and New York, for the reduction of Canada; it was 1693. at length concluded, that an expedition should be undertaken for that purpose. A fleet was to be employed in the winter in the reduction of Martinico; and, after the performance of that service, was to sail to Boston, take on board a body of land forces under Sir William Phips, and proceed to Quebec. Neither part of this extensive project was effected. The attempt on Martinico was unsuccessful.' A malignant disease pervaded the fleet; and so great was the mortality, that before Sir Francis Wheeler, the commander in chief, arrived at Boston, he had buried thirteen hundred out of two thousand one hundred sailors, and eighteen hundred of two thousand four hundred soldiers. The projected expedition against Canada was necessarily relinquished. ' No great injuries were sustained, this year, on the frontiers. Major Convers, with four or five hundred men, marched to Taconick, on Kennebeck 3 but saw no Indians, excepting one party, which he surprised, not far from Wells. On his return, he built a fort at Saco river; and the Indians soon after sued for peace. Coming into the fort at Pemaquid, appointed for the place of treaty, they en- Treaty at tered into a solemn covenant on the eleventh of Au. Pemaquid. 3 1 The English under Sir F. Wheeler made a descent on Martinico, with the loss of about 600 men killed, and 300 taken prisoners. Henault, ii. 221. Univ. Hist. xli. 159-161. 2 Hutchinson, ii. 71, 72. The fleet arrived at Boston 11 June. The distemper spread from it into that town, " and was more malignant than ever the small pox had been, or any other epidemical sickness, which had been in the country before." Ibid. Baron La Hontan says, Sir F. Wheeler, after returning from his unsuccessful expedition against Martinico, anchored with his fleet off Placentia ; but, on discovering "a redoubt of stone lately built on the top of the mountain," he judged it more advisable to return quickly into Europe, than to make a fruitless attempt. Harris Voy. ii. 924. See Mather Magnal. book ii. 71. 3 The fort was built of stone, “an irregular pentagon with a tower,” about two leagues up the river, on the western side, near the falls. This was in the heart of the Indian hunting ground, and was supposed to accele erate tho treaty of peace. Hutchinson. C Aug. tr. 1693. gust. By this covenant they acknowledged subjec tion to the crown of England; engaged to abandon the French interest; and promised to maintain perpetual perpetual peace; to forbear private revenge; to restore all captives; and to allow a free trade. As a security to their fidelity, they delivered hostages.' French ex Count Frontenac, governor of Canada, unable to pedition a- effect a peace with the Five Nations, meditated a gainst the Mohawks. blow on the Mohawks. Collecting an army of six or seven hundred French and Indians, he supplied them with every thing necessary for a winter campaign; and on the fifteenth of January they set out from Montreal. After a march, attended with extreme hardships, they passed by Schenectady on the sixth of February; and, that night, captivated five men, and some women and children, at the first castle of the Mohawks. The second castle they took also with ease. At the third, they found about forty Indians in a war dance, designing to go out, on some enterprise, the next day. On their entering the castle, a conflict ensued, in which'the French lost about thirty men. In this descent, three hundred of the Indians, in the English interest, were made captives. Colonel Schuyler, with a party from Albany, pursued the enemy; and several skir mishes ensued. When the French reached the north branch of Hudson's river, a cake of ice opportunely served them to cross it; and Schuyler, who had retaken about fifty Indian captives, desisted from the pursuit. The French, in this enterprise, lost eighty men, and had above thirty wounded.* I Hutchinson, ii. 72, 73. Belknap N. Hamp. ii. 265. Univ. Hist. xxxix. 320. Sullivan, 159. Brit. Emp. ii. 87. 2 Smith N. York, 80-82. Colden, 142, 144. "Our Indians," at the time of Schuyler's return from the pursuit," were so distressed for provisions, that they fed upon the dead bodies of the French; and the enemy, in their turn, were reduced before they got home, to eat up their shoes.” Smith, ibid. ed from Montreal. The French, by their trade with the Indians, had 1693. accumulated a great quantity of furs and other pel- Furs carri try at Missilimakinak; but the Five Nations had so Missilimaeffectually blocked up the passage between that place kinak to and Canada, that they had remained there useless for several years. Count Frontenac, hoping that the Five Nations would now keep more at home, in defence of their castles, sent a lieutenant, with eighteen Canadians and twenty praying Indians, to open the passage to Missilimakinak; but this party was entirely routed. At length however two hundred canoes, loaded with furs, arrived at Montreal.' Canada. Canada, about this time, contained, by computa- State of tion, one hundred and eighty thousand souls. In Quebec there were six churches." Indians in There were, at this time, within the limits of Progress of Eastham five hundred and five adult Indians; at the gospel Mashpee and places adjacent, two hundred and four- among the teen; and in other parts of old Plymouth colony, Plymouth six hundred and eighty; to whom the gospel was statedly preached. I Colden, 150. This arrival" gave as universal a joy to Canada, as the arrival of the Galeons give in Spain." Ibid. Univ. Hist. [xl. 87, 88.] saya, that D' Argentuil and 18 Canadians undertook this dangerous enterprise in 1692, and returned safely with 200 loaded canoes, having on board the principal chiefs of the northern and western nations. Colden's account appeared to me the most correct. 2 Harris Voy. ii. 915, 924. 3 To these Indians Mr. Samuel Treat, minister of Eastham, preached the gospel. 4" In Mashipau [Mashpee], Sanctuit, and Cotuit, villages bordering on each other, and all belonging to the same assembly, there are no less than 214, besides several straglers that have no settled place." To these Mr. Rowland Cotton, minister of Sandwich, preached. 5 Mather Magnal. book vi. 60, 61. Coll. Hist. Soc. i. 205. To 180, whose place of residence is not designated," Mr. Thomas Tupper dispens ed the word;" to the remaining 500 (making collectively the 680 mentioned in the text) Mr. John Cotton, minister of Plymouth, and son of the minister of Boston, preached the gospel. Magnal.ib. The number of Indians on Martha's Vineyard was much reduced between A. D. 1674 and the above year; but the year before [1692], the Indian church there consisted of more than a hundred persons. In the following year [1694], the adult Indians on Nantucket were about 500; at which time there were on that island five assemblies of praying Indians, and three churches; two Congregational, and one of Baptists. Coll. Hist. Soc. i. 207. 1 The mention of Christianized Indians brings to remembrance their first colony. Fletcher 1693. Governor Fletcher of New York was vested with Governor plenary powers of commanding the whole militia of challenges Connecticut; and insisted on the exercise of that the com command. The legislature of Connecticut, knowthe militia ing that authority to be expressly given to the colof Connec- ony by charter, would not submit to his requisition; ticut. but the colony, desirous of maintaining a good un mand of derstanding with governor Fletcher, sent William Pitkin, esquire, to New York, to make terms with him respecting the militia, until his majesty's pleasure should be further known. No terms however could be made with the governor, short of an explicit submission of the militia to his command. On Goes to the twenty sixth of October, he came to Hartford, Hartford. while the assembly was sitting, and, in his majesty's name, demanded that submission. The assembly resolutely persisted in a refusal. After the requisition had been repeatedly made, with plausible explanations, and serious menaces, Fletcher ordered Attempts his commission and instructions to be read in audito publish ence of the trainbands of Hartford, which had been mission; prudentially assembled, upon his order. Captain but in vain. Wadsworth, the senior officer, who was at that mo his com ment exercising the soldiers, instantly called out, and principal teacher, the reverend JOHN ELIOT. An inadvertent omis "drum, I say ;" and, turning to his excellency, said, A dreadful storm was experienced in Virginia and Storm in the neighbouring region.* 1694. Virgínia. plained of Sir William Phips had but a short administration. Sir W. In the exercise of admiralty jurisdiction,' he fell in- Phips comto a dispute with the collector of the customs. Re- to the ceiving provocation from the collector and the сар- king. tain of a man of war, he broke out into indecent sallies of passion, and treated both of them with rudeness and violence. Both complained to the king, who was solicited immediately to displace the governor. The king refused compliance with the solicitation, without hearing what he had to say in his defence; and he was ordered to leave his government, and make answer in England. Sir Wil- Embarks liam accordingly left Boston on the seventeenth of for EngNovember.+ Nov. 17. land. Judge of The governor's injudicious use of power gave occasion to the crown to bring forward regulations for admiralty the prevention of future injuries; and a judge of ad- established. miralty was now established." By the influence of the French, the Indians were Indians fall induced to violate the treaty of Pemaquid. On the on Oyster eighteenth of July the Sieur de Villieu, with a body of two hundred and fifty Indians, fell with fury on I Trumbull, i. 410-414. 2 Univ. Hist. xli. 546. “It seemed to reverse the course of nature." It stopped up some rivers; and for others it opened channels, that were even navigable. Ibid. 3 There was at that time no court of admiralty; and no custom houses were yet established in the plantations by act of parliament. "The people thought it enough to enter and clear at the naval office, and questioned the authority of the collector." Hutchinson. 4 Hutchinson, ii. 70–79. 5 Ibid. 80. river. |