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first settled by the English, it may be concluded that it was not visited by the pestilence of 1617. Not less than three thousand Indians, it has been generally estimated, were on the Island when it was entered by Mayhew. As it seems capable of supporting scarcely a greater number of white inhabitants, who occupy much less space than savages, it may be asked, whence did so many of these children of nature derive their subsistence? From the account that has been given of Martha's Vineyard, it will be easy to answer this question. The truth is that its harbors, coves, lagunes, and ponds afford an inexhaustible supply of food. They could obtain the shell fish, which lie in such profusion on its shores, without the exercise of much invention; and they had discovered several ingenious methods of entrapping the cels and other fish, which swim in its waters. The Island itself was not destitute of game; and innumerable birds haunted its woods and coasts, which would sometimes be pierced by the arrows of the Indians; not to mention that the sandy soil was peculiarly favorable to the cultivation of squashes, beans, and maize It was a knowledge of these things, which induced so many of the savages to press to these islands, and the parts of the coast which resemble them: they appear barren to those who think that no country is fruitful, where the fields are not green; but to an Indian they were the most fertilo parts of America. That Martha's Vineyard then was capable of sustaining a multitude of inhabitants, is evident; and that this was the fact may with some degree of probability be inferred from the great number of proper names in common use. There was not a hill, a cove, a point of land, or a pond, however small, which had not its own appellation. Many of these names are familiar to the white inhabitants; and many more which have become obsolete, are still to be found in deeds of land and ancient books. Words follow the steps of men; and where a country by distinct names is subdivided into many minute parts, there is always reason to suppose that it has a numerous population.

“But though there is no room for doubting the testimony of the writers who assert, that when these islands were first settled by the English, they were well filled with inhabitants, yet it

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appears, that the people began to waste away, soon after the whites appeared among them. In 1643, and at several other times they were visited by a general disease. This was probably the yellow fever, which was, with the consumption, the disorder of which they commonly died. In 1674, they were reduced to three hundred families, or about fifteen hundred souls.

"Like the other savages of New England, they were in a low state of civilzation; and they had attained few of the arts,which contribute to the comfort of human life. The houses were small, mean, and generally filled with smoke; and their weapons of war were feeble and pointless, as is evident from the stone heads of their arrows which are still frequently picked up. Theywere however a hospitable and tractable people. When, therefore, the younger Mr. Mayhew attempted to introduce the gospel among them, they received him with kindness, and with readiness listened to his exhortations. The wonderful progress which the Christian religion, through the zeal of this eminent evangelist and his worthy successors, made in Martha's Vineyard, surprized and delighted the pious of that age; and they failed not to notice with minute attention its various circumstances. The younger Mr. Mayhew labored in this benevolent work, with diligence and fervor till his death. It was then assumed by his father, and after him by his son; and it has been carried on in the same family to the present day. In less than thirty years almost every Indian on the Island had become a professed Christian. At first they were only catechumens; but they were formed into a church in 1659, from which another church arose in the year 1670.

"The Indians were converted to the Christian faith; and attempts were made to reduce them to a state of civilization. But they who have been conversant with the Indians will often repeat how unprofitable the labor hath been either to civilize or convert them. Much money hath been expended to little or no purpose; and every method to educate them has failed. They who met with most success, such as Mr. Eliot and Mr. Mayhew, had they lived longer, would have wondered to see how soon their disciples returned to their former ignorance and

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stupidity, how little difference was made in the face of the wilderness. If it blossomed for a while and yielded some little fruit, the season was short and what was not covered with weeds, proved a cold and barren soil. The Mayhews, however pious and benevolent, did not much benefit the Indians, but the English gained the most essential advantages from the ascendency which was gained over their minds; they were disarmed of their rage; they were made friends and fellow subjects. At length they ceased to be formidable from another cause their numbers dwindled away, their courage abated, and they sunk into a mean and depressed people. The progress of their decline to the year 1764, is exhibited in the following table :—

"Number of Indians in Duke's County at five different periods: in 1642, 3000; 1674, 1500; 1698, 1000; 1720, 800 ; 1764, 313.

66 The present state of these Indians has not much to excite attention or interest curiosity. Beginning east the first collection is found at Chappaquiddick. On this Island they have a tract of land reserved to them, containing about eight hundred acres. They are much intermixed with white and negro blood, very few of them being pure Indians; and they have been improved in their habits and industry by the intermixture. Several of them live in framed houses, are good farmers, and are tolerably neat in their persons and habitations. The old men only are farmers, and are assisted by the women, who sow and hoe the corn the young men are seamen. Their lands are not enclosed; but their cattle are kept with a tedder. Their numbers which are probably increasing, are sixty-five, of whom nine are strangers, intermarried with them. The framed houses are ten; the wigwams two.

“Near Sangekantacket, adjoining the Lagune, at a place called Farm Neck, there was formerly a large town of Indians; and twenty persons of a mixed race still remain, who live in six houses, are divided into six families, and retain near two hundred acres of land.

"At West Chop in Tisbury, there is one Indian family, con sisting of five persons,

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"In the north-west part of Tisbury there is a tract of land, called Christiantown, assigned to the Indians, who are placed under guardians. They consist of nine families and thirty-two souls, of whom one male and six females are pure; the rest are mixed, chiefly with whites.

"The great body of the Indians is at Gayhead. They have here a tract of excellent land, containing three thousand acres, reserved to them. It is destitute of trees; but there are many swamps, some of which afford peat, and others, springs of good water. The land is broken into hills; and there are no roads. The Indians have twenty-six framed houses and seven wigwams. The framed houses are nothing better than mean huts; some of them have two apartments; but the greatest part of them, not more than one. There are three barns, and two meeting-houses, which are small buildings not more than twenty feet square. The number of families is thirty four; and of souls one hundred and forty two beside whom about a hundred Indians are absent from Gayhead; some of whom are children put out to service in English families; and others whale-men; making the whole number of proprietors, about two hundred and forty. Every native, whether he live off or on the island, is considered as a proprietor; and every child born to him is entitled to a right, which is equivalent to the pasture of three sheep. No sheep are kept.

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The mixed race is better than the pure Indians. Almost all of them have cows; and a few of them, oxen; they own as many as twenty horses. A part of their land is every year let to the whites; and the income is appropriated to the support of their poor. The Indians raise very little corn, but have pretty good gardens. They annually sell a hundred or two hundred bushels of cranberries, which grow in great plenty in their cranberry bogs. The rest of their subsistence is derived from fishing; and from the sale of clay, which they dispose of on the spot for three dollars, and when they carry it to market, for five dollars a ton. Small as their numbers are, they have two preachers; one of whom is a Baptist; the other a Congregationalist; the first of the mixed race, the second an

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Indian. Beside the houses at Gayhead, there is one Indian house and three wigwams at Chilmark; all the inhabitants of which, except a woman living in one of the wigwams, have rights at Gayhead, and are included in their number. The In

dians in this part of the island, are generally unchaste, intemperate, without forethought, and many of them dishonest. They are however more industrious, and neater in their persons and houses than is common for Indians." Yours.

LETTER VI.

MARTHA'S VINEYARD, 18-.

THE Indian huts are dispersed over a large extent at Gayhead. On my way to the cliffs I passed a small building used for a school-house and church. It is situated upon the summit of a knoll from which there is a fine prospect. Of the Indi

ans it is said there are not more than five or six fullblooded. While giving an ac o nt of the Indians, the labors and character of the Mayhews, who were the first apostles of Christ among them, ought not to be passed over slightly. On this point I am happy to recur again to Dr. Freeman :

"Mr. Mayhew having established himself peaceably on the Island, undertook with the assistance of his son, to civilize and christianize the native inhabitants. Of the attempts which were made to convert the Indians to the faith of the gospel we shill not speak, except so far as may be necessary to show with what prudence and moderation Mr. Mayhew conducted himself in his intercourse with the natives. The sachems of these islands were absolute in their government; but they were subject

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