to prevent such gross and wanton indignities. In the meantime, in the
hope of avoiding a recurrence of so distressing a calamity, the
colonists ploughed over the whole surface of their cemetery, and sowed
it with corn; thus concealing what was to them so sacred from the eyes
of their wild and ruthless foes.

The day after Maitland's visit to the wigwams, the emigrants were
astonished at the appearance of a fine athletic Indian, armed with a
bow and arrows, who walked up to the common hall, near the center of
the village, and saluted the Governor and those who were with him, in
the words 'Welcome Englishmen!' In reply to their eager inquiries, he
informed them that his name was Samoset, and that he was 'a Sagamore of
a northern tribe of Indians dwelling near the coast of Maine, where he
had acquired a slight knowledge of the English language from the
fishermen who frequented the island of Monhiggon near that shore. He
had been for several months residing among the Wampanoges; and on the
return of the Chief and his followers to the wigwams, he had heard from
the Squaw-Sachem, that two strangers, who, from her account, he
concluded to be Englishmen, had visited the encampment, and proposed to
do so again in two days. He had, therefore, by desire of the Chief,
Mooanam, come over to the British settlement, to assure the emigrants
of a friendly reception, and to conduct the embassy to the presence of
the Sagamore. His kind offices were gratefully and joyfully accepted by
the Governor; and Samoset remained that day as his guest. Although the
Indian's knowledge of English was very limited, the Pilgrim Fathers
learnt from him the name, and something of the history, of their
inveterate foes, the Nausetts; and also, that the commencement of their
enmity to the settlers arose not merely from their being intruders on
their domains, but from the remembrance of an injury which they had
received, some years previously, from an English captain of the name of