The only diseases, independent of wounds and hurts, to which their natural and active mode of life was liable, were those arising from sudden vicissitudes of heat and cold, for which their sole cure was sweating. Every village had its sweating-house, a large oven, or vapour-bath, filled with the steam raised by water poured over hot stones. After eight or ten persons had been thus stewed together, they ran out, and, after the Russian and Finnish fashion, plunged into the nearest brook of cold water; and this system, which, according to every English idea, ought to have killed them on the spot, was found refreshing in the extreme. In case of wounds, sucking and scarifying were the chief remedies.

CHAPTER V.

DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT OF NEW ENGLAND.

First Discovery by Gosnold.-Voyage of Challons.-Captain John Smith.-Unsuccessful Attempts.—Religious Persecution in England.-The Brownists.-Their Colony at New Plymouth.-Persecution of the Puritans.-Numerous Emigrations.—Settlement of Salem and Boston.-First Arrangements of the Colony.Schism occasioned by Williams.-The Red Cross.—Rise of the Antinomian Sect.-Mrs Hutchinson.-Violent Ferment in the Colony.-Proceedings against the Antinomians.-The Anabaptists. The Quakers.-Accounts of their Conduct.-Violent Proceedings against them.-Invasion of the Colonial Charter.Andros Governor.-Revolution of 1688.-Alarm about Witchcraft.-Trials.-Singular Confessions.-Dreadful State of the Colony-Close of the Proceedings.-The Native Indians.Dreadful Wars with them.-Measures taken for their Conver

sion.

GOSNOLD, as we have already seen, in his prosperous voyage to Virginia, touched first upon a part of the coast of what has since been termed New England, and sailed thence southward to the Chesapeake. In this course he discovered that the continent, which was still called Virginia, took a much wider range

than the English government had yet been aware of. It appeared now too great to be the object of one grant, or the adventure of one company. While Southern Virginia, therefore, was assigned to a London association, the northern part was bestowed upon the Plymouth Company, formed by merchants of Bristol, and of other towns in the West of England. Although that part of the kingdom could not boast the wealth and extensive resources which have so long centered in the British metropolis, there were not wanting capital and enterprise sufficient to fit out expeditions on a considerable scale.

The first colony was sent by Sir John Popham, chief justice, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, governor of Plymouth, and "diverse other worshipful knights and merchants of the west." These great personages, however, produced nothing but a little bark of 55 tons, on board of which they put twenty-nine Englishmen, and two savages who had been brought from that quarter. Challons, it does not appear why, took the old route by the Canaries and the West Indies. While near the coast of Hispaniola they were overtaken by thick and tempestuous fogs, on the clearing up of which they found themselves in the midst of a fleet of eight Spanish vessels. The Spaniards immediately fired and called on them to stop; then rushed on board with drawn swords. "We in peace stood ready to entertain them in peace," but they instantly began beating the whole crew, and wounding several, among whom was one of the poor Indians, who vainly cried out, "It is King James's ship, it is King James's ship!"

The vessel

was immediately taken possession of, and the crew divided among the different ships, which separated in various directions. The captain and pilot were brought to Seville and thrown into prison; but they gained access to the Duke of Medina Sidonia, who took a great interest in their case, and strongly condemned the conduct of his countrymen. While in prison, however, Robert Cooke, one of their number, died, when his body was dragged naked by the heels through the prison, with cries of "See the Lutheran!" and, after suffering other indignities, it was carried off they never knew whither. Soon after, Nathaniel Humfries, the boatswain, was stabbed with a knife by a Spaniard. The English carried the latter to the president for justice, demanding, "that he having slain an honest and worthy man, should die for it." The president said, they might get him sent a year or two to the galleys; "but the King of Spain will not give the life of the worst slave that he hath for the best subject the King of England hath." They applied, however, to an ecclesiastical judge, who put them on a method, by which, after spending two hundred rials on lawyers and scribes, "at length we had him hanged." They effected their return to England with considerable difficulty.*

The issue of this voyage cast a gloom on the spirit of adventure; yet, as it did not really decide any thing as to the merits of the undertaking, the adventurers soon resumed their courage. Captain

* Purchas, iv. 1832-6.

Popham, son to the chief justice, and Captain Gilbert, brother to Sir John Gilbert, set sail on a new adventure, with a hundred men, copiously supplied with every necessary. They settled on the river Sagahadock, and built a fort, which they called St George. The first apprenticeship of a colony, however, is always hard, and they suffered additionally through the winter by part of their stores being accidentally burnt. Next summer a vessel arrived with additional supplies, but brought tidings of the death of their great patron, the chief justice, and also of the brother of Captain Gilbert, who then determined immediately to go home and take possession of his estate. The whole colony, discouraged and sick of the enterprise, set sail together.

The next adventurer in New England settlement was Captain John Smith, who acted so conspicuous a part in Virginia, and whom Purchas describes "as a man which hath many irons in the fire." He went about the principal seaports in the west of England, visiting all the gentlemen who were likely to favour the scheme; and complains that this negotiation cost him more toil and torment than any that he endured on the coasts of the new world. The merchants of London were best able to furnish the funds, but the western sailors were the best fishers; and the voyage from London to Plymouth was almost as hard as from Plymouth to New England. At length he effected the equipment of two vessels, whose destination was threefold; first, the whale-fishery; next, a mine of gold; and, in default of both, fish and fins, "to make themselves savers." All the three failed.