heir anger for it was fierce; and
their wrath; for it was cruel._ But this sight made my nephew and the
rest as bad as they: nay, my nephew declared, his concern was only for
his men; as for the people, not a soul of them ought to live. Upon this,
the boatswain and eight more directly turned about, and went to finish
the intended tragedy; which being out of my power to prevent, I returned
back from the dismal sight, & the piteous cries of those unfortunate
creatures, who were made victims to their fury. Indeed, it was an
egregious piece of folly in me to return to the boat with but one
attendant; and I had very near paid for it, having narrowly escaped
forty armed Indians, who had been alarmed by the conflagration; but
having passed the place where they stood, I got to the boat accompanied
with the supercargo, and so went on board, sending the pinnace back
again, to assist the men in what might happen. When I had got to the
boat, the fire was almost extinguished, and the noise abated; but I had
scarce been half an hour on board the ship, when I heard another volley
given by our sailors, and a great smoke, which, as I afterwards found,
was our men falling upon those houses and persons that stood between
them and the sea; but here they spared the wives and children, and
killed only the men, to the number of about sixteen or seventeen. By the
time they got to the shore, the pinnace and the ship's boat were ready
to receive them, and they all got safe on board, not a man of them
having received the least hurt, except two, one of whom strained his
foot, and the other burnt his hand a little; for they met with no
resistance, the poor Indians being unprepared, amazed, and confounded.

I was extremely angry with every one of them, but particularly with the
captain, who instead of cooling the rage of the men, had prompted them
on to further mischief: nor could he make me any other excuse, but that
as he was a man, he could not master his passions at the sight of one of
his men so cruelly murdered. As for the rest, knowing they were not
under my command, they took no notice of any anger, but rather boasted
of their revenge. According to all their accounts, they killed or
destroyed about 150 men, women, and children, besides burning the town
to ashes. They took their companion Tom Jeffery from the tree, covered
him with some of the ruins, and so left him. But however this action of
our men might seem to them justifiable, yet I alwa