CANONICUS, Indian chief : b. about 1565; d. 4 June 1647. When the Pilgrims landed, he and his nephew Miantonomo (q.v.) were associate sachems of the fierce Narragan setts, mustering some 3,000 warriors. In the winter of 1621-22 he sent to the little colony, with about 50 fighting men, a bundle of arrows bound with a snakeskin, either as a preliminary of war or a demand of gifts to avert it. They returned the skin stuffed with powder and ball, and the frightened savages did not dare keep it. A lasting treaty was negotiated, and it was ow ing to the influence of Canonicus that the tribe never made war against the English, even many years after his death, till Philip's of 1675. In 1636, Roger Williams and his company sought refuge from the Massachusetts authorities among the Narragansetts. They were kindly received, and to them was granted the peninsula where Providence stands. In 1637 the Pequots of Connecticut were attempt ing to form a general Indian league to extermi nate the English settlements, and the Massa chusetts government sent an embassy to pre vent the Narragansetts from joining it. Canonicus received them with great Indian pomp in his wigwam of poles and mats, sur rounded by his and leading war riors, gave them a feast with boiled chestnuts and huckleberry Indian pudding for dessert; and probably more from kind regard for Wil liams than through the embassy's persuasions, kept the peace, and even furnished a couple of hundred warriors to help the English.
These allies, however, played the usual ambig uous Indian part, ready to massacre the beaten side. In 1644 the Gorton (q.v.) party suc ceeded in persuading the chiefs that it was under the protection of irresistible powers in England; and on 9 April Canonicus, his son Mixan and his nephew Pessacus, brother and successor of Miantonomo, signed two astonish ing documents, of whose purport it is very un likely that they had been correctly informed. One of them ceded the land and people of the Narragansetts to his Majesty of Great Britain, placing the Indians themselves under his pro tection, and appointing Gorton and three others their attorneys to carry the instrument to him. The other, addressed to the Massachusetts au thorities, was the refusal of their invitation to visit Boston. It also menaced the authorities on account of Miantonomo's death and threat ened to revenge it on Uncas. Finally, however, a truce was signed, and three years later Canonicus died.