until 24, years of age, both in this order and in Plymouth Records, v., 207, 223.
The Court, in the following year (1678), found cauſe to prohibit “all and every perſon and perſons within our juriſdiction or elſewhere, to buy any of the Indian children of any of thoſe our captive ſalvages that were taken and became our lawfull priſoners in our late warrs with the Indians, without ſpecial leave, liking and approbation of the government of this juriſdiction. Ib., 253.
In the ſucceeding year (1679), the following entry appears in the records:
"Tn reference unto ſeverall Indians bought by Jonathan Hatch of Capt. Church, the brothers of the woman, deſireing ſhee might be releaſed, appeared in Court with the ſaid Jonathan Hatch, and came to compoſition with her for the freedom of both her and her huſband, which are two of the three Indians above named; and her brothers payed on that accompt the ſume of three pounds ſilver mony of New England, and have engaged to pay three pounds more in the ſame ſpecie, and then the ſaid man and woman are to be releaſed; and for the third of the ſaid Indians, it being younge, the Court have ordered, that it ſhall abide with the ſaid Jonathan Hatch untill it attains the age of 24 years, and then to be releaſed for ever." Plymouth Records, vi., 15
It were well if the record were no worſe; but to all this is to be added the baſeneſs of treachery and falſehood. Many of theſe priſoners ſurrendered, and ſtill greater numbers came in voluntarily to ſubmit, upon the promiſe that they and their wives and children
