Rodolph suffered nothing to be taken from the huts, but proceeded along
the coast in a southerly direction and, at length, he perceived two
canoes at a considerable distance from the shore, containing several
Indians, who took no notice of the signals they made, but rowed rapidly
away on an opposite course. Finding it useless to linger any longer in
this part of the bay, Maitland led his party back to the settlement at
New Plymouth, taking accurate observations of the line of coast, and
communicated to President Carver all the information that he had been
able to collect. This was not very satisfactory; and the governor
resolved to send out a second party, well armed, who should proceed in
the shallop to the southern part of Cape Cod Bay. This expedition was
placed under the command of Captain Standish, who was regarded as the
military chief of the settlers; and Maitland again formed one of the
number. On this occasion he obtained permission to take Henrich with
him, as he wished the boy to become early inured to the hardships and
privations which it would probably be his lot to bear for many years,
and also to acquire habits of courage and vigilance that might be of
service to him hereafter. Henrich was delighted with this arrangement,
which gratified his desire for adventure, and also proved that his
father now placed some confidence in him, and no longer regarded him as
a mere child. His astonishment was great when first he beheld the
whales, those huge and fearful-looking monsters of the ocean, lifting
their gigantic heads above the waves, and lashing the surface to foam
with their powerful tails; or ejecting vast spouts of water like
fountains, from their upraised heads. These, and many other strange
objects, attracted his attention as the boat moved down the bay; but
all were forgotten in the absorbing interest with which he regarded,
for the first time, the wild red men that met his view as the boat
neared the shore, at a spot about eight leagues from New Plymouth,