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 spirit, by his behavior raised suspicion of a design against the English; but appearing before the court in Plymouth in 1662, he expressed his desire to continue in friendship, and promised that he and his successors would always remain faithful subjects to the kings of England, and that he would never alienate his lands and never make war with any other Indians, without the knowledge and consent of the government of New Plymouth.

The Indians within the Massachusetts bounds were not under one general sachem, but were divided into smaller cantons.



These, one after another, were brought to acknowledge their subjection to the Massachusetts government; particularly in 1643, when danger was apprehended from the Narragansetts, five sachems subjected themselves by a single instrument. Besides rules and orders which they were encouraged to make for their own government, for any offense against the English they were punished by the English laws, and so likewise for any capital or heinous offense among themselves. Notwithstanding the laws to restrain all persons from selling guns or ammunition to the Indians, they were generally furnished with both, and were becoming good marksmen.