The very morning of
the massacre, they came freely and unarmed among them, eating with them,
and behaving themselves with the same freedom and friendship as
formerly, till the very minute they were to put their plot in execution.
Then they fell to work all at once everywhere, knocking the English
unawares on the head, some with their hatchets, which they call
tomahawks, others with the hoes and axes of the English themselves,
shooting at those who escaped the reach of their hands; sparing neither
age nor sex, but destroying man, woman, and child, according to their
cruel way of leaving none behind to bear resentment. But whatever was
not done by surprise that day, was left undone, and many that made early
resistance escaped.

By the account taken of the Christians murdered that morning, they were
found to be three hundred and forty-seven, most of them falling by their
own instruments, and working tools.

Sec. 47. The massacre had been much more general, had not this plot been
providentially discovered to the English some hours before the
execution. It happened thus:

Two Indians that used to be employed by the English to hunt for them,
happened to lie together, the night before the massacre, in an
Englishmen's house, where one of them was employed. The Indian that was
the guest fell to persuading the other to rise and kill his master,
telling him, that he would do the same by his own the next day.
Whereupon he discovered the whole plot that was designed to be executed
on the morrow. But the other, instead of entering into the plot, and
murdering his master, got up (under pretence of going to execute his
comrade's advice,) went into his master's chamber, and revealed to him
the whole story that he had been told. The master hereupon arose,
secured his own house, and before day got to Jamestown, which, together
with such plantations as could receive notice time enough, were saved by
this means; the rest, as they happened to be watchful in their defence,
also escaped; but such as were surprised, were massacred. Captain
Croshaw in his vessel at Potomac, had notice also given him by a young
Indian, by which means he came off untouched.

Sec. 48. The occasion upon which Oppechancanough took affront was this.
The war captain mentioned before to have been killed, was called
Nemattanow. He was an active Indian, a great warrior, and in much esteem
among them; so much, that they believed him to be invulnerable, and
immortal, b