fire to a wigwam, of which there were many in the fort, covered with mats and other combustible materials. The fire, assisted by the wind, spread rapidly, and directly the whole fort was in a flame. The roar and crackling of the flames, with the yells of savages, and the discharge of musketry, formed an awful and terrific scene! The troops who had now formed outside of the fort, with the friendly Indians, who had by this time gathered courage to approach, surrounded the enemy, and fired upon those who attempted to escape.

The work of destruction was complete; of five or six hundred Pequots, only seven or eight escaped-the rest were either shot or perished in the flames. The loss of the English was only two killed, and sixteen wounded.

15. Elliot, the Indian Missionary.

In 1650, the society in England, instituted for propagating the gospel, began a correspondence with the commissioners of the colonies of New-England, who were employed as agents of the society. In consequence, exertions were made to christianize the Indians. Mr. John Elliot, minister of Roxbury, distinguished himself in this pious work. He collected the Indian families, and established towns; he taught them husbandry, the mechanic arts, and a prudent management of their affairs, and instructed them with unwearied attention, in the principles of Christianity. For his uncommon zeal and success, he has been called the Apostle of New-England.

Mr. Elliot began his labours about the year 1646. His first labour was to learn the language, which was peculiarly difficult to acquire; for instance, the Indian word Nammatchechodtantamoon ganunnonash, signifies no more in English than our lusts.* Elliot having finished a grammar of this tongue, at the close of which he wrote, "Prayers and pains through faith in Jesus

*Mather's Magnalia, Vol. I.

Christ will do any thing!" With very great labour he translated the whole Bible into the Indian language. This Bible was printed in 1664, at Cambridge, and was the first Bible ever printed in America. He also translated the Practice of Piety, Baxter's Call to the Unconverted, besides some smaller works, into the Indian tongue. Having performed many wearisome journeys, and endured many hardships and privations, this indefatigable missionary closed his labours in 1690, aged eighty-six years.

The ardour and zeal of Elliot, Mayhew, and others, were crowned with such success. that in 1660, there were ten towns of Indians in Massachusetts who were converted to the Christian religion. In 1695, there were not less than three thousand adult converts in the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

16. King Philip's War.

(ATTACK ON BROOKFIELD.)

In the year 1675, Philip, sachem of the Wampanoags, and grandson of Massasoit, began the most destructive war ever waged by the Indians upon the infant colonies. He resided at Mount Hope, in the present town of Bristol, in Rhode Island.

It is supposed that his object was the entire extinction of the colonists, who were now rapidly extending their settlements. The immediate cause of the war was this: Sausaman, an Indian missionary, had made a discovery of Philip's plots to the English, for which Philip caused him to be murdered. The murderers were tried and

*

executed by the English. This roused the anger of Philip, who immediately commenced hostilities, and by

Philip always opposed the introduction of Christianity among his people. When Mr. Elliot urged upon him its great importance, he said, "he cared no more for the Gospel than he did for a button upon his coat."—Mather's Magnalia.

his influence, drew into the war most of the Indian tribes in New-England.

Philip fled to the Nipmucks, a tribe of Indians in that part of Massachusetts which is now called Worcester county, and persuaded them to assist him. The English sent a party also to this tribe, to renew a former treaty; but Philip's influence prevailed, and this party were waylaid, and eight of their number killed. The remainder fled to Brookfield, pursued by the Indians into the town. Every house in this place was burnt by the Indians except one, into which the inhabitants had fled for refuge; and this was soon surrounded by their foes, and for two days they poured into its walls a shower of musket balls. Only one person, however, was killed. Brands and rags, dipped in brimstone, attached to the ends of long poles, were used to fire the house; arrows of fire were shot against it; and a carriage of tow and other combustibles, was with long poles, pushed against the house, and the savages stood ready to slaughter all who should attempt to escape.

At this awful and critical moment, a sudden torrent of rain extinguished the kindling flames. Major Willard soon after came to their assistance, raised the siege, and, after some slaughter of the enemy, compelled them

to retreat.

17. Swamp Fight with the Narragansets.

Lest Philip should increase his power, by an alliance with the Narraganset Indians, the English had made a friendly treaty with them in July, 1675. But notwithstanding this, in December of the same year, it was discovered that they were secretly aiding Philip's party. This determined the English to undertake a winter expedition against them. For this object, the colony of Massachusetts furnished five hundred and twenty-seven men, Plymouth one hundred and fifty-nine, and Connecticut three hundred; to all these were attached one

hundred and fifty Mohegan Indians. After electing Josiah Winslow, Governor of Plymouth colony, to be their commander, the whole party met at Pettyquamsquot. About sixteen miles from this place, it was found that the Narragansets had built a strong fort in the midst of a large swamp, upon a piece of dry land of about five or six acres. The fort was a circle of pallisadoes surrounded by a fence of trees, which was about one rod thick.

On the 19th of December, 1675, at dawn of day, the English took up their march through a deep snow, and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon attacked the Indians in their fortress. The only entrance which appeared practicable was over a log, or tree, which lay up five or six feet from the ground, and this opening was commanded by a sort of a block house in front. The Massachusetts men, led on by their captains, first rushed into the fort, but the enemy, from the block house and other places, opened so furious a fire upon them, that they were obliged to retreat. Many men were killed in this assault, and among them Captains Johnson and Davenport. The whole army then made a united onset. The conflict was terrible. Some of the bravest captains fell, and victory seemed very doubtful. At this crisis some of the Connecticut men ran to the opposite side of the fort, where there were no pallisadoes; they sprang in, and opened a brisk and well directed fire upon the backs of the enemy. This decided the contest. The Indians were driven from the block house, and from one covert to another, until they were wholly destroyed or dispersed in the wilderness. As they retreated, the soldiers set fire to their wigwams, (about six hundred in number,) which were consumed by the flames. In this action it was computed that about seven hundred fighting Indians perished, and among them twenty of their chiefs. Three hundred more died from their wounds; to these numbers may be added many old men, women, and children, who had retired to this fort as a place of undoubted security.

"The burning of the wigwams, the shrieks of the

women and children, the yelling of the warriors, exhibited a most horrid and affecting scene, so that it greatly moved some of the soldiers. They were much in doubt whether the burning of their enemies alive could be consistent with humanity and the benevolent principles of the gospel."

The

From this blow the Indians never recovered. victory of the English, though complete, was dearly purchased: six of their captains, and eighty of their men, were killed or mortally wounded; and one hundred and fifty were wounded and afterwards recovered. About one half of the loss of this bloody fight fell upon the Connecticut soldiers.

18. Death of King Philip.

The finishing stroke was given to the Indian power in New-England, by the death of Philip, August 12th, 1676. Failing in his attempts to rouse the Mohawk tribe to war with the English, he returned to Mount Hopethe tide of war against him. The English had killed or captured his brother, counsellors, and chief warriors, his wife and family, and he was obliged to flee from one lurking place to another, from the pursuit of his foes. Firm and unbroken amidst all his misfortunes, he would listen to no proposals of peace. He even shot one of his

own men for daring to suggest it.

Captain Church, who, for his courage and enterprise in this war, had acquired renown, received information that Philip was in a swamp near Mount Hope. To this place he marched immediately, with a party of men, whom he placed in ambush about the swamp, with orders not to move until daylight, that they might distin guish Philip. Captain Church, confident of success, took Major Sanford by the hand, exclaiming, "It is scarcely possible that Philip should escape;" at this moment a bullet whistled over their heads, and a volley followed. Immediately Philip, with his powder horn