Winslow He was one
of the youngest of the leaders being
then only twenty-nine years old-but
his diplomatic power made him essen
tial in all the negotiations of the Col
onists. He was off in England at this
time on business for the Colony, where