“The apparent hantavirus dieoff occurred a bit later than the first years and equally devastating though limited probably to Mexico and is theorized but quite possible.”
Tell that to Squanto (the Indian with the Pilgrims) whose entire tribe died off years before the Pilgrims showed up -— pretty far from Mexico.
There are Conquestador reports of entire towns with dead people in them -— just lying about, unburied.
So is Montana, but they had an outbreak of it over in Poplar a few years back (one dead, even with modern medicine).
Squanto’s people had already had contact with Europeans. Squanto had already been to Europe. That’s how it is that he knew English.