Page:Massasoit's town Sowams in Pokanoket, its history, legends and traditions (IA massasoitstownso00bake).pdf/31

Rh umbers, and the remains of an ancient Indian burial ground was discovered there several years ago.

Soon after the death of his father Wamsutta repaired to Plymouth and "professing great respect/' desired the Court to bestow English names upon himself and his younger brother. The Court acceded to the request and named the sachem "Allexander Pokanoket," his brother (Metacom) Philip, presumably after Alexander the Great and Philip of Macedon. For a brief period succeeding this event, the old time friendship of Wampanoag, and Englishman remained apparently undisturbed.

In 1660 the "rates" of Sowams were increased to £02:10:00. The little hamlet was slowly gaining in population and im- portance. During this year, the Court ordered a pound erected at Kickemuit, as Wamsutta complained that corn belonging to his people had been injured by swine, the property of the English. In Jane, 1661, Sowamsett and "all the naighbors there inhabiting" were placed under the "ward" of Rehoboth, and it was decreed that twenty shillings of Sowams' rates should "be allowed for the easing of Sandwich rates."

lexander's good faith began to be questioned by the English early in 1662. The governor of Plymouth colony having been informed that the sachem was endeavoring to persuade the old-time enemies of the Wampanoags, the Narragansetts, to join him in a revolt against the whites, deputed Captain Thomas Willett to investigate the truth of the report. Upon visiting Mt. Hope, Captain Willett was assured by Alexander that the Narragansetts had fabricated the story in order to injure the Wampanoags in the eyes of the English. The chief agreed to attend the next session of the Court at Plymouth that the charges against him might be fully investigated; yet when the Court convened he failed to appear being, it was said, at that very date upon a visit