Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 6, CHI-Crystallization

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r »<fH- tions. They alfo ordained, That each town choofe fat down together j and Uncas with a hoop called in
Fit. from among themfelves judges (church members) to be his men, and the battle ceafed. Doubtful what to do , cl‘
« a court, to have cognizance of all civil aftions not ex- with the royal prifoner, Uncas and his warriors, in
ceeding twenty pounds $ and of criminal caufes, w'here council, determined to carry him to the governor and
the punifhment was fitting in the flocks, whipping, council at Hartford, and be advifed by them. 1 hither
and fining not exceeding five pounds. There was li- he was accordingly conduced. I he governor having
berty of appeal from this to the court of magiftrates. advifed with his council, told Uncas, that the Englilh
The court of magiftrates confifted of all the magi- were not then at war with the Narraganfetts, and of
ftrates throughout the colony, who were to meet twice courfe that it was not proper for them to intermeddle
a-year at New Haven, for the trial of all capital in the matter. Uncas was left to do with him as he
caufes. Six made a quorum. The general court was pleafed. Myantonomo was conduced back to the plain
to confift of the governor, deputy-governor, magiftrates, where he was taken, and put to death by Uncas him-
and two reprefentatives-from each town. The annual felf. The tragic fcene did not end with his death,
eleftion of officers of government was at this time efta- Uncas, after the manner of the Indians, w ith his toma-
bliffied, and has ever fince continued. hav’k cut off a large piece of fleffi from the ffioulder of
The unfettled ftate of the colony had hitherto pre- his ilaughtered enemy, broiled and ate it, faying, with
vented their eftablilhing a code of laws. To fupply an air of favage triumph, ‘ It is the fweeteft meat I
this defedt, the general court ordered, ‘ That the ju- ever ate. It makes me have a flout heart.’ His body
dicial laws of God, as they were delivered to Mofes, wras afterw'ards buried, and a pillar eredled over it,
and as they are a fence to the moral, being neither the remains of which are vifible to this day.
typical nor ceremonial, nor having any reference to The Narraganfetts were greatly enraged at the death
Canaan, ffiall be accounted of moral equity, and gene- of their prince, and refolved to take vengeance on the
rally bind all offenders, and be a rule to all the courts Mohegans. The united colonies interpofed to pre¬
in this jurifdidtion in their proceedings againft offen- vent a war between them, but in vain. The Narra-
ders, until they be branched out into particulars here- ganfetts refolutely declared, they would continue the
after.’ wrar until they had Uncas’s head. But as Uncas had
About this time a war broke out between the Mo- ever been a friend to the Engliffi, they joined him
began and Narraganfett Indians. A perfonal quarrel againft his enemies, and w ere victorious. Such, how'-
between Myantonomo fachem of the Narraganfetts, ever, was the enmity of the Narraganfetts to the Eng-
and Uncas fachem of the Mohegans, was the founda- liffi, that they afterwards fent fome of their men to
tion of the war. Myantonomo raifed an army of 900 Uncas, with large prefents, to induce him to join with
w'arriors, and marched towards the Mohegan country. them in a war with the colonies, Uncas replied,
Uncas by his fpies received timely notice of their ap- “ Go tell your kingj that I will go to Norwich, and
proach. His feat of refidence was in fome part of advife w ith Major John Mafon and Mr Fitch ; if they
Norwich. He quickly collected 600 of his braveft tell me to join him and fight againft the Englilh, I
warriors, and told them, ‘ The Narraganfetts muft will join him.” In the war that happened foon after,
not come into our town-, we muft meet them.’ They Uncas affifted the Englilh, and the Narraganfetts were
accordingly marched about three miles to a large plain, fubdued, and never after were formidable,
where the twro armies met, and halted within bow-lhot In confideration of the fuccefs and increafe of the
of each other. A parley was propofed by Uncas, and Newr England colonies, and that they had been of no
agreed to by Myantonomo. The fachems met, and charge to the nation, and in profpeCt of their being
Uncas addreffed his enemy as follows. ‘ You have a in future very ferviceable to it, the Enghlh parlia-
great many brave men : fo have I. You and I have ment, March 10. 1643, granted them an exemption
quarrelled j but thefe warriors, what have they done ? from all cuftoms, fubfidies, and other duties, until fur^
Shall they die to avenge a private quarrel between us? ther order.
No. Come like a brave man, as you pretend to be, In 1644, the ConneClicut adventurers purchafed of
and let us fight. If you kill me, my men lhall be Mr Fenwick, agent for Lord Say and Sele, and Lord
your’s : if I kill you, your men ftrall be mine.’ Myan- Brook, their right to the colony of Connecticut, for
tonomo replied: ‘ My men came to fight, and they 1600I.
lhall fight.’ Uncas, like an experienced warrior, The hiftory of Connecticut is marked with traces
aware, of the refult of the conference from the fuperior of the fame fpirit which has been mentioned as
force of his enemy, had previoufly fignified to his men, charaCteriftic of the Maffachuffets, in different ftages
that if Myantonomo refufed to fight him in fingle of their hiftory. Indeed, as Maffachufets w'as the
combat, he would immediately fall, which was to be flock whence Connecticut proceeded, this is to be ex-
the fignal for them to begin, the attack. As foon peCted.
therefore as Myantonomo had finiffied his laconic The colonies of Connecticut and New Haven, from
fpeech, Uncas dropped : his men inftantly obeyed the their firft fettlement, increafed rapidly : traCts of land
fignal, and poured in a Ihower of arrow's upon the un- w-ere purchaled of the Indians, and new towns fettled
fufpeCting Narraganfetts, and rulhing on with their from Stamford to Stonington, and far back into the
horrid yells and favage fiercenefs, put them to flight, country, when, in 1761, Major John Mafon, as agent
Many w’ere killed on the fpot, the reft were clofely for the colony, bought of the natives all lands which
purfued, and feme were precipitately driven down had not before been purchafed by particular towns,
craggy precipices, and dalhed in pieces. At a place and made a public furrender of them to the colony, in
called, from this event, Sachem's plain, Uncas over- the prefence of the general affembly. Having done
took and feized Myantonomo by the ftiouldcr. They thefe things, the colonies petitioned King Charles II.