I thanke you for your letter touching Mrs. Huchingson; I heard since of a monsterous, and prodigious birth which she should discouer amongst you; as also that she should retracte her conffession of acknowledgmente of those errours, before she wente away; of which I haue heard many various reports. If your leasure would permite, I should be much behoulden vnto you, to certiffie me in a word or tow, of the trueth and forme of that monster, etc. Vpon the Information and Complainte of our neigbours at Sityate, I am requested by our assistants to write vnto you, touching a late parttition, or limiting of confines, betweene you and vs;2 of which we heard nothing of late. Wherin we vnderstand you haue Intrenched farr vpon those lands, which we haue conceiued to belong to vs by right diverce waies; as first by composision, and anciente compacte with the natiues to whom the right and souerainite of them did belonge, which did extend as farr as Conahasete, which was the bounds between the Sachimes of the Massachusets, and those of these parts; 2ly. It since hath been confirmed vnto vs by patente from his Majesties authoritie. 3ly. herevpon we haue posest it, and planted it some years agoe. We desire you will giue vs a reason of your proceedings herein; as also that ther may be a faire, and freindly desission of the controuercie; that we may preserue peace and brotherly loue amongst our selues, that haue so many enimies abroad. Ther was not long since hear with vs Mr. Cottington and some other of your people, who brought Mr. Williams with them and prest vs hard for a place at, or near Sowames, the which we denid them; Then Mr. Williams Informed them of a spatious Iland caled Monachunte,3 touching which they solisited our good will, to which we yeelded (so they would compound with Ossamequine) the which we heard was Ill taken by you, but you may please to vnderstand that it is not In our Pattente (though we tould them not so) for It only was excepted out of it. And we thought (If they likte it) It were better to haue them, (though they differ in oppinions) then (hapily) worse neigbours, both for vs, and you. We thinke it is also better for vs both to haue some strength in that bay. Thus 24comending you, and your affairs to the Lord; with my loue remembred to your selfe, and the rest of my worthy friends with you, I take leaue and rest Your vnworthy freind

My Answere to this Lettre (which I shewed to the Deputy) was to this effect: that before we did any thing we acquainted mr. Hatherly and had men of either parte to sett out the bounds, but they not agreeinge etc., I tould mr. Winslow, and wished there might be some friendly course for setlinge the same, so as might neither strengthen Scituate nor Hingham he answered, that what our Patent gave us we must have, and it was all one to them whither Scituate fell to them or to vs etc: and advised vs to sett out our bounds etc: which we did accordingly etc, but have nede to Acte upon it, nor disposed anythinge to Hingham etc: ergo we see not why we should be called to give a Reason of: etc; that this was vpon some misinformation, or want of information; that we would be sorye that matter of jurisdiction should bringe our peace and loue into question: that if we had come hither for lande or if we had feared that our friends of Plymouth would have bounded vs to 3 or 4 miles of Natanscott, we could have more easily have enlarged our Grant than theirs. for the kings Confirmacion I supposed it a mistake, the king dothe not use to confirme Indians grants for their purchase of the Indians, it was the 1st I heard of it, and it would be hard to make their title good, and as hard to proue their grant to them. For Mr. Hatherlys company, we thought it were better for us both if they were further off: we had not to doe with it but we were persuaded they would not haue furthered them etc: before they had advised with vs; and they might have expected the like Correspondency from vs. conclusion for a friendly devision etc.