e, about 18 Inches assunder and began
their frolick, Dancing Round us and Striking of us in ye face with
English Scalps, yt caused ye Blood to Issue from our mouths and Noses,
In a Very Great and plentiful manner, and Tangled their hands in our
hair, and knocked our heads Togather with all their Strength and
Vehemence, and when they was tired of this Exercise, they would take
us by the hair and some by ye Ears, and standing behind us, oblige us
to keep our Necks Strong so as to bear their weight hanging by our
hair and Ears.

"In this manner, they thumped us In ye Back and Sides, with their
knees and feet, and Twitched our hair and Ears to such a Degree, that
I am Incapable to express it, and ye others that was Dancing Round if
they saw any man falter, and did not hold up his Neck, they Dached ye
Scalps In our faces with such Violence, yt every man endeavored to
bear them hanging by their hair in this manner, Rather then to have a
Double Punishment; after they had finished their frolick, that lasted
about two hours and a half, we was carried to one of their Camps,
where we Saw Some of ye Prisoners that Came in ye montague; at this
place we Incamped yt Night with hungrey Belleys."

Unpleasant as was the reception of Pote and his fellow prisoners at
Aukpaque they were fortunate in being allowed to escape with their
lives. It chanced that the previous year Capt. John Gorham had brought
to Annapolis a company of Indian rangers--probably Mohawks--as allies
of the English. Paul Mascarene justified this proceeding on the ground
that it was necessary to set Indians against Indians, "for tho' our
men outdo them in bravery," he says, "yet, being unacquainted with
their sculking way of fighting and scorning to fight under cover they
expose themselves too much to the enemy's shot." Gorham's Indian
rangers, it appears, had killed several of the Maliseets, and Pote
learned the day after his arrival at Aukpaque "That the Indians held a
counsell amongst ym weather they should put us to Death, and ye Saint
Johns Indians almost Gained ye point for they Insisted it was but
Justice, as they Sd there had been Several of their Tribe, murdered by
Capt. John Gorham at anapolis. Our masters being Verey Desirous to
Save us alive, Used all ye arguments In their power for that purpose
but could not prevail, for they Insisted on Satisfaction; howsoever
our masters prevailed so far with ym, as to take Some Considerable
quantity of their most Valua