.MTAxNQ.NjcxOTY

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 103

of them, & murdering many people in the highways, (1) so that weekly, yea almost daily, messengers with sad tidings were bro't into the council, insomuch that the Lord seemed to threaten great calamity to ensue upon the Eny. nation, for none of our enterprises agt. the eny. were blessed with success, & it was groundedly feared and judged that seed time & harvest would be gratly obstructed & thereby occasion famine to follow the war These thiings occasion great tho'ts of heart unto the godly wise, especially such as were at the helm of govt, & the rather because god seemed to put us to shame, & not to go forth with our arms, but to render our endeavors to quell the rage & fury of ye eny fruitless. In this conjunction of our afffairs some made application to the council to arm & send forth a compy. of the Chrn, Inds. that were at Deer Island, who had manifested themselves very desirous & willing to engage agt. the eny. in this distressing time, particularly Cap. Danl. Henchman, who was appointed by the council to look to the Inds. at Deer Isld. & to put them upon employ. This gentln. made motions to the councl. once & again of his readiness to conduct those Indians agt. the eny., declaring that he had great confidence in god, that if they were employed they might with god's blessing be instrumental to give check to the eny. & turn the alarm, testifying that he found them very willing & desirous to serve the country, & have their parents, wives, & childn. under the Eng. power which would be rational security to the Eng. for their fidelity. But these motions were not accepted at first,for gods time was not yet come for our

(1) "May 3, at Haverhill & Bradford, a small compy of Inds. killed two men & carried away a man & woman & five children, captive", Inll.28.