Although I received no letter from you by this ship, yet forasmuch as I
know you expect the performance of my promise, which was to write to you
truly and faithfully of all things, I have therefore, at this time, sent
unto you accordingly, referring you for further satisfaction to our more
large relations.

[Illustration]

You shall understand that in this little time that a few of us have been
here, we have built seven dwelling houses and four for the use of the
plantation, and have made preparation for divers others.

We set the last spring some twenty acres of Indian corn, and sowed some
six acres of barley and pease; and according to the manner of the
Indians, we manured our ground with herrings, or rather shads, which we
have in great abundance, and take with great ease at our doors.

Our corn did prove well; and God be praised, we had a good increase of
Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, but our pease not worth
the gathering, for we feared they were too late sown. They came up very
well, and blossomed; but the sun parched them in the blossom.

Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that
so we might, after a special manner, rejoice together after we had
gathered the fruit of our labors. They four, in one day, killed as much
fowl as with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At
which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of
the Indians coming among us, and among the rest their greatest king,
Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and
feasted; and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to
the plantation, and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain and
others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this
time with us, yet by the goodness of God we are so far from want, that
we often wish you partakers of our plenty....

We have often found the Indians very faithful in their covenant of peace
with us, very loving, and ready to pleasure us. We often go to them, and
they come to us.... Yea, it hath pleased God so to possess the Indians
with a fear of us and love to us, that not only the greatest king
amongst them, called Massasoit, but also all the princes and peoples
round about us, have either made suit to us, or been glad of any
occasion to make peace with us; so that seven of them at once have sent
their messengers to us to that end.... They are a people without