penter had finished her. Our people went on shore to refresh themselves, and our women to wash, as they had great need. But whilest we lay thus still, hoping our shallop would be ready in five or sixe dayes at the furthest, but our carpenter made slowe work of it; so that some of our people, impatient of delay, desired for our bet by the trace of their footings, and saw how they had come the same way they went, and at a turning perceived how they run up an hill, to see whether they followed them. At length night came upon them, and they were constrained to take up their lodging. So they set forth three sentinells; and the rest, some kindled a fire, and others fetched ter furtherance to travaile by land into 10 wood, and there held our randevous the countrey, (which was not without appearance of danger, not having the shallop with them, nor meanes to carry provision but on their backs,) to see whether it might be fit for us to seate1 in or no, and the rather because as we sayled into the harbour, there seemed to be a river opening itself into the main land. The willingness of the persons was liked, but the thing it selfe, 20 in regard of the danger, was rather permitted than approved. And so with cautions, directions, and instructions, sixteene men were set out, with every man his musket, sword, and corslet, under the conduct of Captaine Miles Standish, unto whom was adjoyned for counsell and advise William Bradford, Stephen Hopkins, and Edward Tilley. that night. In the morning so soone as we could see the trace we proceeded on our journey, and had the tracke until we had compassed the head of a long creake, and there they tooke into another wood, and we after them, supposing to finde some of their dwellings. But we marched thorow boughes and bushes, and under hills and vallies, which tore our very armour in peeces, and yet could meete with none of them, nor their houses, nor finde any fresh water, which we greatly desired and stood in need off, for we brought neither beere nor water with us, and our victuals was onely bisket and holland cheese, and a little bottle of aquavite, so as we were sore a thirst. About ten a clocke we came into a 30 deepe valley, full of brush, wood-gaile, and long grasse, through which we found little paths or tracts, and there we saw a deere, and found springs of fresh water, of which we were heartily glad, and sat us downe and drunke our first New England water with as much delight as ever we drunke drinke in all our lives. Wednesday the 15. of November they were set a shore, and when they had ordered themselves in the order of a single file, and marched about the space of a myle by the sea, they espyed five or sixe people, with a dogge, comming towards them, who were savages; who when they saw them ran into the wood and whisled the dogge after them, etc. First they supposed them to be master 40 Jones, the Master 2 and some of his men, for they were ashore, and knew of their comming; but after they knew them to be Indians they marched after them into the woods, least other of the Indians should lie in ambush. But when the Indians saw our men following them, they ran away with might and mayne, and our men turned out of the wood after them, for it was the 50 way they intended to goe, but they could not come neare them. They followed them that night about ten miles 1 settle 2 master of the Mayflower 1 Wednesday the sixt of December wee set out, being very cold and hard weather. Wee were a long while after we launched from the ship before we could get cleare of a sandie poynt which lay within lesse then a furlong of the same. In which time two were very sicke, and Edward Tilley had like to have sounded with the cold. The gunner was also sicke unto death, (but hope of trucking made him to goe) and so remained all that day, and the next night. At length we got cleare of the sandy poynt, and got up our bartering 3 swooned 3 4 4 sayles, and within an houre or two we 1 As we drew neare to the shore wee espied some ten or twelve Indians, very 20 busie about a blacke thing; what it was we could not tell, till afterwards they saw us, and ran to and fro, as if they had beene carrying some thing away. Wee landed a league or two from them, and had much adoe to put ashore anywhere, it lay so full of flat sands. When we came to shore we made us a baricado, and got fire wood, and set out our sentinells, and betooke 30 us to our lodging, such as it was. In the morning . . . we then directed our course along the sea-sands, to the place where we first saw the Indians. When we were there, we saw it was also a grampus which they were cutting up; they cut it into long rands or peeces, about an ell long and two handful broad. Wee found here and there a peece scattered by the way, as 40 it seemed for haste. This place the most were minded we should call the Grampus Bay. . . . Wee followed the tract of the Indians' bare feete a good way on the sands. At length we saw where they strucke into the woods by the side of a pond. As wee went to view the place, one sayd hee thought hee saw an Indianhouse among the trees, so went up to 50 see. . . . All this while we saw no people. We went ranging up and downe till the sunne beganne to draw low, and ? exploration 1 inlet then we hasted out of the woods, that we might come to our shallop, which when we were out of the woods we espied a great way off, and called to them to come unto us, the which they did as soone as they could, for it was not yet high water. They were exceeding glad to see us (for they feared because they had not seene us in so long a time) thinking we would have kept by the shore-side. So being both weary and faint, for we had eaten nothing all that day, we fell to make our randevous and get fire wood, which always cost us a great deale of labour. By the time we had done, and our shallop come to us, it was within night, and we fed upon such victualls as we had, and betooke us to our rest, after we had set out our watch. About midnight we heard a great and hideous cry, and our sentinell cried "Arme, arme. So we bestirred ourselves and shot off a couple of muskets, and the noyse ceased. We concluded that it was a company of wolves or foxes, for one told us hee had heard such a noyse in New-found-land. About five a clocke in the morning wee began to be stirring, and two or three which doubted whether their peeces would goe off or no made tryall of them, and shot them off, but thought nothing at all. After prayer we prepared ourselves for brek-fast, and for a journey. And it being now the twilight in the morning, it was thought meet to carry the things downe to the shallop. Some sayd, it was not best to carry the armour downe; others sayd, they would be readier; two or three sayd they would. not carry theirs till they went themselves, but mistrusting nothing at all. As it fell out, the water not being high enough, they layd the things downe upon the shore, and came up to brekfast. 1 shallop, for we were carefull of our businesse. Then wee shouted all together two severall times, and shot off a couple of muskets and so returned. This wee did that they might see wee were not afrayed of them nor discouraged. Thus it pleased God to vanquish our enemies and give us deliverance. By their noyse we could not guesse forty, though some thought that they were many more; yet in the darke of the morning wee could not so well discerne them among the trees, as they could see us by our fire-side. We took up 18 of their arrowes which we have sent to England by Master Jones, some whereof were headed with brasse, others with hart's horne, and others Indians;" and withall their arrowes came flying amongst us. Our men ran out with all speed to recover their armes, as by the good Providence of God they did. In the meane time Captain Miles Standish, having a snaphance ready, made a shot, and after him another. After they two had shot, other two of us were ready; but he wisht us not to shoot till we could take 10 that they were lesse than thirty or ayme, for we knew not what need we should have, and there were foure only of us which had their armes there readie, and stood before the open side of our Baricado, which was first assaulted. They thought it best to defend it, least the enemie should take it and our stuffe, and so have the more vantage against us; our care was no lesse for the shallop, but we hoped all 20 with eagles' clawes. Many more no the rest would defend it. We called unto them to know how it was with them, and they answered "Well, well, every one; and be of good courage.' Wee heard three of their peeces goe off, and the rest called for a fire-brand to light their matches. One tooke a log out of the fire on his shoulder and went and carried it unto them, which was thought did not a little discourage our 30 enemies. The cry of our enemies was dreadfull, especially when our men ran out to recover their armes. Their note was after this manner: "Woach, woach ha ha hach woach." Our men were no sooner come to their armes, but the enemy was ready to assault them. There was a lustie man, and no whit lesse valiant, who was thought to bee doubt were shot, for these we found were almost covered with leaves. Yet by the especiall providence of God, none of them either hit or hurt us, though many came close by us, and on every side of us, and some coates which hung up in our baricado were shot through and through. So after wee had given God thankes for our deliverance wee tooke our shallop and went on our journey, and called this place, The first Encounter. From hence we intended to have sayled to the aforesayd theevish harbour, if wee found no convenient harbour by the way. Having the wind good, we sayled all that day along the coast about 15 leagues, but saw neither river nor creeke to put into. After wee had their captaine, stood behind a tree 40 sayled an houre or two, it began to within halfe a musket shot of us, and 1 flintlock musket At snow and raine, and to be bad weather. our mast in 3 pieces, and were like to have cast away our shallop. Yet by God's mercy recovering our selves, wee had the floud with us, and struck into the harbour. 10 Now he that thought that had beene the place was deceived, it being a place where not any of us had beene before. And comming into the harbour, he that was our Pilot did beare up northward, which if wee had continued wee had beene cast away. Yet still the Lord Yet still the Lord kept us, and we bare up for an iland before us. And recovering of that iland, being compassed about with many rocks, and darke night growing upon us, it pleased the Divine Providence that we fell upon a place of sandy ground, where our shallop did ride safe and secure all that night, and comming 20 upon a strange iland kept our watch all night in the raine upon that iland. And in the morning we marched about it and found no inhabitants at all, and here wee made our randevous all that day, being Saturday. 10 of December, on the Sabbath day, wee rested, and on Munday we sounded the harbour, and found it a very good harbour for our shipping. We marched also into the 30 land, and found divers corne fields, and little running brookes, a place very good for scituation. So we returned to our ship againe with good newes to the rest of our people, which did much comfort their hearts. WILLIAM BRADFORD (1589-1657) From OF PLIMOTH PLANTATION [CROSSING THE SEAS] and very profane yonge man, one of the sea-men, of a lustie, able body, which made him the more haughty; he would allway be contemning the poor people in their sicknes, and cursing them dayly with greevous execrations, and did not let to tell them, that he hoped to help to cast halfe of them over board before they came to their journey's end, and to make mery with what they had; and if he were by any gently reproved, he would curse and swear most bitterly. But it pleased God before they came halfe seas over, to smite this yong man with a greeveous disease, of which he dyed in a desperate maner, and so was himselfe the first that was throwne overbord. Thus his curses light on his owne head; and it was an astonishmente to all his fellows, for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him. After they had injoyed faire winds and weather for a season, they were incountred many times with crosse winds, and mette with many feirce stormes, with which the shipe was shroudly 2 shaken, and her upper works made very leakie; and one of the maine beames in the middships was bowed and cracked, which put them in some fear that the shipe could not be able to performe the voiage. So some of the cheefe of the company, perceiving the mariners to fear the suffisiencie of the shipe, as appeared by their mutterings, they entred into serious consultation with the master and other officers of the shipe, to consider in time of the 40 danger; and rather to returne then to cast them selves into a desperate and inevitable perill. And truly ther was great distraction and differance of opinion amongst the mariners them. selves; faine would they doe what could be done for their wages' sake, (being now halfe the seas over,) and on the other hand they were loath to hazard their lives too desperatly. But in examening of all opinions, the master and others affirmed they knew the ship to be stronge and firme under water; and for the buckling of the maine. 1 refrain from These troubls being blowne over, and now all being compacte togeather in one shipe, they put to sea againe with a prosperus winde, which continued diverse days togeather, which was some incouragmente unto them; 50 yet according to the usual maner many were afflicted with sea-sicknes. And I may not omite hear a spetiall worke of God's providence. There was a proud 2 severely 3 weather being faire) to finde some place aboute Hudson's river for their habitation. But after they had sailed that course aboute halfe the day, they fell amongst deangerous shoulds and roring breakers, and they were so farr intangled ther with as they conceived them selves in great danger; and the wind shrinking upon them withall, they resolved to bear up againe for the Cape, and thought them selves hapy to gett out of those dangers before night overtooke them, as by God's providence they did. And the next day they gott into the Cape-harbor wher they ridd in saftie. beame, ther was a great iron scrue the passengers brought out of Holland, which would raise the beame into his place; the which being done, the carpenter and master affirmed that with a post put under it, set firme in the lower deck, and otherways bounde, he would make it sufficiente. And as for the decks and uper workes they would calke them as well as they could; and though 10 with the workeing of the ship they would not longe keepe stanch, yet ther would otherwise be no great danger, if they did not overpress her with sails. So they commited them selves to the will of God, and resolved to proseede. In sundrie of these stormes the winds were so feirce, and the seas so high, as they could not beare a knote of saile, but were forced to hull, for diverce days 20 togither. And in one of them as they thus lay at hull, in a mighty storme, a lustie yonge man (called John Howland) coming upon some occasion above the grattings, was, with a seele 2 of the shipe throwne into sea; but it pleased God that he caught hould of the top-saile halliards, which hunge over board, and rane out at length; yet he held his hould (though he was sun- 30 drie fadomes under water) till he was hald up by the same rope to the brime of the water, and then with a boat hooke and other means got into the shipe againe, and his life saved; and though he was something ill with it, yet he lived many years after, and became a profitable member both in church and commone wealthe. In all this viage ther died but one of the passengers, 40 so affected with sailing few miles on which was William Butten, a youth, servant to Samuell Fuller, when they drew near the coast. But to omite other things, (that I may be breefe,) after longe beating at sea they fell with that land which is called Cape Cod; the which being made and certainly knowne to be it, they were not a litle joyfull. After some deliberation had amongst them selves 50 and with the master of the ship, they tacked aboute and resolved to stande for the southward (the wind and I hatches 2 plunge A word or too by the way of this cape; it was thus first named by Capten Gosnole and his company, Anno 1602, and after by Capten Smith was caled Cape James; but it retains the former name amongst seamen. Also that pointe which first shewed those dangerous shoulds unto them, they called Pointe Care, and Tucker's Terrour; but the French and Dutch to this day call it Malabarr, by reason of those perilous shoulds, and the losses they have suffered their. Being thus arived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the periles and miseries therof, againe to set their feete on the firme and stable earth, their proper elemente. And no marvell if they were thus joyefull, seeing wise Seneca was the coast of his owne Italy; as he affirmed that he had rather remaine twentie years on his way by land, then pass by sea to any place in a short time; so tedious and dreadfull was the same unto him. But hear I cannot but stay and make a pause, and stand half amased at this poore people's presente condition; and so I thinke will the reader too, when he well considers the same. Being thus passed the vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before in their preparation (as 3 the Nantucket shoals |