Page:Archæologia Americana—volume 2, 1836.djvu/554

 Gookin's History of  among them. The most of the Indians continued at this place all the summer, some few excepted, that scattered to places adjacent, to work for the English in harvest time. But toward October they removed; some to the falls of Charles river, and some settled about Hoanantum Hill, not far from Mr. Oliver's, near the very place where they first began to pray to God, and Mr. Elliot first taught them, which was about thirty years since. Here Anthony, one of the teachers, built a large wigwam, at which place the lecture and the school were kept, in the winter 1676; where Major Gookin and Mr. Elliot ordinarily met every fortnight; and the other week among the Packemitt Indians, who were also brought from the Island at the same time, and placed near Brush Hill, in Milton, under the care of Quarter-master Thomas Swift. This last summer, though they came up late from the Island, yet they planted some ground, procured for them by the Major among the English; and so they got some little corn, and more for work; and their soldiers, that were abroad, had corn provided by the country for their relations; so that through God's favor they were pretty well supplied. And in the winter time, about December, there was abundance of a sort of fish called frost-fish, which they took with scoop nets and dried great plenty of them. The widows and the aged had supply of clothing and corn at the charge of the Honorable Corporation in London, who tenderly and compassionately ordered relief for such as were in need; and many of the men, who were about home, got plenty of venison in the winter 1676, for supply of their families, so that God provided for their outward subsistence. And for religion, I hope it begins to revive among them. There were seven places where they met to worship God and keep the Sabbath, viz. at Nonatum, at Packemit or Punkapog, at Cowate alias the fall of Charles river, at Natick, at Medfield, at Concord, and at Namkeake, near Chelmsford; in which places there was at each place a teacher and schools for the youth at most of them. Mr. Elliot kept his lecture weekly, at Nonantum and Pakomit, where also Major Gookin kept his courts among them. When the winter was over, 1676, and the spring drew on, the praying Indians most