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mountain which was a means under god to waken & destroy them as might be shewed & is in part declared already in the history of the war published. This was another piece of service done by some of our pray. Inds.: at least they broke the ice & made way for it by their first adventuring to treat with the eny. whilst this matter of the redemptn. of the captives was in agitatn. the assaults of the enemy were frequent & violent for the body of them quartered within 20 miles of the Eng. frontiers, of Lancastr. Groton, & Marlboro & made daily incursions upon us notwthg. the council had used many endeavors & raised forces & sent them forth to beet up their head quarters at Watchusett; all those means provd. ineffectual & the eny. still kept that station the place being near a very high mountain & which woods & rocks & other fastresses that oue Eng. army tho't it not advisable to hazard themselves in tht enterprise . In this junctr. of affairs the council at last resoved to arm & send forth a co. of the pray. Inds. from Deer I. under the condt. of Saml. Hunting (1) and James Richardson (1), the one made a Capt. the other his Lieut. for this service, these ^two Eng. men were well acquainted with those Inds., & persons "with" crossed our whom they told. In prusuance whereof Cap. Hunting had orders & a commission & did his best endeavor, but cld. not ( at that time) procure arms for more than 40 Inds. Indeed those prey. Inds. had generally arms of their own before the wasr began but they

(1) Probably son of John, who was of Dedham , 1638 , & brother of Rev, Nathl. Hunting. See Farmers Regr. Capt. Hunting was at the fight in Dea crossed out dham woods when Punkam was slain, & brought severall prisoners to Boston. Cobbet, 23.