Shawn's+paper

Shuang Liu

Book I, chapter XV

Being arrived at their new place at the 15th of December, and building the first house for common use to receive them and their goods. These good people finally settled down and started growing crops they brought from England. They had brought amounts of supplies with them out of England, stowed under the board, now got those supplies out and used them. Women took care of children and were trained to plant crops at home. Men went out to search other resources and tried to hunt something for food. They knew cold winter is coming; they had to prepare for that, hoping to overcome the first winter. They gathered together to worship God on Sunday morning, praying God will help them to overcome.

The winter was worse than they thought. They only had fewer crops that they got from farms. They were lack of hunting skills, so they did not catch any preys. The weather was much foul than before. Some of them started to get sick because of the weather. At day, People could not have enough to eat. Every person only could get two pieces of bread per day, but they still had to work in the field or go out to search food. It was hard to hunt or find something in such a cold day. They always got lost in the woods; sometime they followed deer when they saw them, hoping to catch and bring them back, then fell into some thickets as tearing their clothes and armor in pieces. Those hunters were always hurt by some animals and plants; they got lots of injuries when they were back, some of wounds were still bleeding, some of wounds were rotten. Because of lack of medicines, injured hunters could not get good treatments from them. Some of them died after a few days.

They were suffering pain not only at day, but also at night. They didn’t have enough quilt supplies for everyone. The houses they built were cold even with firewood at night; frozen wind blew everywhere, sounded like the roars of the monsters. They had to be vigilant about Indians’ attacks as well, so people arranged four or five persons on watch at night, and make them stay in the cold night and watch any danger. People got sicknesses because of cold weather. Like other sick people, without good treatments, they all were gone. Unfortunately, the diseases spread out really fast without their control. They had nothing to do with those sick people but buried them. They prayed for them during the funerals, and prayed to God help them to overcome those situations. And here is to be noted a special providence of God, and a cruel punishment to this people, that here they did not have enough food for the winter, and the diseases spread out in their habitation.

The winter being spent in these disasters and they still hoped God could help them. The following spring, they met with their new Indians friends. These Indians were different with others they had met before. These kind Indians were led by their chief, named Massa Suode. Indians gave them grain seed, and taught them hunting, growing crops, and fishing. In the help from the Indians, they had a good harvest at that year. They thought this was the gift from God; God gave them peace and good harvest. Their situations became better and better; they had amount of crops and meat.

On Sunday, the priest gathered all of them to a wooden church, which was built after they were here. The sound of paeans was sonorous, especially when they were singing about God; they thanked God help them out of the problems and guide those kind Indians to come to help them. They would raise their hands toward to the sky and pray to God. On the 26th of November 1621 they gathered with Indians to celebrate the giving gifts from God. Their men went to hunt and seize turkeys with Indians, and their women stayed at home to cook food. At night, they were sitting around the bonfire, talking and laughing. And afterwards set up the day as a holiday; and to celebrate the giving gifts that God and Indians gave them.