Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 2.

[p. 134] the ‘Blessing of the Bay,’ which was built near his house on the banks of the Mistick river. The whole country hereabouts was covered with a heavy growth of timber, except in such places as had been burnt over by the Indians for the purposes of cultivation.

An illustration of the condition of the country is afforded by an incident that happened to the governor, and which is related in Winthrop's history of New England: ‘Oct. 1, 1631, the Governour being at his house at Mistick, walked out after supper, and took a piece in his hand, supposing he might see a wolf (for they came daily about the house and killed swine, calves, & etc.), and being about half a mile off, it grew suddenly dark, so as in coming home, he mistook his path and went till he came to a little house of Sagamore John, which stood empty. There he stayed, and having a piece of match in his pocket, (for he always carried about him, match and a compass, and in the summer snake weed), he made a good fire near the house, and lay down upon some old mats, which he found there, and so spent the night, sometimes walking by the fire, sometimes singing psalms and sometimes getting wood, but could not sleep. It was (through God's mercy) a warm night, but a little before day it begun to rain, and, having no cloak, he made shift by a long pole to climb up into the house. In the morning there came thither an Indian Squaw, but perceiving her before she opened the door, he barred her out, yet she staid there a great while, essaying to get in. At last she went away, and he returned safe home. His servants having been much perplexed for him, and having walked about, and shot off pieces, and hallooed in the night, but he heard them not.’ The dwelling-place of Sagamore John, as shown on Wood's map, published in 1635, was on the westerly slope of Walnut Tree hill (now College hill), not far from where the Indian remains were found a few years ago, by employees of the Mystic Water Works in building a street. These remains were found where new