these villains intended to sail the ship towards New England, where soon after the master, with the rest of the company, all but one, (whose death, by their barbarous usage, made all the actors guilty of murther,) were by special Providence directed not only to follow but to overtake them. His countenance no doubt did not a little appal them, whom he found, some at Rhode Island and some elsewhere, and of whom it might truly be said, that though they had escaped the sea, yet vengeance did not suffer to live long upon the dry land; for at the instance and complaint of the master, they were apprehended by the officers as guilty of many capital crimes and inhuman cruelty, which brought them all under a sentence (at least guilt,) of death, which was inflicted on the ringleaders, but some of the less culpable were rescued from that sentence, that so justice mixed with clemency might terrify the bold and presumptuous offenders, and encourage such as, being carried with the stream of bad company only, might be looked upon as less culpable in themselves, and lawful authority the more reverenced by all.

Divers reports have passed up and down the country of several ominous accidents happening within the forementioned time, as of earthquakes in some places, and of several vollies of shot heard in the air in the year 1667, but because many that lived not far off those places, where the sad accidents were supposed to fall out, know nothing thereof, no more notice shall here be taken of the same than a bare hint of the report. But at a But at a place called Kennebunk, at the northeast side of Wells, in the Province of Maine, not far from the river side, a piece of clay ground was thrown up by a mineral vapor, (as is supposed,) over the tops of high oaks that grew between it and the river. The said ground so thrown up fell in the channel of the river, stopping the course thereof, and leaving an hole forty yards square in the place whence it was thrown, in which were found thousands of round pellets of clay, like musket bullets. All the whole town of Wells are witnesses of the truth of this relation; and many others have seen sundry of these clay pellets, which the inhabitants have shewn to their neighbors of other towns. This accident fell out in the year 1670.

'The chief of them, says Mather, was

one Forrest."-H.

Much about these times two wicked fellows about Pascataqua River, killing their master for his money, were soon after discovered and condemned for the same, and executed at Boston.-Others have confidently reported also, that they have seen the eruption of a pond of water far up into the woods, and many fish cast up upon the dry land adjoining, supposed to be done by the kindling of some mineral vapors under these hollow channels, running far within the land under ground. All which show the wonderful work of God, that commandeth both the sea and the dry land, that all the inhabitants of the earth should learn to fear before him.

To the forementioned accidents may be added those which follow, most of which happened about Pascataqua, being sad instances of the mischief of intemper

ance.

April 20, 1658, was observed to be the coldest night in all the year, in which two men going from aboard a ship which lay in Pascataqua River, towards Kittery side, and being so drunk that they were not able to get to the ship again, were found next morning near the shore, one dead by the canoe side, the other so frozen in the canoe that, notwithstanding all means used for his recovery, he rotted away by piecemeal, and so died.

June 5, 1666, one Tucker, a tailor who belonged to the Isles of Shoals, being then at the point in Pascataqua River, was so drunk in the Lecture time, that pulling off his clothes he ran into the water, cursing and swearing, and at last, swimming up and down, he fell with his face upon the flats and so was drowned.

About that time two fishermen, after sermon on the Lord's Day at Portsmouth, going into an house, drank so much rum that, being intoxicated therewith, they fell out of their canoe as they were going down the river, and were both drowned.

In August, 1669, a ship built at Pascataqua by a Bristol merchant, and laden with fish and tobacco, (the master would needs be setting sail out of the river on the Lord's Day,) was split on a rock in the Bay of Fundy the next Tuesday after, where the vessel and goods were all lost, and the men saved by their long boat. This accident was the more remarkable, falling out in fair weather.

In June, 1671, one J. S. having profanely spent the Lord's Day by passing to and from the Great Island to Kittery side, going to the vessel he belonged to at night, was so excessive drunk that he fell over his canoe and was drowned, and his body not found till twelve days after.

December 23, 1671, several fishermen coming from the Isle of Shoals to keep Christmas at Pascataqua, overset the canoe, wherein they were going ashore, and were all drowned.

January 18, 1671, there was observed much thunder and lightning in a storm of snow.

January 24, the same year, Captain Lockwood's wife going in a canoe with a drunken fellow from the Great Island to Kittery side, were carried away by the tide, and never heard of more.

June 5, 1673, washed linen was frozen stiff the next morning near Pascataqua River.

Anno 1675, one T. Tricks, falling out of his canoe while he was drunk, was drowned.

December 25, 1677, one of J. Hunkins's men, choosing rather to fight than to fish on that day, was struck on the face by one of his fellows, whereof he died that week, the wound not appearing considerable at the first.

April, Anno 1678, one Stevens's daughter, about four years old, taking a bottle of rum from her mother's bed's head, drank about half a pint thereof, upon which she was presently taken speechless, and died at noon.

In July the same year, one Antipas M.' being observed to be often overtaken with drink, at the last in that distemper fell out of his canoe and was drowned.

Some time in June, ||1670,|| it was observed that, at a great pond in Watertown, all the fish there (many cart loads as was thought,) swam to the shore and died. It was conceived to be the effect of some mineral vapor, that at that time had made an irruption into the water.

In November, 1676, a fire was enkindled at the north end of the town of Boston,3 (through the carelessness of

|| 1676 ||

Perhaps Antipas Maverick, of Kittery, in 1652.-H.

"What is now called Fresh Pond," says Francis's Watertown, p. 44.-H. "Nov. 27, about 5 in the morning, at one Wakefield's house, by the Red Lion." Hutchinson, i. 313; Snow's History of Boston, (2d. ed., 8vo. Bost. 1828,) p. 164.-н.

a boy called up to work very early in the morning, who falling asleep, as was said, the candle set the house on fire,) whereby many other houses were consumed, together with the meeting-house at that end of the said

town.

Sometime in November, 1677, a great black boar came into the town of Dedham, no man knows from whence, which was eight feet in length. He was shot thirteen times, before he could be killed, and almost the whole town were mustered together, before he could be mastered.

A French vessel, that lay between the Capes to take a vessel that was at Pascataqua, was driven ashore at Cape Anne, twelve of the men drowned, and of eight that escaped, many frozen.

For close of these sad events of Providence may be added the burning of Boston, August 5, 1679, set on fire by some wicked and malicious wretches, as is justly suspected, which hath half ruined the whole Colony, as well as the town; for therein a considerable part of the warehouses, belonging to the chiefest merchants in the town, were suddenly consumed in the flames, and several dwelling houses of good value, to the number of twenty or thirty, whereby that which was many years in gathering was in a few hours scattered and consumed. By another fire also, which happened there in the year 1682, were many principal warehouses burnt down again, whereby God would teach us not to trust in riches, which take wing and fly away as a bird toward Heaven, out of the reach of the owners thereof.

CHAP. LXXVI.2

The success and progress of the Gospel amongst the Indians in New England.

FORAS MUCH as the conversion of the Indians in America was none of the least motives that persuaded many of the inhabitants of New England to transport themselves thither, it will be expected that in this place some account should be given of the effect thereof.

1 "Aug. 8, about midnight;" it began "at one Gross's house, the sign of the Three Mariners, near the dock." Hutchinson, i. 313; Snow, pp. 165-6.-H. 2 LXXV in the MS.-H.

For the satisfaction, therefore, of those that desire to inquire after the premises, the footsteps of God's dealing with these poor heathen shall be declared in what follows. From the first planting of the country there might be observed some taste of the sprinklings of his grace upon them, of which some instances are given by those that were careful to take notice of them.

Anno 1622,' in the second year after the English first settled at Plymouth, when that place and people were in great distress for want of rain, the people there set a solemn day apart to seek God in that behalf. An Indian,2 taking notice that all the former part of the day was a very hot, clear sunshine time, and yet in the evening that rain fell in a sweet, soaking shower, was transported into a great wonderment of the power the English had with their God, and was so convinced thereby, that he resolved from that day not to rest till he did know this great God, and for that end he immediately forsook the Indians, and clave to the English; and notwithstanding all enticements and flatteries or frowns of his countrymen, he could never be induced to forsake his Christian friends, but died amongst them, leaving some good hopes in their hearts that his soul went to rest.

Two years after the English were settled in the Massachusetts, Sagamore John, i. e. the chief of those Indians, being, from the first landing of the English, more courteous and ingenuous to them than the rest, desired to learn their language, and loved to imitate their manners and behavior, and was so persuaded of the goodness of the Englishman's religion above the Indian's, that he promised to leave the Indians and come live with them; but yet, kept down by fear of the scoffs of the Indians, had not power to make good his promise; and being soon after smitten with the small pox,3 a mortal disease amongst them, and never known to them before, he sadly lamented his not endeavoring to know God better; “but now," said he, "I must die, the God of the English is much angry with me, and will destroy me. Ah! I was afraid of the scoffs of the wicked Indians, yet my child shall live with the English, and learn to know their God,

11623. See page 74.-H. 3 See page 195.—н.

This Indian was Hobbamock.-H.