Johnson's Wonder-Working Providence 1628-1651

Of the wonderfull Preparation the Lord Christ by his Providence, wrought for his peoples abode in this Western World.

Now let all men know the admirable Acts of Christ for his Churches and chosen, are universally over the whole Earth at one and the same time, but sorry man cannot so discourse of them; And therefore let us leave our English Nation in way of preparation for this Voyage intended, and tell of the marvelous doings of Christ preparing for his peoples arrival in the Western World, whereas the Indians report they beheld to their great wonderment that perspicuous bright blazing Comet (which was so famously noted in Europe) [1]; anon after Sun set it appeared as they say in the South-west, about thirty sleeps )for so they reason their days) after which uncouth sight they expected some strange things to follow, and the rather, because not long before the whole Nation of the Mattachusets were so affrighted with a Ship that arrived in their Bay, having never seen any before [2], thus they report some persons among them discerning a great thing to mover toward them upon the Waters, wondering what Creature it should be, they run with their light cannowes, (which are a kind of Boat made of Birch Rinds, and sowed together with the roots of white Cedar-Trees) from place to place, stirring up all their Countrymen to come forth, and behold this monstrous thing; at this sudden news the shores for many miles were filled with this naked Nation, gazing at this wonder, till some of the stoutest among them manned out these Cannowes. Being armed with bow and Arrows, they approached within shot of the Ship, being becalmed, they let fly their long shafts at her, which being headed with bone some stuck fast, and others dropped into the water, they wondering it did not cry, but kept quietly on toward them, till all of a sudden the Master caused a piece of Ordnance to be fired, which struck such fear into the poor Indians, that they hastened to shore, having their wonders exceedingly increased; but being gotten among their great multitude, they waited to see the sequel with much amazement, till the Seamen furling up their sails came to an Anchor, manned out their long boat, and went on shore, at whose approach, the Indians fled, although now they saw they were men, who made signs to stay their flight, that they may have Trade with them and to that end they brought certain Copper-Kettles; the Indians by degrees made their approach nearer and nearer till they came to them, when beholding their Vessels, which they had set forth before them, the Indian knocking them were much delighted with the sound, and much more astonished to see they would not break, being so thin, for attaining those Vessels they brought them much Beaver, freighting them richly away according to their desires. This was the first working providence of Christ to stir up our English Nation, to plant these parts in hope of a rich Trade for Beaver-skins, and this made some of our Countrymen make their abode in these parts, whom this Army of Christ at their coming over found as fit helps to further their design in planting the Churches of Christ; Who by a more admirable act of his Providence not long after prepared for his peoples arrival as followeth.

The Summer after the blazing Star (whose motion in the Heavens was from East to West, pointing out to the sons of men the progress of the glorious Gospel of Christ, the glorious King of his Churches) even about the year 1618, a little before the removal of that Church of Christ from Holland to Plimoth in New England, as the ancient Indians report, there befell a great mortality among them, the greatest that ever the memory of Father to Son took notice of, chiefly desolating those places where the English afterward planted [3]. The Country of Pockanoky, Agissawamg [4], it was almost wholly deserted, insomuch that the Neighbor Indians did abandon those places for fear of death, fleeing more West and by South, observing the East and by Norther parts were most smitten with this contagion. The Abarginny-men consisting of Mattachusets, Wippanaps and Tarratines [5] were greatly weakened, and more especially the three Kingdoms or Saggamore ships of the Mattachusets, who were before this mortality most populous, having under them seven Dukedoms or petty Saggamores, and the Nianticks and Narrowganssits, who before this came were but of little note, yet were they now not much increased by such as fled thither for fear of death. The Pecods (who retained the Name of a war-like people, till afterward conquered by the English) were also smitten at this time. Their Disease being a sore Consumption, sweeping away whole Families, but chiefly young Men and Children, the very seeds of increase. Their Powwows, which are their Doctors, working partly by Charms, and partly by Medicine, were much amazed to see their Wigwams lie full of dead Corpses, and that now neither Squantam nor Abbamocho [6] could help, which are their good and bad God and also their Howling and much lamentation was heard among the living, who being possessed with great fear, ofttimes left their dead unburied, their manner being such, that they remove their habitations at death of any. This great mortality being an unwonted thing, feared them the more, because naturally the Country is very healthy. But by this means Christ (whose great and glorious works the Earth throughout are altogether for the benefit of his Churches and chosen) not only made room for his people to plant; but also tamed the hard and cruel hearts of these barbarous Indians, insomuch that half a handful of his people landing not long after in Plimoth-Plantation, found little resistance...

[1] The celebrated comet of November, 1618, visible in daylight, and observed by Kepler and Gassendi.

[2] Captain John Smith seems to have sailed into Massachusetts Bay in 1614, and his ship may be the one here referred to.

[3] The pestilence of 1616-1617 (not 1619) is best described in the first chapter of Mr. Charles Francis Adams's Three Episodes of Massachusetts History. Its character cannot now be determined. Its chief severity fell on the Massachusetts, whom it perhaps reduced from three thousand fighting men to fifty. Thus the English settlement of the Bay had little to fear from savage foes.

[4] It is evident that the printer has made some mistake here, but what the reading should be is uncertain. The country of Pokanoket is that lying westward from Plymouth, the region ruled over by Massasoit and Philip. Agissawam may be the place listed by William Wood (New Englands Prospect, 1634, ad fin.) under the name Igoshaum, since he calls Agawam Igowam. Unfortunately he does not give Igoshaum on his map; in the list it stands between "Igowam" (Ipswich) and "Chobocco" (Essex).

[5] "Aberginian" is used by Wood, and apparently by Johnson, to denote the Indians from the Massachusetts north-eastward, the Tarratines being seated in easter Maine. The Niantics and Narragansetts were situated in Rhode Island, the Pequots in south-eastern Connecticut.

[6] Or Hobomok. A powwow was a medicine-man.
 

Adapted from: Johnson's Wonder-Working Providence 1628-1651. Reprinted by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1910


[PRCWA Homepage]

(Most Recent Update: 9-Oct-00)