greatest number of details, is Samuel Niles.

Such as he col

lected prove that the original barbarism of the Narragansetts still appeared in its most revolting forms. The anticipations of Willians proved correct. The fighting men of the Narragansetts did not venture to attack the fort, or the "garrison house." They took no plunder, for they had no means of transport, and no ulterior designs or hopes. They departed, leaving nothing but a provocation to sterner and more vindictive measures against themselves. Soon after this frantic effort, the war, the kingdom, and the life of Philip, came to an end together. (August 12, 1676).

When the revolt was at an end, its consequences were felt throughout the colony during that generation. It had its effect upon the fortunes of sects and parties, some of which never regained their lost popularity. The loss of their habitations was the least which the freeholders of Providence sustained. Timber was abundant on every hand, and might be had for the labour of felling. By mutual aid they were soon the occupants of houses perhaps better than those which had been destroyed, and masters of new flocks and herds. But a multitude of deeds and records had perished in the flames. The best land titles had become clouded, boundaries were lost, and a new source of controversy was opened in a community never averse to wordy war. But on the other hand, some rancorous debates were now forever closed. The grants of Canonicus and Miantonomo took effect at last in fee simple, in the sense in which the "Proprietors" had understood them. There was no longer a divided rule in the colony. Henceforth, the country was their own. The sect which had converted one of its tenets into a

(1) The first graduate of Harvard College who was a native of Rhode Island. (2) Enraged at meeting none of the inhabitants, they mutilated the cattle, cutting out their tongues, and driving them into the houses, where they were burnt alive. This was an old practice with the Indians. They did the same in their war with the Dutch, on Long Island, in 1642-3. Trumbull's Hist. Conn., I. 138.

political doctrine, was for the time expelled from office. In 1676, Benedict Arnold, though not a member of the Legislature, was invited to a seat among them, and to advise them, and to give his counsel in the perilous state of their affairs. He was again elected Governor, (May, 1677), and but for his speedy death, (1678), might again have enjoyed a long tenure of power. Williams regained his lost popularity. In May, 1677, he was once more chosen to the magistracy. The people were persuaded by the conduct of his opponents during the war, as they never had been by controversial tracts or speeches. In 1677, the legislature passed a new militia act of unusual stringency, which avowedly made no allowance for "pretence of conscience," and in plain terms characterises those who had well nigh brought the colony to destruction. Some new political embarrassments came with peace. Connecticut claimed Narragansett as a conquered territory abandoned by its former owners. But the worst and most enduring effect of the war, was the long alienation between Providence and Newport. The islanders, in their comparative security during the outbreak, had taken little thought for the mainland to which they had been united against their will. How bitterly their conduct was resented, may be read in the fading records of the Town of Providence, and in the factions of a colony too small for anything but peace and unity, but, for several generations, hopelessly divided against itself.

These things, immediately concerning the now dominant race, find more appropriate place elsewhere. The remnant of the Indians, we find now without Sachems who could enforce some restraint upon them and without white teachers of any sort. It was long before they ceased to trouble the colony. After the war they were during some years subjected to little police restraint or inspection. Drunken Indians found a con

(1)Quakers were during many years elected to the office of governor, but not again, (it is believed) upon their religious platform. The last of their society held the position in 1768.

genial society of drunken white men, and the decay of the race went on. They were easily incited to trespasses or crimes, by the border ruffians" of those days. The complaints of long suffering townsmen bore some resemblance to those of the days before the war. During the thirty years which succeeded it, the surviving Narragansetts, and their kinsfolk the Niantics, must have been a heavy burden upon the slender resources of the colony. There was no poor law for their relief. But poverty is older than pauperism, and is equally oppressive, whether it find its support in theft, or charity, or taxation. The people were convinced at last, of the necessity of greater vigour in the protection of property, and they were no longer restrained by fear of retaliation. The days of a stronger government had begun.

How thoroughly the spirit of the Narragansetts had been broken, may appear from the following extract from the Town Meeting records. Before the war, the Town could only attempt to exclude Indians from "Providence Neck," leaving them to occupy their old fields at their will. They were now excluded from the entire township. The reference to "Indians that have served their time with us," proves that the system of servitude, or apprenticeship, established after the war, had been carried into effect.

* *

"April 27, 1683, it being ye Towne's Quarterday. Upon a bill by several of our neighbours, exhibited to this meeting, concerning Indians comeing into our townshipp, to hunt and fish &c, and doe thereby damnify our inhabitants greately, and those Indians also yt. have served their time with us. For prevention whereof, the Towne doe order, that for ye future no Indian nor Indians shall come within our townshipp, (that hath not served their time in our towne), to hunt or fish, or to inhabitt. And if any of them, (so with strangers) shall so doe, they shall be dealt with, according to their demeritts. The which shall be, ye forfeiture of his or their gunn or gunns, or to ye value thereof, or trapp or trapps, or such things as he or they are found useing for their gaine. The one halfe to be to ye informer, and ye other halfe to goe to the Town Treasury. And for all such as are already within ye townshipp, shall have seven dayes liberty to depart. And wee doe hereby warne all our Indians to

informe other Indians yt. belong not to our Towne, to depart within ye said time, and doe deny any, here to abide, but as they shall pass along ye King's Highway, about their lawful occasions, any order in this Towne formerly made to ye contrary notwithstanding."

Nothing so clearly indicates the disappearance of all power among the Indians, or apprehension among the white men, as the change in the character of the colonial legislation. The remainder of the tribes were now treated as any other depressed or pauperised class, whose incapacity required the protection of the state. With Philip's War, the history of Narragansetts and Niantics, as free and independent people, reached its close. Their tribeship had a nominal existence, and they were allowed a council whose functions were advisory, and which, (if anything were wanting), could address the colonial legislature on behalf of their people. But they could enforce no orders, and any obedience to their nominal Sachem was due only to the ignorance or superstition of their people. They both were subject in all things to the power of the General Assembly.

Once more, during a brief period, the Rhode Island Indians became an occasion of alarm. In May, 1702, war was declared by Queen Anne, by the Emperor of Germany, and by the States General of Holland, against France and Spain. During the summer it was the absorbing topic along the Atlantic seaboard, and was discussed in all its aspects at the Town Mill and the Town Meeting of Providence. The Indians were still numerous enough to do mischief, and all New-England adopted measures of security.' The Town Meetings of Rhode Island shared in the apprehension. Probably some of the Rhode Island Indians indulged in indiscreet expressions of hope for aid from Canada. Had the French seen fit to employ them as incendiaries, and to furnish them with arms and instructions, they might have perpetrated acts which would have diverted the force of New-England from the war, to its own protection."

(1) See Trumbull's Hist. Conn., I. 405-6.

(2) Providence Town Records, August 16, 1704. "The Towne having taken into their serious consideration ye greate danger that ye inhabitants in ye outer

For a generation, the terrible events of Philip's War its midnight alarms, and ruined households, furnished the tales which were told during the winter evenings, by the firesides of the Plantations. Some of the survivors did not find their recollections grow less vivid by frequent repetition, and sought for their reward with a persistency which would have done credit to pensioners of later days.

"Providence Quarter Day, July ye 28th 1707."

Whereas William Whipple hath this day preferred a bill to ye Towne, desireing ye Towne to gratify him with fifty acres of land or more, for service which (he saith) he did ye Towne in the Indian wars, about Thirty years since: The Towne have considered ye Bill. Their answer to it is, that they doe not yet see cause to gratifie his request.'

The old man had probably told his story so often, that he began to remember signal services which his brother freemen could not recall to their recollections. He was forced to content himself with the gratitude of posterity.'

most parts of our Towne are in," (it then included nearly the whole county, very much of which was densely covered with woods), "by reason of ye common enemie,”—the Indians were always so styled-no reconciliation ever took place" and yt ye most likely way for their preservation at present is by keeping out a considerable number of men to range Providence woods as a scout, to endeavour the discovery of ye sd enemys. We do order that Major Dexter have power to send out eighteen men on said service, and to pay them their wages, which we do order to be 2sh. and 6p. per day for each man, and they to find themselves provisions and ammunition." From this glimpse of Providence Plantations in 1704, we may perceive that their population and wealth had somewhat increased. They could now employ a larger force and give them better pay, than when the town was in danger of destruction, thirty years before. The days of Fox and Edmunston had gone by.

(1) The town was not unmindful of those who had done real service in its behalf. Andrew Edmunds received a grant of land, for a ferry, at the "Narrow passage," now "Red Bridge." See Rider's Hist. Tract, No. XV. Expenses and claims were paid by the Assembly long afterwards. R. I. Col. Rec., III. 165-166. A. D. 1682. October, 1684. As the commissioners of the Indian tribe, now extinct, intend to publish a history of the state legislation upon the subject, a brief notice of it will be sufficient in this place.