96

ROBINSON'S LETTER OF ADVICE.

CHAP. ways, as inwardly by his Spirit, so outwardly by the VII. hand of his power, as that both you, and we also, for 1620. and with you, may have after matter of praising his name all the days of your and our lives. Fare you well in Him in whom you trust, and in whom I rest An unfeigned well-wisher of your

July

Happy success in this hopeful voyage,

JOHN ROBINSON.

This letter, though large, being so fruitful in itself and suitable to their occasions, I thought meet to insert in this place.1

There is no date to this letter; but it was written about the same time as the one to Carver, since in

that letter Robinson says, "I have written a large letter to the whole."

CHAPTER VIII.

OF THE TROUBLES THAT BEFELL THE FIRST PLANTERS
UPON THE COAST OF ENGLAND, AND IN THEIR VOYAGE
IN COMING OVER INTO NEW ENGLAND, AND THEIR ARRI-
VAL AT CAPE COD, ALIAS CAPE JAMES.

VIII.

1620.

ALL things being got ready, and every business CHAP. despatched, the company was called together, and this letter read amongst them; which had good acceptation with all, and after fruit with many. Then they ordered and distributed their company for either ship, as they conceived for the best, and chose a governor and two or three assistants for each ship, to order the people by the way, and to see to the disposing of their provisions, and such like affairs; all which was not only with the liking of the masters of the ships, but according to their desires.

Which being done, they set sail' from thence about the fifth of August.2 [But, alas, the best enterprises 5.

Smith, in his New England's Trials, printed in 1622, and Purchas, in his Pilgrims, iv. 1840, printed in 1625, say they sailed "with about 120 persons."

"But what befell them further upon the coast of England, will

appear in the book entitled New
England's Memorial, page 31; and
likewise of the voyage, and how
they passed the sea, and of their
safe arrival at Cape Cod, see New
England's Memorial, page 33."
Morton's Note.

Aug.

98

13.

THEY ARE COMPELLED TO PUT BACK TWICE.

CHAP. meet oftentimes with many discouragements. For VIII. they had not sailed far, before Mr. Reynolds, the mas1620. ter of the lesser ship, complained that he found his ship so leaky, as he durst not put further to sea. On Aug. which they were forced to put in at Dartmouth, Mr. Jones, the master of the biggest ship, likewise putting in there with him; and the said lesser ship was searched, and mended, and judged sufficient for the Aug. voyage by the workmen that mended her. On which both the said ships put to sea the second time. But they had not sailed above a hundred leagues, ere the said Reynolds again complained of his ship being so leaky as that he feared he should founder in the sea if he held on; and then both ships bore up again, and went in at Plymouth.' But being there searched again, no great matter appeared, but it was judged to be the general weakness of the ship.

21.

But the true reason of the retarding and delaying of matters was not as yet discerned. The one of them respecting the ship, (as afterwards was found,) was that she was overmasted; which when she came to her trim in that respect, she did well, and made divers profitable and successful voyages. But secondly, and more especially, by the deceit of the master and his company, who were hired to stay a whole

As this account of the voyage is substantially Bradford's, as appears from comparing it with the extracts from his MS. in Prince, and as Morton refers to his Memorial merely to save the labor of copying, and would undoubtedly have inserted it had he caused his uncle's History to be printed, I have deemed it proper to make it a part of the narrative; enclosing it, however, in brackets to distinguish

it from what is contained in the Church records.

1 Grahame, i. 190, errs in saying that "the emigrants were at first driven back by a storm, which destroyed one of their vessels;" and Gorges is wrong in stating that they sailed in three ships, "whereof two proved unserviceable, and so were left behind." See Mass. Hist. Coll. xxvi. 73.

THEY DISMISS ONE OF THEIR VESSELS.

99

VIII.

year in the country; but now fancying dislike, and CHAP. fearing want of victuals, they plotted this stratagem to free themselves, as afterwards was known, and by 1620. Aug. some of them confessed. For they apprehended that the greater ship being of force, and in whom most of the provisions were bestowed, that she should retain enough for herself, whatsoever became of them and the passengers. But so strong was self-love and deceit in this man, as he forgot all duty and former kindness, and dealt thus falsely with them.

These things thus falling out, it was resolved by the whole to dismiss the lesser ship and part of the company with her, and that the other part of the company should proceed in the bigger ship.' Which when they had ordered matters in reference thereunto, they made another sad parting, the one ship, viz. the lesser, going

1 Neal, in his History of New England, i. 86, says, "Mr. Cushman and his family, with some others that were more fearful, went ashore, and did not proceed on the voyage." Baylies, too, in his Memoir of Plymouth, i. 25, says, "about twenty of the passengers were discouraged, and would not reimbark." There is no ground for such an imputation on the courage or perseverance of any of the emigrants; and it is a matter of regret that Mr. Bancroft should have lent to it the sanction of his authority. He says, i. 307, "the timid and the hesitating were all freely allowed to abandon the expedition. Having thus winnowed their numbers of the cowardly and the disaffect ed," &c. Yet Robert Cushman, one of the most energetic and resolute of the Pilgrims, "who was as their right hand," and who came over in the next ship, the Fortune, in Nov. 1621, was among those thus "winnowed." The dismissal of a part

was a matter of necessity, as the
Mayflower could not carry the
whole. Bradford, as quoted by
Prince, p. 161, says,
they agree
to dismiss her, (the Speedwell,) and
those who are willing, to return to
London, though this
was very
grievous and discouraging; Mr.
Cushman and family returning
with them." In the text, too,
which is virtually Bradford's, we
are told, "it was resolved by the
whole to dismiss the lesser ship and
part of the company with her."
It was the captain and crew of the
Speedwell that were unwilling to
go, not his passengers; and the
error seems to have arisen from
considering the word company, in
the passage "by the deceit of the
master and his company," as mean-
ing the emigrants instead of the
sailors; in which latter sense it is
constantly used at the present day
by merchants and seamen.- Smith
and Purchas say they discharge 20
of their passengers.

-

100

VIII.

THEIR LONG AND BOISTEROUS VOYAGE.

CHAP. back for London, and the other, viz. the MAYFLOWER,' Mr. Jones being master, proceeding on in the intended 1620. voyage.

These troubles being blown over, and now all being Sept. compact together in one ship, they put to sea again 6. with a prosperous wind. But after they had enjoyed

fair winds for a season, they met with many contrary
winds and fierce storms, with which their ship was
shrewdly shaken, and her upper works made very
leaky; and one of the main beams of the mid-ships
was bowed and cracked, which put them to some fear
that she would not be able to perform the voyage; on
which the principal of the seamen and passengers had
serious consultation what to do, whether to return or
hold on.
But the ship proving strong under water, by
a screw the said beam was brought into his place
again; which being done, and well secured by the
carpenter, they resolved to hold their voyage.5
And so, after many boisterous storms, in which they

4

x., and Marshall, Life of Washington, i. 91, and again Hist. Amer. Col. p. 80, err in crowding the whole 120 into the ship. Oldmixon, i. 30, who generally outdoes all others in his blunders, magnifies the number to 150.

3

Prince, p. 161, reads this word wracked in Bradford's MS.

Prince, p. 161, quotes Bradford's MS. as saying, "a passenger having brought a great iron screw from Holland.”

5 Nov. 6, dies at sea William Butten, a youth, and servant to Samuel Fuller, being the only passenger who dies on the voyage." Bradford, in Prince, p. 161. One child was born, and called Oceanus, the son of Stephen Hopkins. Bradford, in Prince, p. 172.