Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/57

Rh and west of Boston. The Pokanokets, who formerly numbered about three thousand warriors, were divided into several minor tribes or villages, each under the rule of a petty chief or sachem. Their nearest neighbors were the Massachusetts, on the north, under Chickataubut as king, with three thousand warriors; and the Narragansetts on the west of Narragansett Bay, who, under their grand sachem, Canonicus, mustered more than five thousand warriors.

Later, the territory was more limited, and the name Pokanoket was applied to the lands on the west of the Taunton River, over which Massassoit's local jurisdiction extended, namely, the present towns of Raynham, Norton, Attleborough, Cumberland, Pawtucket, East Providence, Seekonk, Dighton, Rehoboth, a part of Taunton, Somerset, Swansea, Warren, Barrington, and Bristol.

In a more limited sense the word Pokanoket embraced the towns of Bristol, Warren, and Barrington, with parts of Swansea, Rehoboth, Seekonk and East Providence. The residence of the chief was also called Pokanoket or Sowams. Governor Winslow in describing his visit to Massassoit, says: "At length we came to Mattapuyst, and went to the cachimo conaco, for so they called the sachem's place, though they call an ordinary house witeo; but Conbatant, the sachem, was not at home, but at Puckanokick, which was some five miles off. The squa-sachem, for so they called the sachem's wife, gave us friendly entertainment. Here we inquired again concerning Massassoit; they thought him dead, but knew no certainty; whereupon I hired one to go with all expedition to Puckanokick, that we might know the certainty thereof, and withal to acquaint Conbatant with our there being."

Within the narrow limits of Pokanoket, dwelt the Wampanoags, under Massassoit. This tribe had been reduced in numbers by the plague that had wiped out the Patuxets, an associate tribe at Plymouth. Winslow, on this first visit to Massassoit in 1621, referring to the Taunton River, says: "Upon it, (the river), are and have been many towns, it