Wampanoag/Discourse and News

{Obs.} Their desire of, and delight in newes, is great, as the {Athenians}, and all men, more or lesse; a stranger that can relate newes in their owne language, they will stile him {Manittóo}, a God.

Nummau <55> <E 4> <Of {Discourse} and {Newes}.>

|Nummautanùme.| `I have spoken enough.' |Nsouwussánneme| `I am weary with speaking'

{Obs.} Their manner is upon any tidings to sit round double or treble or more, as their numbers be; I have seene neer a thousand in a round, where {English} could not well neere halfe so many have sitten: Every man hath his pipe of their {Tobacco}, and a deepe silence they make, and attention give to him that speaketh; and many of them will deliver themselves either in a relation of news, or in a consultation with very emphaticall speech and great action, commonly an houre, and sometimes two houres together.

{Obs.} <56> <Of Discourse and Newes.>

{Obs.} They are impatient (as all men and God himselfe is) when their speech is not attended and listened to.

{Obs.} This word and and the next, are words of great flattery which they use each to other, but constantly to their Princes at their speeches, for which, if they be eloquent, they esteeme them Gods, as {Herod} among the {Iewes}.

{Obs.} As one answered me when I had discoursed about many points of God, of the creation, of the soule, of the danger of it, and the saving of it, he assented; but when I spake of the rising againe of the body, he cryed out, I shall never believe this.

Pannówa <57> <Of {Discourse} and {Newes}.>

|Pannóuwa awàun, awaun keesitteóuwin.-| `Some body hath made this lie.' |Tattâ Pítch| `I cannot tell, it may so come to passe.' |Nni, eìu.| `It is true.' |Mat enâno|, {or}, |mat eâno.| `It is not true.' |Kekuttokâunta.| `Let us speake together.' |Kuttókash.| `Speake.' |Tawhitch mat cuttôan?| `Why speake you not?' |Téaqua ntúnnawem, or, ntéawem?| `What should I speake?' |Wetapìmmin.| `To sit downe.' |Wetapwâuwwas.| `Sit and talke with us.' |Taúpowaw.| `A wise speaker.' |Enapwáuwwaw, Eississúmo.| `He speaks Indian.' |Matta nowawwâuon, matta nowáhea.| `I know nothing of it.' |Pitchnowáuwon, Wunnaumwâuonck.| `I shall know the truth.' |Wunnaumwáyean.| `If he say true.'

{Obs.} {Canounicus}, the old high {Sachim} of the {Nariganset Bay} (a wise and peaceable Prince) once in a solemne Oration to my self, in a solemne assembly, using this word, said, I have

never <58> <Of {Discourse} and {Newes}.>

never suffered any wrong to be offered to the {English} since they landed; nor never will: he often repeated this word, {Wunnaumwáyean, Englishman}; if the {Englishman} speake true, if hee meane truly, then shall I goe to my grave in peace, and hope that the {English} and my posteritie shall live in love and peace together. I replied, that he had no cause (as I hoped) to question {Englishmans, Wunnaumwaúonck}, that is, faithfulnesse he having had long experience of their friendlinesse and trustinesse. He tooke a sticke and broke it into ten pieces, and related ten instances (laying downe a sticke to every instance) which gave him cause thus to feare and say; I satisfied him in some presently, and presented the rest to the Governours of the {English}, who, I hope, will be far from giving just cause to have {Barbarians} to question their {Wunnaumwâuonck}, or faithfulnesse.

|Tocketunnántum,|} |Tocketunáname,| } `What doe you thinke?' |Tocketeántam?| } |Ntunnántum,| `I thinke.' |Nteántum.| |Nánick nteeâtum.| `I thinke so to.' |Nteatámmowonck.| `That is my thought, or opinion' |Matntunnantámmen| `I thinke not so.' |Matnteeantámmen.|

Nowecón- <59> <Of {Discourse} and {Newes}.>

{Obs.} This word they use just as the {Greeke} tongue doth that verbe, {piséyein:} for believing or obeying, as it is often used in the new {Testament}, and they say |Coannáumatous|, I will obey you.

|Yo aphéttit.| `When they are here.' |Yo peyáhettit.| `When they are com.'

This Ablative case absolute they much use, and comp ise much in little;

|Awaunagrss, suck.| `English-man, men.'

This they call us, as much as to say, These strangers.

|Waútacone-núaog.| `Englishman, men.'

That is, Coat-men, or clothed.

{Obs.} This question they oft put to me: Why come the {Englishmen} hither? and measuring others by themselves; they say, It is because

you <60> <Of {Discourse} and {Newes}.>

you want {firing}: for they, having burnt up the {wood} in one place, (wanting draughts to bring {wood} to them) they are faine to follow the {wood}; and so to remove to a fresh new place for the {woods} sake.

{Obs.} If it be in time of {warre}, he that is a {Messenger} runs swiftly, and at every towne the {Messenger} comes, a fresh {Messenger} is sent: he that is the last, comming within a mile or two of the Court, or chiefe house, he {hollowes} often and they that heare answer him untill by mutuall {hollowing} and answering hee is brought to the place of {audience}, whereby this meanes is gathered a great confluence of people to entertaine the {newes}.

Wussúck <61> <Of {Discourse} and {Newes}.>

{Obs.} That they have often desired of me upon many occasions; for their good and peace, and the {English} also, as it hath pleased God to vouchsafe opportunitie.