the preceding autumn, the colony contained about three hundred inhabitants; eighty of them died, and a great part of the survivors were in a weak, sickly state. Their supply of corn was not sufficient for more than a fortnight, and their provisions were nearly exhausted. Friday, February 6th, 1631, was appointed as a day of fasting and prayer; but, on the 5th of February, a ship arrived with provisions, and a day of thanksgiving was appointed by the governor.

The succeeding winter commenced in December, with great severity. Few of the houses which had been erected were comfortable. Unused to such severities of climate, the people suffered severely from the weather. Many of them died from the cold. On the opening of the spring of 1631, health was generally restored in the settlements; but the colony was greatly impoverished. All the provisions that were brought from England, were purchased at a very high rate. By the length of the passage, and the severity of the winter, the greater part of their cattle died. The materials for building, and implements of labor, were

great exertions were made for a crop of Indian corn, which was their whole dependence; and it pleased God to give them an abundant harvest.

In the commencement of all the individual settlements, the planters were mindful of their great errand into the wilderness, and directed their first exertions to the establishment of the church of Christ, and the institution of the gospel. The first church, after the one at Salem, was gathered at Charlestown, August 27th, 1630. Soon after this a church was organized at Dorchester. The next was at Boston, one at Roxbury, one at Lynn, and one at Watertown. In less than two years from the organization of the first church in Salem, there were in the colony seven churches. In 1633, came over Mr. Haynes, afterwards the first governor of Connecticut, and Mr. Stone, Mr. Hooker, and Mr. Cotton, three of the most eminent lights of the New England churches.

On the 21st of February, an order was made by the king in council, to stop the ships at that time ready to sail, freighted with passengers and provisions, for New England. But this order seems never to have been strictly executed, as the emigrations still continued, without any sensible diminution.

Earthquakes

CHAPTER X.

SETTLEMENT OF NEW ENGLAND.-Discovery of Connecticut river.— Dispute with the Dutch-First settlement of Connecticut-Fort Good Hope erected by the Dutch-Quarrel between the Dutch and the Plymouth men-Settlement of Hartford and Wethersfield by the English-Expedition of Hooker-Sufferings of the colonists-Lords Say and Seal-Charter for Connecticut-Breaking out of the Pequod war-Murder of Mr. Oldham-Expedition of the English against the Pequods-Barbarities of the savages-Mason's expeditionAlliance with the Narragansets-The forces march against the Pequods-Attack of the Indian fort at Mystic-Defeat and slaughter of the Pequods-General joy of the colony-Remarkable circumstances attending the victory.

THE first discovery of the country on the Connecticut river was made by the enterprising people of Plymouth, in 1633. The Plymouth people determined to undertake the enterprise at their own risk. Preparations were made for erecting a trading house, and establishing a small company upon the river. In the mean time, the master of a vessel from Massachusetts, who was trading at New Netherlands, now New York, where the Dutch had formed a settlement, showed to the Dutch governor the commission the English had to trade and settle in New England; and that the king had granted these parts to his own subjects; he also desired that the Dutch would not build in Connecticut. The Dutch governor requested that the English would not settle in Connecticut until the affair should be determined between them. This appears to have been a piece of policy in the Dutch governor, to keep the English back until the Dutch had got a firm footing upon the river.

In September, 1633, several vessels went into Connecticut river to trade. John Oldham, from Dorchester, with

country and trade with the Indians. He found that the Indian hemp grew in great abundance in the meadows, and purchased a quantity of it, which, upon trial, was found to exceed that which grew in England. William Holmes, of Plymouth, with his company, having prepared the frame of a house, and boards and materials for covering it, immediately put them on board a vessel, and sailed for Connecticut. When he came into the river, he found that the Dutch had got in before him, made a light fort, and planted two pieces of cannon at the mouth of the little river since called Hartford. The Dutch forbade Holmes going up the river-stood by their cannon, and ordered him to strike his colors, or they would fire upon him; but he was a man of spirit, and assured them that he had a commission from the governor of Plymouth, to go up the river, and go he would. They still threatened, but he proceeded-landed on the west side of the river, and crected his house just below the mouth of the little river in Windsor. This was the first house erected in Connecticut. It was covered with the utmost despatch, and well fortified. The sachems, who were original owners of the soil, had been driven from this point of the country by the Pequods, and were now carried home on board Holmes' vessel. The Dutch, about the same time, erected a trading house at Hartford. It was with great difficulty that Holmes and his company erected and fortified their house, and kept it afterwards. The Dutch, before the Plymouth people took possession of the river, had been invited to trade with them at Connecticut; but when they found that they were preparing for a settlement there, they repented of the invitation, and did all in the er to prevent them.

On the 8th of June, 1633, the Dutch purchased about twenty acres of land at Hartford, of a Pequod chief, where they built a fort, which they named Good Hope. Of this the Dutch took possession; they protested against Holmes, the builder of the trading house. Some time afterwards, the Dutch governor despatched a reinforcement from fort Amsterdam to Connecticut, designing to drive Holmes and

his company from the river. A band of seventy men assaulted the Plymouth house; but they found it too well fortified, and gave up their design. In November and December, the small-pox raged among the Indians; two sachems, with a great part of their Indians, died. When their own people forsook them, the English, who lived near them, went to their wigwams, and ministered to them. Some families spent almost their whole time with them. One Englishman buried thirty of their dead in one day.

In 1634, at a meeting of the Massachusetts General Court, in September, the people of Newtown or Cambridge, made application for liberty to remove to Connecticut river; Mr. Hooker acting as principal advocate for the people. The court refused to give their consent; and the design was given over. In 1635, permission was granted, on condition that the new settlement should continue subject to the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. The people of Newtown, Dorchester, and Watertown, now began to prepare for their new habitation. In the course of the season, several people went to Connecticut river-some by water, some through the wilderness.

The Dorchester men sat down at Windsor, near the Plymouth trading house. They purchased the building and land owned by the Plymouth people. The people from Newtown, of whom but few removed till the following year, settled at Hartford. The Watertown settlers began the town of Wethersfield. In 1636, about one hundred persons, men, women, and children, led by the Rev. Messrs. Hooker and Stone, together with their horses, cattle, and swine, commenced their journey through the wilderness to Connecticut river. They travelled about two weeks on foot, during which time they lived upon the milk of their By the 25th of November, Connecticut river was frozen over; heavy falls of snow succeeded, and the season was very severe. Several small vessels, which had been laden with their furniture and provisions, sailed from Boston, and were wrecked on the coast. By the last of November, provisions began to fail in the settlements on the

cows.