Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/53

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VISIT OF MASSASOIT
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away, not only these but other Indians, their neighbors, I cannot well learn. I have discoursed with some old Indians, that were then youths, who say that the bodies all over were exceeding yellow, (describing it by a yellow garment they showed me), both before they died and afterwards."

On the following day, March 17, 1621, they dismissed Samoset, the sagamore of a tribe "lying hence a day's sail by a great wind and five days by land," giving him presents and requesting him "to return with some of Massassoit's men with beaver skins for traffic." On the 22d of March, Samoset returned, accompanied by Squanto, the sole remaining native of Patuxet, who informed Gov. Carver that the great sachem, Massassoit, and sixty of his warriors were near "from their place called Sowams, about 40 miles off to the westward." Edward Winslow and Miles Standish received Massassoit, with all the honors due to royalty, in the common house at Plymouth, and, after a feast, the governor proposed the following treaty which was agreed to by the chief:

  1. "That neither he, nor any of his, should injure or do hurt to any of their people.
  2. That if any of his did any hurt to any of theirs, he should send the offender that they might punish him.
  3. That if anything were taken away from any of theirs he should cause it to be restored;and that they should do the like to his.
  4. That if any did unjustly war against him, they would aid him; and if any did war against them, he should aid them.
  5. That he should send to his neighbor confederates, to inform them of this, that they might not wrong them, but might likewise be comprised in the conditions of peace.
  6. That when his men came to them upon any occasion, they should leave their bows and arrows behind them.
  7. That so doing, their sovereign lord. King James, would esteem him as his friend and ally."

This was the first interview between the Indians, the lords