The Sovereignty and Goodness of God, Part 9 – Part 11
The ninth Remove.
But in ſtead of going either to Albany or homeward, we muſt go five miles up the River, and then go over it. Here we abode a while. Here lived a ſorry Indian, who ſpoke to me to make him a ſhirt, when I had done it, he would pay we nothing. But he living by the River ſide, where I often went to ſetch water, I would often be putting of him in mind, and calling for my pay: at laſt he told me, if I would make another ſhirt, for a Papoos not yet born, he would give me a knife, which he did when I had done it. I carried the knife in, and my maſter asked me to give it him, and I was not a little glad that I had any thing that they would accept of, and be pleaſed with. When we were at this place, my Maſters maid came home, ſhe had been gone three weeks into the Narrhaganſet Country, to fetch Corn, where they had ſtored up ſome in the ground: ſhe brought home about a peck and half of Corn. This was about the time that their great Captain, Naananto, was killed in the Narrhaganſet Countrey. My Son being now about a mile from me, I asked liberty to go and ſee him, they bade me go, and away I went: but quickly loſt my ſelf, travelling over Hills and thorough Swamps, and could not find the way to him. And I cannot but admire at the wonderfull power and goodneſs of God to me, in that, though I was gone from home, and met with all ſorts of Indian, and thoſe I had no knowledge of, and there being no Chriſtian ſoul near me; yet not one of them offered the leaſt imaginable miſcarriage to me. I turned homeward again, and met with my maſter, he ſhewed me the way to my Son: When I came to him I found him not well; and withall he had a boyl on his ſide, which much troubled him: We bemoaned one another while, as the Lord helped us, and then I returned again. When I was returned, I found my ſelf as unſatisfied as I was before. I went up and down mourning and lamenting: and my ſpirit was ready to ſink, with the thoughts of my poor Children: my Son was ill, and I could not but think of his mournfull looks, and no Chriſtian-Friend was near him, to do any office of love for him, either for Soul or Body. And my poor Girl, I knew not where ſhe was, nor whither ſhe was ſick, or well, or alive, or dead. J repaired under theſe thoughts to my Bible (my great comfort in that time) and that Scripture came to my hand, Caſt thy burden upon the Lord, and He ſhall ſuſtain thee, Pſal. 55.22.
But I was fain to go and look after ſomething to fatisfie my hunger, and going among the Wigwams, J went into one, and there found a Squaw who, ſhewed her ſelf very kind to me, and gave me a piece of Bear. J put it into my pocket, and came home, but could not find an opportunity to broil it, for fear they would get it from me, and there it lay all that day and night in my ſtinking pocket. In the morning J went to the ſame Squaw, who had a Kettle of Ground nuts boyling; J asked her to let me boyle my piece of Bear in her Kettle, which ſhe did, and gave me ſome Ground-nuts to eat with it: and J cannot but think how pleaſant it was to me. J have ſometime ſeen Bear bake very handſomly among the Engliſh, and ſome liked it, but the thoughts that it was Bear, made me tremble: but now that was ſavoury to me that one would think was enough to turn the ſtomacn of a bruit Creature.
One bitter cold day, j could find no room to ſit down before the fire: I went out, and could not tell what to do, but I went in to another Wigwam, where they were alſo ſitting round the fire, but the Squaw laid a skin for me, and bid me ſit down, and gave me ſome Ground-nuts, and bade me come again: and told me they would buy me, if they were able, and yet theſe were ſtrangers to me that I never ſaw before.
The tenth Remove.
That day a ſmall part of the Company removed about three quarters of a mile, intending further the next day. When they came to the place where they intended to lodge, and bad pitched their wigwams; being hungry J went again back to the place we were before at, to get ſomething to eat: being encouraged by the Squaws kindneſs, who bade me come again; when J was there, there came an Indian to look after me, who when he had found me, kickt me all along: J went home and found Veniſon roaſting that night, but they would not give me one bit of it. Sometimes J met with favour, and ſometimes with nothing but frowns.
The eleventh Remove.
The next day in the morning they took their Travel, intending a dayes journey up the River, j took my load at my back, and quickly we came to wade over the River: and paſſed over tireſome and we ariſome hills. One hill was ſo ſteep that J was fain to creep up upon my knees, and to hold by the twiggs and buſhes to keep my ſelf from falling backward. My head alſo was ſo light, that J uſually reeled as J went; but J hope all theſe weariſome ſteps that j have taken, are but a forewarning of me to the heavenly reſt. I know, O Lord, that thy Judgements are right, and that thou in faithfulneſs …aſt afflicted me, Pſal. 119 71.