I Would Before Our Parting Let Him
Know With What Number Of Men I Would Bee Attended When I Came
To visit him,
giving him to understand that if I came with more then what was agreed
betwixt us, it
Would bee a sure signe our officers would not consent unto
the proposal of our trading together. I also advised him hee should not
fier any Gunns, & that hee should not suffer his men to goe out of the
Island, fearing they might bee met by the french men that I had in the
woods, that hee might not blame me for any accident that might ensue if hee
did not follow my advice. I told him also the salvages advised mee my shipp
was arrived to the Northwards, & promiss'd that I would come visit him
againe in 15 days & would tell him farther. Wherof hee was very thankfull,
& desired me to bee mindfull of him; after which wee seperated very well
sattisfy'd with each other, hee verily beleeving I had the strenght I spake
of, & I resolving always to hold him in this opinion, desiring to have him
bee gone, or if hee persisted to interrupt me in my trade, to wait some
opportunity of seizing his shipp, which was a lawfull Prize, having no
Commission from England nor france to trade. But I would not attempt
anything rashly, for fear of missing my ayme; especially I would avoide
spilling blood.
Being returned with my men on board my Canoo, wee fell down the River with
what hast wee could; but wee were scarce gon three Leagues from the Island
where the new England shipp lay, but that wee discovered another shipp
under saile coming into the River. Wee got ashore to the southwards, &
being gon out of the Canoo to stay for the shipp that was sailing towards
us, I caused a Fier to bee made; & the shipp being over against us, shee
came to Anchor & sent not her Boat ashore that night untill next morning.
Wee watched all night to observe what was don, & in the morning, seeing the
long boat rowing towards us, I caused my 3 men, well armed, to stand at the
entrance into the wood 20 paces from me, & I came alone to the water side.
Mr Bridgar, whom the Company sent Governor into that country, was in the
Boate, with 6 of the crew belonging unto the shipp wherof Capt Guillam was
Commander, who was father, as I understood afterwards, unto him that
Comanded the New England shipp that I had discover'd the day before. Seeing
the shallopp come towards me, I spake a kinde of jargon like that of the
salvages, which signify'd nothing, only to amuse those in the boat or to
make them speake, the better to observe them, & to see if there might bee
any that had frequented the Indians & that spak their Languadge. All were
silent; & the boat coming a ground 10 or 12 paces from me, seeing one of
the seamen leap in the water to come a shore, I showed him my wepons,
forbidding him to stirr, telling him that none in the Boate should come a
shore untill I knew who they were; & observing by the make of the shipp &
the habit of the saylors that they were English, I spake in their
Languadge, & I understood that the seamen that leapt in the water which I
hinder'd to proceed any farther said aloud, "Governor, it is English they
spake unto you;" & upon my continuing to ask who they were who comanded the
shipp, & what they sought there, some body answer'd, "What has any body to
doe to inquire?
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