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, Capt. 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 his men, choos ing 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 his 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, 1676, 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 vapour, that at that time had made an irruption into the water.

In November, 1676, a fire was enkindied at the north end of the town of Boston, (through the carelessnes of

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? bear 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.

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

FORASMUCH as the conversion of the Indians in A. merica 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.

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, 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 courymen, 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 behaviour, and was so persuaded of the goodness of the Englishmen's religion above the Indians', 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, a mortal disease amongst them, and never known to them before, he sadly lamented his not endeavouring 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,

when I am dead. He did give him to Mr. Wilson, (the minister of Boston,) that went to visit this poor wretch in his forlorn condition, (as his disease at that time made it:) he is much good man and much love me. And when he had committed his only child to Mr. Wilson's care he soon after died; but whether the child answered the father's desire or no, is not known, but the contrary feared. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy: there shall be two in one house, the one taken and the other left.

Mention is made of another Indian, that seeing a pro. fane fellow of the English, in some remote plantation, felling of a tree, said unto him, do you not know this is the Lord's day in the Massachusetts, much matchet man, (i.e. much wicked man,) what, break you God's day? The same Indian coming a little while after into an Englishman's house thereabouts, where a man and his wife were a chiding and contending with angry words one against the other, when they intermitted their brawling so far as to bid him sit down and tell him he was welcome, (possibly they might be in expectation of traffick, wherein they both were well agreed,) he answered, he would not stay there, because God no dwell there, but rather Holbomack, i. e. with them, the devil.

Lastly, a Pequod Indian, called Waquash, a proper man, and of good courage, and a captain amongst them in the wars they had with the English anno 1637, yet was so smitten at the terrours of God upon the taking their fort and killing so many hundred of the Indians in an hour's time, he was from that moment so awakened in his conscience, to think the Englishman's God was a great God; which did so pursue and follow him that he could have no rest till he came to the knowledge of the Englishmen's God, and was so importunate that way that he would occasion the English, (amongst whom he came afterwards,) to spend more than half the night in conversing with him. Afterwards coming to live with the English at Connecticut, he would often sadly smite on his breast and complain of his naughty heart, adding, Waquash no know God, Waquash no know Jesus

Christ; but afterwards it pleased the Lord so to move on his heart, that he throughout reformed his life, confessing his dearest sins, lust and revenge, many ways testifying his unfeigned return from the same. Afterwards he went amongst the Indians, like the woman of Samaria, proclaiming Christ, and warning them to fly from the wrath to come, by breaking off their sins and wickedness. Some of the Indians were, like the children of the devil, as Paul speaks, so filled with rage that they gave him poison, which he took without suspicion; when the Indians wished him to send for the powaws, who with them are their physicians and their priests, he only told them, if Jesus Christ say that Waquash shall live, then Waquash live; if Jesus Christ say Waquash shall die, then Waquash is willing to die, and will not lengthen out his life by any such means; and so he bequeathed his only child to the care of the English. He died, as was charitably conceived, a martyr for Christ, rejoicing in this hope, that the child should know more of Christ than its poor father did.

These were the first fruits or gleanings; what the harvest may prove, will be the advantage of after genera tions to know, but at the present there have been some few, a remnant, that have given some hopes of their seeking after God. For it having been put into the heart of that faithful and laborious minister of the gospel, Mr. John Eliot of Roxbury, to use indefatigable pains to learn the language, and take all opportunities to instruct them domatim et vicatim, he did at last persuade two or three small companies to join together in the profession of christianity, separating themselves from the Indian's manners, way, and worship, wherein they were bred up, and many of them have given good hopes of the truth and reality of their conversion to the christians, which is evident by their publick profession thereof, and savoury discourses out of texts of scripture before some of their company upon solemn times, when they have been called to seek God by fasting and prayer for the removal of some judgments that have befallen them, upon some publick occasion. The principal of those that so do with