Page:Massasoit's town Sowams in Pokanoket, its history, legends and traditions (IA massasoitstownso00bake).pdf/17

Rh against whom he seemed to feel a particular aversion. "Late it grew," states Winslow in his narrative of this journey to Pokanoket, "but victuals he offered none: for indeed he had not any; being he came so newly home, so we desired to go to rest."

Upon the following day many petty sachems came to Sowams to pay their respects to their white allies. They entertained the strangers by playing various games, the stakes being skins and knives. The Englishmen challenged them to a shooting match for skins, but they "durst not" accept the challenge. They, however, desired one of the two to shoot at a mark, "who shooting with hail shot (bird shot) they wondered to see the mark so full of holes." This "shooting at a mark" is the first instance of target practice by a white man within the limits of Rhode Island of which we have any record.

On Friday morning Winslow and Hopkins took their departure from Sowams, carrying with them some seed corn which Massasoit had given them. The sachem earnestly entreated them to prolong their stay; but the Englishmen "desired to keep the Sabbath at home," so declined the invitation. They reached Plymouth, on Saturday night, "wet, weary, and surbated," indeed, yet with the satisfaction of feeling that the object of their mission had been attained.

In March, 1623, "news came to Plymouth that Massasoit was like to die; and that, at the same time, there was a Dutch ship driven so high on the shore by stress of weather, right before his dwelling that, till the tides increased she could not be got off." Upon receipt of this intelligence Governor Bradford deemed it expedient to dispatch a second expedition to Sowams for the two-fold purpose of expressing his friendship for the Wampanoag chief and obtaining "some conference with the Dutch." Edward Winslow was again selected as the government's messenger, having for a "consort" a