artful chief, and yet they visited the English settlements, and even purchased arms and borrowed boats to enable them to accomplish their savage purpose.

"On the very morning of the fatal day, as also the evening before, they came, as at other times, into the houses of the English, with deer, turkeys, fish, and other things to sell. At midday, the hour appointed, the blow fell; and, in the work of death, neither sex nor age was spared. So quick was the execution, that few perceived the weapon or the blow which despatched them. "Those who had sufficient warning to make resistance, saved their lives. Nathaniel Causie, an old soldier of Capt. Smith's, though cruelly wounded, cleaved down one of his assailants with an axe, upon which the whole party who had surrounded him fled, and he escaped. At another place two men held pos session of a house, against sixty Indians. At Warrasqueake, a Mr. Baldwin, whose wife was so badly wounded that she lay for dead, by repeatedly discharging his musket, drove off the enemy, and saved both her and himself. Ralph Hamer, the historian, defended himself in his house successfully, with spades, axes and brickbats. One family, living near Martin's Hundred, where as many as seventy-three of the English were slain, not only escaped the massacre, but heard nothing of it, till two or three days afterwards. Jamestown and some of the neighboring places were saved by the disclosure of a Christian Indian, named Chanco, who was confidentially informed of the design by his brother, on the morning of the 22d."* As soon as the English had time to recover themselves, they rose to avenge the death of their slaughtered friends, and succeeded in driving far into the wilderness such as they could not destroy. But by means of the calamities which fell upon the English, their settlements were reduced from eighty to eight; and by the year 1624, out of nine thousand persons who had been sent from England, but eighteen hundred existed in the colony.

17. While the Virginians were mourning their losses, the Plymouth colony began to experience the distresses of famine. By the time their planting was finished, in 1623, they were destitute of bread and corn. The most gloomy anticipations were indulged, but, by a remarkable and well-attested interference of Divine Providence, they were delivered.

From the third week in May to the middle of July, there was no rain. Their corn, for which they had made their utmost exertions, withered under the heat of a scorching sun, and the greater part of it appeared irrecoverably lost. The Indians, seeing their

* Thatcher's Indian Eiography.

prospects, observed that they would soon be subdued by famine, when they should find them an easy prey. A public fast was appointed and observed with great solemnity. The morning and most of the day was clear and hot, but towards evening, the clouds collected, and, like the gracious influences of God, the rain descended in moderate yet copious showers. This revived their expiring crop, and produced a plentiful harvest. After which they observed a day of public thanksgiving, the origin of the annual thanksgiving which is now observed in New England.*

18. In 1623, a number of persons from Englard were sent to America by Ferdinando Gorges, to form settlements on lands which had been granted to them by the council of Plymouth, between the Merrimac and Sagadahok, and extending from the ocean west to the rivers of Canada. These settlers, arriving in the river Piscataqua, began two settlements, one at the mouth, called Little Harbor; the other still higher up the river, at Cocheco, afterwards called Dover. These were the first settlements in NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Virginia, was dissolved by an act of King James I. under pretext of the calamities which had befallen the colony, and the dissensions which had agitated the company. Their charter was taken away, and the government of the colony assumed by the crown. The king himself appointed the governor, in whom, with twelve counsellors, the powers of government were vested.

The London company, thus dissolved, consisted of gentlemen of noble and disinterested views, who had expended more than one hundred thousand pounds of their fortunes in this first attempt to plant an English colony in America; and more than nine thousand persons had been sent from the mother country to people this new settlement. At the time of the dissolution of the company, scarcely two thousand persons survived.

The dissolution of the charter was a most arbitrary act in the king; and not less arbitrary and odious were his subsequent regulations. Under these the people lived and suffered till 1636. At this time, inflamed to madness by the oppressive conduct of Sir John Harvey, the then governor, they seized him, and sent him prisoner to England. Their conduct in this was so displeasing to the king, Charles I., successor of James I., that he sent Harvey back. But, in 1639, the king appointed Sir William Berkley to succeed him, with instructions again to allow the Virginians to elect representatives. (For the continuation of the history of Virginia, see Sec. 45.)

20. It has been stated that the lands upon which the Plymouth colony settled, were granted by the crown to "the Council of Plymouth," in England, in November, 1620. This was the same month that the Puritans had arrived in the country. (Sec. 13.) Being apprized of this grant, the colony, in 1626, began to take measures to purchase these lands. The negotiations for this purpose ended the next year in a patent, which the company granted them for one thousand eight hundred pounds sterling, with ample powers of government.

The "overnment of the colony was at first formed and conducted according to a voluntary compact, entered into before landing (Sec. 12.) Till the year 1624, it consisted of a governor and one assistant only. From this period, five were annually chosen, the governor having a double vote. The number of assistants was afterwards increased to seven. The laws of the colony were

ected, and the affairs of government conducted, by these

officers, for near twenty years. In 1639, the towns in this colony, for the first time, sent deputies. The colony continued distinct near seventy years, until 1691, when, by charter of William and Mary, it was united to the colony of Massachusetts and the Province of Maine.

21. In 1628, the foundation was laid for another colony in New England, by the name of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay. At this time, several enterprising men purchased of the council of Plymouth the territory which constituted the above colony. The same year, the purchasers sent out Mr. John Endicot, with about a hundred adventurers, to commence a settlement, which they effected at Salem, at that time called, by the Indians, Naumkeak.

The territory included in the colony of Massachusetts Bay, extended three miles north of the Merrimac river, and three miles south of Charles river, and east and west from the Atlantic to the South sea.

The settlement of Massachusetts Bay, like the colony of Plymouth, was commenced by non-conformists, for the purpose of enjoying greater religious liberty in matters of worship and discipline. Among the most active in this enterprise was Mr Endicot, already mentioned, and Mr. White, a pious and active minister of Dorchester, in England.

22. The following year, 1629, the Massachusetts company was confirmed by King Charles in their title to the soil; and, at the same time, received the powers of civil government. They were incorporated by the name of "the Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay, in New England." Soon after, a form of government for the new colony was settled. Mr. Endicot, already in the colony, was appointed governor.

On the appointment of Mr. Endicot as governor, an expedi tion was fitted out for the purpose of giving an impulse to the colony. Five ships were provided, which, being laden with cattle and other necessaries, sailed from England, with nearly three hundred planters, and arrived at Salem in June. They found the settlement in prosperous circumstances; yet, not being themselves pleased with the situation of Salem, two hundred of thein removed, and settled at a place which they called Charlestown.

23. In the month of August of the same year, it was determined by the company in England, that the gov

ernment and the patent of the plantation should be transferred from London to Massachusetts Bay. At the same time, a new election of officers for the colony took place. John Winthrop was chosen governor, and Thomas Dudley deputy-governor. Soon after their appointment, they sailed with a large company, some of whom settled at Charlestown, others at Boston, and in towns adjacent.

On the arrival of Gov. Winthrop, in June, who continued from that time to his death the head and father of the colony, he found the plantation in a distressed and suffering state. In the preceding autumn, the colony contained about three hundred inhabitants. Eighty of these had died, and a great part of the survivors were in a weak and sickly state. Their supply of corn was not sufficient for more than a fortnight, and their other provisions were nearly exhausted.

In addition to these evils, they were informed that a combination of the various tribes of Indians was forming for the utter extirpation of the colony. Their strength was weakness, but their confidence was in God, and they were not forsaken. Many of the planters, who arrived this summer, after long voyages, were in a sickly state, and disease continued to rage through the season. By the close of the year, the number of deaths exceeded two hundred. Among these were several of the principal persons in the colony. Mr. Higginson, the venerable minister of Salem, spent about a year with that parent church, and was removed to the church in glory. His excellent colleague, Mr. Skelton, did not long survive him. Mr. Johnson, one of the assistants, and his lady, who was a great patroness of the settlement, died soon after their arrival. Of the latter, an early historian observes, "She left an earthly paradise, in the family of an earldom, to encounter the sorrows of a wilderness, for the entertainments of a pure worship in the house of God; and then inmediately left that wilderness for the heavenly paradise."

The succeeding winter commenced in December with great severity. Few of the houses which had been erected were comfortable, and the most of them were miserable coverings. Unused to such severities of climate, the poor people suffered severely from the cold. Many were frozen to death. The inconveniences of their accommodations increased the diseases which continued to prevail among them.

But their constancy had not yet been brought to the last trial. During the continuance of the severe season, their stock of provisions began to fail. Those who wanted were supplied by those who possessed, as long as any remained. A poor man came to the