Drawing of Roger Clap exchanging a biscuit for a bass with a native person (used in Town Seal). In May 1630, an exploring party of Englishmen came ashore at what is now Watertown. Roger Clapp recorded their experiences:" We went up Charles River, until the river grew narrow and shallow, and there we landed our goods with much labour and toil, the bank being steep; and night coming on, we were informed that there were hard by us 300 Indians. One Englishman, that could speak the Indian language, (an old planter), went to them, and advised them not to come near us in the night; and they harkened to his counsel and came not out. I myself was one of the sentinels that night...In the morning some of the Indians came and stood at a distance off, looking at us, but came not near. But when they had been awhile in view, some of them came and held out a great bass towards us; so we sent a man with a biscuit, and changed the cake for the bass. Afterwards, they supplied us with bass, exchanging a bass for a biscuit cake, and were very friendly unto us. Had they come upon us, soon they might have destroyed us! I think we were not above ten in number. But God caused the Indians to help us with fish at very cheap rates. We had not been there many days but we had an order to come away from that place, which was about Watertown, unto a place called Mattapan, now Dorchester.
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