I Slipped A
Boullet Uppon The Shott And Beate The Paper Into My Gunne.
I heard a noise,
which made me looke on that side; hopeing to save meselfe, perswading
myselfe I was not yet perceived by them that weare in the medow, and in the
meane while some gunns weare lett off with an horrid cry.
Seeing myselfe compassed round about by a multitude of dogges, or rather
devils, that rose from the grasse, rushesse, and bushesse, I shott my
gunne, whether un warrs or purposly I know not, but I shott with a pistolle
confidently, but was seised on all sids by a great number that threw me
downe, taking away my arme without giving mee one blowe; ffor afterwards I
felt no paine att all, onely a great guidinesse in my heade, from whence it
comes I doe not remember. In the same time they brought me into the wood,
where they shewed me the two heads all bloody. After they consulted
together for a while, retired into their boats, which weare four or five
miles from thence, and wher I have bin a while before. They layed mee
hither, houlding me by the hayre, to the imbarking place; there they began
to errect their cottages, which consisted only of some sticks to boyle
their meate, whereof they had plenty, but stuncke, which was strange to mee
to finde such an alteration so sudaine. They made [me] sitt downe by. After
this they searched me and tooke what I had, then stripped me naked, and
tyed a rope about my middle, wherin I remained, fearing to persist, in the
same posture the rest of the night. After this they removed me, laughing
and howling like as many wolves, I knowing not the reason, if not for my
skin, that was soe whit in respect of theirs. But their gaping did soone
cease because of a false alarme, that their Scout who stayed behind gave
them, saying that the ffrench and the wild Algongins, friends to the
ffrench, came with all speed. They presently put out the fire, and tooke
hould of the most advantageous passages, and sent 25 men to discover what
it meant, who brought certaine tydings of assurance and liberty.
In the meanewhile I was garded by 50 men, who gave me a good part of my
cloathes. After kindling a fire againe, they gott theire supper ready,
which was sudenly don, ffor they dresse their meat halfe boyled, mingling
some yallowish meale in the broath of that infected stinking meate; so
whilst this was adoing they combed my head, and with a filthy grease
greased my head, and dashed all over my face with redd paintings. So then,
when the meat was ready, they feeded me with their hod-pot, forcing me to
swallow it in a maner. My heart did so faint at this, that in good deede I
should have given freely up the ghost to be freed from their clawes,
thinking every moment they would end my life. They perceived that my
stomach could not beare such victuals. They tooke some of this stinking
meate and boyled it in a cleare watter, then mingled a litle Indian meale
put to it, which meale before was tossed amongst bourning sand, and then
made in powder betwixt two rocks. I, to shew myselfe cheerfull att this,
swallowed downe some of this that seemed to me very unsavoury and clammie
by reason of the scume that was upon the meat. Having supped, they untyed
mee, and made me lye betwixt them, having one end of one side and one of
another, and covered me with a red Coverlet, thorough which I might have
counted the starrs. I slept a sound sleep, for they awaked me uppon the
breaking of the day. I dreamed that night that I was with the Jesuits at
Quebuc drinking beere, which gave me hopes to be free sometimes, and also
because I heard those people lived among Dutch people in a place called
Menada [Footnote: Menada, Manhattan, or New Netherlands, called by the
French of Canada "Manatte."], and fort of Orang, where without doubt I
could drinke beere. I, after this, finding meselfe somewhat altered, and my
body more like a devil then anything else, after being so smeared and burst
with their filthy meate that I could not digest, but must suffer all
patiently.
Finally they seemed to me kinder and kinder, giving me of the best bitts
where lesse wormes weare. Then they layd [me] to the watter side, where
there weare 7 and 30 boats, ffor each of them imbark'd himselfe. They tyed
me to the barre in a boat, where they tooke at the same instance the heads
of those that weare killed the day before, and for to preserve them they
cutt off the flesh to the skull and left nothing but skin and haire,
putting of it into a litle panne wherein they melt some grease, and gott it
dry with hot stones. They spread themselves from off the side of the river
a good way, and gathered together againe and made a fearfull noise and
shott some gunns off, after which followed a kind of an incondit singing
after nots, which was an oudiousom noise. As they weare departing from
thence they injoyned silence, and one of the Company, wherein I was, made
three shouts, which was answered by the like maner from the whole flocke;
which done they tooke their way, singing and leaping, and so past the day
in such like. They offered mee meate; but such victuals I reguarded it
litle, but could drinke for thirst. My sperit was troubled with infinite
deale of thoughts, but all to no purpose for the ease of my sicknesse;
sometimes despairing, now againe in some hopes. I allwayes indeavoured to
comfort myselfe, though half dead. My resolution was so mastered with
feare, that at every stroake of the oares of these inhumans I thought it to
be my end.
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