22 Tales of Squanto (1622)

In March 1621 a representative of the sachem Massasoit named Samoset visited Plymouth, which the Pilgrims had established on the ruins of a Wampanoag village called Patuxet. The excerpts included here are Bradford’s story of Tisquantum or Squanto, a native who had been captured and sold into slavery as a boy, but after many years had made his way back to his home, only to discover that his people had all died of disease. Squanto had learned English while in Europe and England, so he was valuable to the Pilgrims as an interpreter and guide.

His name was Samasett. He told them also of another Indian whose name was Squanto, a native of this place who had been in England and could speak better English than himself. They made way for the coming their great Sachem called Massasoit who, about 4 or 5 days after, came with the chief of his friends and other attendants, with the aforesaid Squanto. With whom, after friendly entertainment and some gifts given him, they made a peace with him (which has now continued this 24 years). Squanto continued with them and was their interpreter. He directed them how to set their corn, where to take fish, and to procure other commodities. He was a native of this place and scarce any left alive besides himself. He was carried away with diverse others by one Hunt, a master of a ship, who thought to sell them for slaves in Spain.

They now began to dispatch the ship [Mayflower] away which brought them over, the beginning of April [1621]. Afterwards they (as many as were able) began to plant their corn, in which service Squanto stood them in great stead, showing them both the manner how to set it and after how to dress and tend it. Some English seed they sowed, as wheat and peas, but it came not to good, either by the badness of the seed, or lateness of the season, or both, or some other defect.

Thus their peace and acquaintance was pretty well established with the natives about them. And there was another Indian called Hobamack come to live amongst them. A proper lusty man and a man of account for his valor and parts amongst the Indians, and continued very faithful and constant to the English till he died. He and Squanto being gone upon business among the Indians, at their return (whether it was out of envy to them or malice to the English) there was a Sachem called Corbitant, allied to Massasoit but never any good friend to the English to this day, met with them at an Indian town called Namassakett 14 miles to the west of this place and began to quarrel with them and offered to stab Hobamack. But being a lusty man, he cleared himself of him and came running away all sweating and told the Governor what had befallen him. And he feared they had killed Squanto, for they threatened them both and for no other cause but because they were friends to the English and serviceable unto them.

Upon this the Governor taking counsel, it was conceived not fit to be borne. For if they should suffer their friends and messengers thus to be wronged, they should have none would cleave to them or give them any intelligence or do them service afterwards. Whereupon it was resolved to send the Captain and 14 men well armed and to go and fall upon them in the night. And if they found that Squanto was killed, to cut off Corbitant’s head, but not to hurt any but those that had a hand in it. Hobamack was asked if he would go and be their guide and bring them there before day. He said he would and bring them to the house where the man lay and show them which was he. So they set forth the 14th of August, and beset the house round. The Captain giving charge to let none pass out, entered the house to search for him. But he was gone away that day, so they missed him but understood that Squanto was alive and that he had only threatened to kill him and made an offer to stab him but did not. So they withheld and did no more hurt and the people came trembling and brought them the best provisions they had, after they were acquainted by Hobamack what was only intended. There was three sore wounded which broke out of the house and assayed to pass through the guard. These they brought home with them, and they had their wounds dressed and cured, and sent home. After this they had many congratulations from diverse sachems and much firmer peace. Yea, those of the isles of Capawack sent to make friendship and this Corbitant himself used the mediation of Massasoit to make his peace.

After this, the 18th of September they sent out their sloop to the Massachusetts [tribe] with 10 men and Squanto for their guide and interpreter, to discover and view that bay and trade with the natives. The which they performed and found kind entertainment. The people were much afraid of the Tarentins, a people to the eastward which used to come in harvest time and take away their corn and many times kill their persons. They returned in safety and brought home a good quantity of beaver and made report of the place.

This ship (called the Fortune) was speedily dispatched away, being laden with good clapboard [oak staves used to make barrels] as full as she could stow and 2 hogsheads of beaver and otter skins, which they got with a few trifling commodities brought with them at first, being altogether unprovided for trade. Neither was there any amongst them that ever saw a beaver skin till they came here and were informed by Squanto. The freight was estimated to be worth near £500.

But by the former passages and other things of like nature, they began to see that Squanto sought his own ends and played his own game, by putting the Indians in fear and drawing gifts from them to enrich himself. Making them believe he could stir up war against whom he would and make peace for whom he would. Yea, he made them believe they kept the plague buried in the ground and could send it amongst whom they would, which did much terrify the Indians and made them depend more on him and seek more to him than to Massasoit, which procured him envy and had like to have cost him his life. For after the discovery of his practices, Massosoit sought it both privately and openly, which caused him to stick close to the English and never durst go from them till he died. They also made good use of the emulation [competition] that grew between Hobamack and him. And the Governor seemed to countenance the one and the Captain the other, by which they had better intelligence and made them both more diligent.

Captain Standish was appointed to go with them and Squanto for a guide and interpreter, about the latter end of September [1622]. But the winds put them in again and putting out the second time, he fell sick of a fever, so the Governor went himself. But they could not get about the shoulder of Cape Cod, for flats and breakers. Neither could Squanto direct them better nor the master durst venture any further, so they put into Manamoyack Bay and got what they could there. In this place Squanto fell sick of an Indian fever, bleeding much at the nose (which the Indians take for a symptom of death) and within a few days died there; desiring the Governor to pray for him, that he might go to the Englishmen’s God in heaven. And bequeathed sundry of his things to sundry of his English friends, as remembrances of his love; of whom they had a great loss.

Source: History of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647, Vol. 1. William Bradford. Massachusetts Historical Society. 1912. https://archive.org/details/historyplymouth01socigoog/page/n14/mode/2up?q=squanto