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THEY RETURN TO PLYMOUTH.

229

XIV.

fishing-ground.' Many, yea most of the islands have CHAP. been inhabited, some being cleared from end to end. But the people are all dead, or removed.

1621.

Our victual growing scarce, the wind coming fair, and having a light moon, we set out at evening, and through the goodness of God came safely home before Sept. noon the day following.3

trance of Boston bay. It is supposed that in this or some subsequent voyage the three Brewsters were named in honor of their venerable elder, and Point Alderton, the head-land of Nantasket, after Isaac Allerton. See note on page 195.

The neighbourhood of these rocks is excellent fishing-ground.

They had been swept off by the pestilence mentioned on page 184. 'Governor Bradford adds, “with a considerable quantity of beaver, and a good report of the place, wishing we had been seated there." Prince, p. 198.

They were absent on this expedition four days. Winslow was probably one of the party, and wrote this account.

"All the summer no want. While some were trading, others were fishing cod, bass, &c. We now gather in our harvest; and as cold weather advances, come in storo of water fowl, wherewith this place abounds, though afterwards they by degrees decrease; as also abundance of wild turkeys, with venison, &c. Fit our houses against winter, are in health, and have all things in plenty." Bradford, in Prince, p. 198.

22.

CHAPTER XV.

A LETTER SENT FROM NEW ENGLAND TO A FRIEND IN THESE
PARTS, SETTING FORTH A BRIEF AND TRUE DECLARATION
OF THE WORTH OF THAT PLANTATION; AS ALSO CERTAIN
USEFUL DIRECTIONS FOR SUCH AS INTEND A VOYAGE INTO
THOSE PARTS.

CHAP. LOVING AND OLD FRIEND,1

Dec.

XV. ALTHOUGH I received no letter from you by this 1621. ship, yet forasmuch as I know you expect the per11. formance of my promise, which was, to write unto you truly and faithfully of all things, I have therefore at this time sent unto you accordingly, referring you for further satisfaction to our more large Relations.

You shall understand that in this little time that a few of us have been here, we have built seven dwelling-houses and four for the use of the plantation, and have made preparation for divers others. We set the last spring some twenty acres of Indian corn," and

'This letter I think was addressed to George Morton. See note on page 113.

The Fortune, in which this let-
ter and the preceding Journal were
sent to England.

The preceding narrative.
4 See note 2 on page 173.
"Wherein Squanto is a great

help, showing us how to set, fish, dress, and tend it." Bradford, in Prince, p. 190. The Indians' season for planting the maize was "when the leaves of the white oak are as big as the ear of a mouse." See Belknap's Hist. of New Hampshire, iii. 70.

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING.

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XV.

Dec.

sowed some six acres of barley and pease; and ac- CHAP. cording to the manner of the Indians, we manured our ground with herrings, or rather shads,' which we 1621. have in great abundance, and take with great ease 11. at our doors. Our corn did prove well; and, God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, but our pease not worth the gathering, for we feared they were too late sown. They came up very well, and blossomed; but the sun parched them in the blossom.

Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might, after a special manner, rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king, Massasoyt, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted; and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation, and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God we are so

'Or rather alewives. Morton, in his New English Canaan, b. ii. ch. 7, says, "There is a fish, by some called shads, by some allizes, that at the spring of the year pass up the rivers to spawn in the ponds; and are taken in such multitudes in every river that hath a pond at the end, that the inhabitants dung their ground with them. You may sce in one township a hundred acres together set with these fish, every acre taking a thousand of them;

and an acre thus dressed will pro-
duce and yield so much corn as
three acres without fish." The
Indians used to put two or three
fishes into every corn-hill.
• Bradford.

This was the first Thanksgiv-
ing, the harvest festival of New
England. On this occasion they
no doubt feasted on the wild turkey
as well as venison. See note on
page 229.

See note on page 175.

232

THE INDIANS WELL-DISPOSED.

CHAP. far from want, that we often wish you partakers of

XV.

1621. Dec.

our plenty.'

We have found the Indians very faithful in their 11. covenant of peace with us, very loving, and ready to

2

pleasure us. We often go to them, and they come to us. Some of us have been fifty miles by land in the country with them, the occasions and relations whereof you shall understand by our general and more full declaration of such things as are worth the noting. Yea, it hath pleased God so to possess the Indians with a fear of us and love unto us, that not only the greatest king amongst them, called Massasoyt, but also all the princes and peoples round about us, have either made suit unto us, or been glad of any occasion to make peace with us; so that seven of them at once have sent their messengers to us to that end.3 Yea, an isle at sea, which we never saw, hath also, together with the former, yielded willingly to be under the protection and subject to our sovereign lord King James. So that there is now great peace amongst the Indians

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THE CLIMATE OF NEW ENGLAND.

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XV.

Dec.

themselves, which was not formerly, neither would CHAP. have been but for us; and we, for our parts, walk as peaceably and safely in the wood as in the highways 1621. in England. We entertain them familiarly in our 11. houses, and they as friendly bestowing their venison on us. They are a people without any religion or knowledge of any God,' yet very trusty, quick of apprehension, ripe-witted, just. The men and women go naked, only a skin about their middles.

For the temper of the air here, it agreeth well with that in England; and if there be any difference at all, this is somewhat hotter in summer. Some think it to be colder in winter; but I cannot out of experience so say. The air is very clear, and not foggy, as hath been reported. I never in my life remember a more seasonable year than we have here enjoyed; and if we have once but kine,2 horses, and sheep, I make no question but men might live as contented here as in any part of the world. For fish and fowl, we have great abundance. Fresh cod in the summer is but coarse meat with us. Our bay is full of lobsters' all the summer, and affordeth variety of other fish. In September we can take a hogshead of eels in a night, with small labor, and can dig them out of their beds all the winter.

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We have mus-
Oysters we have none

The writer himself was the first to bring over cattle to the plantation, in 1624 — a bull and three heifers. See Prince, p. 225.

3 See note 4 on page 164, and also page 205.

See note on page 196.

This I think a typographical error for other the word shellfish being accidentally omitted; or perhaps the word in the MS. was clams.

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