Concerning the extent of territory over which Massasoit held sway, and the tribes that acknowledged him as their sovereign, it has been satisfactorily determined that all Cape Cod (now the county of Barnstable), and [7] all that portion of Massachusetts and Rhode Island lying between Narraganset and Massachusetts Bays, and perhaps extending westerly into what is now the State of Connecticut, together with all the contiguous islands, were included in the lordly domain of the great and good old Massasoit.

That Massasoit should be able to hold so many tribes together without constant war, required qualities belonging only to few; and as we contemplate the fact, are forcibly impressed with the truth of the language of one of Massasoit's war captains, the friendly Indian Hobamok, who on learning of the dangerous illness of Massasoit, in bitterness of spirit exclaimed and kept repeating, "Neen womasu Sagimus, neen womasu Sagimus," which by interpretation is, "My loving Sachem! many have I known, but never any like thee," and then addressing himself to some of the English, Hobamok said, "While you live you will never see his like among the Indians"; adding, that he was no liar, nor bloody and cruel; in anger and passion he was soon reclaimed, easy to be reconciled toward such as had offended him; that his reason was such as to cause him to receive advice of mean people [those in low or medium circumstances], and that he governed his people better with few blows than others did with many.

Such was the character of the ruler of the wild country and savage land to which the Pilgrim voyagers from far over the sea had come to locate and lay the foundations of another government - to plant the seeds of a new empire.

On Saturday, the 17th of March, 1621, Samoset left Plymouth people, promising soon to return and to "bring some of Massasoit's men to trade with them in skins." accordingly, the next day, Sunday, March 18, 1621, Samoset returned and accompanied by "five [8] other proper men. They had every man a deer skin on him, and the principal of them had a wild cat's skin or such like on one arm. They had most of them long hosen up to their goins close made; and above their groins to their waist another leather, they were altogether like Irish trousers. They were of complection like English gipsies; no hair or very little on their faces; on their heads long hair to their shoulders, only cut before; some trussed up before with a feather broadwise like a fan; another a fox tail hanging out. We gave them entertainment as we thought was fitting them. They did eat liberally of our English victuals, sang and danced after their manner like anticks. Some of them had their faces painted black from the forehead to the chin four or five fingers broad, others after other fashions as they liked. They brought three or four skins but we would not truck with them that day, but wished them to bring more and we would truck for all."

The reason why the Pilgrims would not trade with the Indians that day was that it was their Sabbath or Sunday. The old chronicler continued, "So because of the day we dismissed them so soon as we could. But Samoset our first acquaintance either was sick, or feigned himself so, and would not go with them, and stayed with us till Wednesday morning. Then we sent him to them to know the reason they came not, and we gave him a hat, a pair of stockings and shoes, a shirt and a piece of cloth to tie about his waist." Samoset did not come back until the next day, viz., Thursday, March 22, 1621, when he returned bringing with him an Indian called Squanto.

Squanto, like many other Indians, seems to have had several names. Thus at different periods of time he appears to have been called Tasquantum, Tisquantum and Squantum, as also Squanto; and, [9] singularly enough, he had been in the Englishman's country, where for a time he dwelt with a merchant named John Slaine. This Indian, with four others, was taken by Capt. George Weymouth in 1605, and carried to England where he had remained for several years. Capt. Weymouth had been sent out to discover the north-west passage. Squanto claimed to have been the only native of Patuxet (now Plymouth) that the plague of 1617 had spared, and his escape, perhaps was owing to the fact that he at that time had not yet returned from his voyage to Europe. Samoset and Squanto brought but few articles of trade, but very important news, viz., "that their great sagamore Massasoit was hard by."

Massasoit's residence at that time was at Pawkunnawkut, now in the township of Bristol, Rhode Island. His name was pronounced and written in various ways, thus, "Woosamequin, Asuhmequin, Oosamequen, Osamekin, Owsamequin, Osamequine. Usaminoquen, and Wasamegin; but most generally is he mentioned in history under the name of Massasoit. Governor Bradford, the chief magistrate of Plymouth Colony, to whom the world owes very much of what now appears concerning the early history of that colony, usually wrote the name of the Indian chieftain, Massasoyt or Massasoyet. The early English settlers at Plymouth and their immediate descendants pronounced the name Ma-sas-so-it.

We have remarked that Samoset and Squanto brought but few articles of trade, but among these were skins, and "some red herrings newly taken and dried but not salted." Tradition informs us that when the country was first settled by the English, the herring so largely abounded that in its passage from the sea to the still waters of the lakes and ponds, the little intervening streams were fairly choked, and at such [10] points the Indians annually caught large quantities, taking the fish from the water in their hands without the aid of nets or weirs. The Indians used no salt, and hence the fish not devoted to present use were dried; and besides, no inconsiderable quantities were used with which to enrich their planting grounds, applying as they did one herring to each hill of growing corn. With such a stimulant, though the Indians planted the poorest and most sandy lands because easier worked with their rude tools of husbandry, yet they managed to get very fair crops of Indian corn, beans and pumpkins.

Before the arrival of the English, the Indian's hoe was made from the largest shells of the common clam, or the shell of the "round clam" or quauhaug. Bent bones served the natives for fish-hooks; but clam-shells in husbandry, and bent bones in fishery, were discarded as soon as skins would purchase good english hoes and fish-hooks.

It is stated in Mourt's Relation that at this, the first visit Massasoit made the English, March 22, 1621, that chieftain was accompanied by Quadequina, his brother. The old chronicler continues to state that the Indians "could not well express in English what they would, but after an hour the King came to the top of an hill over against us and had in his train 60 men that we could well behold them and they us." That hill whereon Massasoit and his warriors first appeared is thought to be what is now called "Watson's." It is on the south side of town brook, in Plymouth.

The writer continues - "We were not willing to send our governor *(I-5) to them, and they unwilling to come to us; so Squanto went again unto him who [11] brought word that we should send one to parley with him which we did, which was Edward Winslow; to know his mind and to signify the mind and will of our governor which was to have trading and peace with him. We sent to the King a pair of knives and a copper chain with a jewel in it. To Quadequina we sent likewise a knife, and a jewel to hang in his ear and withal a pot of strong water, a good quantity of biscuit and some butter, which were all willingly accepted."

Then the Englishman addressed Massasoit in a speech wherein he repeated the unmitigated falsehood and stereotyped lie of the English king's love and good will to him and his people, and told Massasoit that the English king accepted him as his friend; and the Pilgrim amanuensis adds that Massasoit "liked well of the speech and heard it attentively though the interpreters did not well express it. *(I-6) After he had eaten and drunk himself and given to the rest of his company, he looked upon our messenger's sword and armor which he had on, with intimation of his desire to buy it; but on the other side our messenger showed his unwillingness to part with it. In the end he left him in the custody of Quadequina his brother and came over the brook and some 20 men following him. We kept six or seven as hostages for our interpreter."

As Massasoit proceeded to meet the English, they met him with six soldiers who saluted each other. Several of Massasoit's men were with him, but these all left their bows and arrows behind. They were conducted to a new house which was partly finished, and a green rug was spread upon the floor and several cushions for Massasoit and his chiefs to sit down upon. Then came the English governor, followed by a drummer [12] and trumpeter and a few soldiers, and after kissing one another, all sat down. Some strong water *(I-7) being brought, the governor drank to Massasoit who in turn "drank a great draught that made him sweat all the while after." The Pilgrims seemed to be desirous that Massasoit should be moved upon by the spirit, even though his acts should not be characterized by a correct understanding.

They next proceeded to make a treaty, which stipulated that neither Massasoit nor any of his people should do hurt to the English, and if they did they should be given up to be punished by them; and that if the English did any harm to him or any of his people, they (the English) would do the like to them. That if any did unjustly war against Massasoit, the English were to aid him, and he was to do the same in his turn. The old writer adds - "all which the King seemed to like well and it was applauded of his followers."