two or three days ranging the woods, and saw five Indians. at some distance, but they were shy and kept out of reach. They discovered no houses, but found a large iron ship's kettle, and near it a considerable quantity of variously colored Indian corn in the ears, buried under ground in handsome baskets. This was a new article to the settlers, and they availed themselves of the opportunity to supply their wants. They carried away the kettle and a quantity of corn, with the honest intention of replacing them when opportunity should offer, which they eventually did.

The place which they visited was Pamet River, now in Truro. Whilst wandering in the woods they observed a young sapling bent down to the earth, and some acorns strewed underneath. Stephen Hopkins said it was a deer trap; Mr. William Bradford, afterwards governor, stepping too near, it gave a sudden jerk upwards and caught him by the leg; it was said to have been a pretty device, made with a rope of Indian fabric, and having a noose so ingeniously contrived as to answer all the purposes of entrapping deer. When the shallop was fit for service, 34 men embarked in her, and the long-boat, on an excursion to explore the shores in search of a place for settlement. They landed at the mouth of Pamet River, in Truro, to which they gave the name of Cold Harbor, the weather being extremely cold and stormy. From thence they marched several miles into the woods, without making any satisfactory discovery, but shot two geese and six ducks, which served them well for supper. In their travels they found sundry sand heaps, under which they found Indian corn, and named the place Corn Hill. They found also two or three baskets of Indian wheat, a bag of beans, and a bottle of oil. From this store they took to themselves about ten bushels of corn and beans, which afforded them essential relief, and supplied them with seed corn, for which they resolved to make restitution. Having marched 5 or 6 miles into the woods, they saw neither houses nor inhabitants, but came to a large square, having the appearance of a capacious burial-place. On digging in the ground, they met with mats, a bow, a carved board, bowls, trays, dishes, and trinkets. Under a large new mat were two bundles; on opening the largest, there was discovered a quantity of fine red powder, in which was enveloped the bones and skull of a man. The skull was covered with yellow hair, and there were bound up with it a knife, a pack-needle, and pieces of old iron. It was bound up in a sailor's canvass cassock, and a pair of cloth breeches. The red powder was a kind of embalment, and yielded a strong but not offensive smell. *

* A French ship had been wrecked on the shore of Cape Cod a

In the lesser package was the same kind of powder, and the bones and head of a little child; about the legs and some other parts were bound strings and bracelets of fine white beads: there were also a little bow and some trinkets. Whilst searching in the woods, two of the sailors discovered two Indian houses, from which the inhabitants had lately departed. They were formed with long young sapling trees, bended, and both ends stuck into the ground, and covered, tops and sides, with well-wrought mats. Within were found wooden bowls, trays, and dishes, earthern pots, hand-baskets made of crab-shells wrought together, also an English pail or bucket. Here were also deers' heads, horns and feet, eagles' claws, two or three baskets full of parched acorns, and pieces of herrings, and other fishes.

It now became a question with the settlers whether Cape Cod should be adopted as their permanent residence, or search be made for a more eligible situation. In their deliberation on the occasion, different opinions resulted. In favor of the place it was alleged, 1st, that the harbor was convenient for boats though not for ships: 2d, there was good corn ground, as was evident by the remaining stubble: 3d, it was a place of profitable fishing; for large whales of the best kind for oil and bone, came daily along side and played about the ship. The master and his mate, and others experienced in fishing, preferred it to Greenland whale-fishery, and asserted that were they provided with the proper implements £3,000 or £4,000 worth of oil might be obtained: 4th, the place was likely to prove healthful, secure and defensible. But the last and special reason was the unfavorable season, it being winter, and the weather was so exceedingly tempestuous, cold and stormy, that every movement was attended with imminent danger. And whether a more convenient place could be found, was very doubtful, as no one was acquainted with the country. On the other hand, it was urged, 1st, that the shore was so shallow that the men were obliged to wade in water over their knees in going to and from their shallop, by which many had taken colds and coughs, whereof some had died: 2d, there was a place called Agawam, alias Angawam, (Ipswich,) about 20 leagues to the northward, which had been reported as having an excellent harbor for ships, and better soil and fishing: 3d, there might be at no great distance a better seat, and it would be unfortunate to locate where they should be few years before, from which they probably obtained the iron kettle and carved board, &c. The skull, with the yellow hair, undoubtedly belonged to one of the seamen wrecked in the French ship, three of whom it appears were suffered to live for sometime among the natives.

obliged to remove again: 4th, there was a scarcity of water at that place, and none could be had without bringing it up a steep hill. Besides, Robert Coppin, the pilot, affirmed that there was a navigable river and good harbor in the other head-land of this bay, over against Cape Cod, about eight leagues distance, where he had once been, and which, a native having stolen a harping iron from them, they had named Thievish Harbor. It was at length resolved to endeavor to make some further discovery within the bay, but not to range so far as Agawam. About this time an incident occurred which might have been attended with fatal consequences. A son of Francis Billington, in the absence of his father, having procured some gun-powder, made squibs and fired them, and finding his father's fowlingpiece charged, shot it off in the cabin where there was a small barrel half full of powder, and many people near the fire, but no one was injured.

On Wednesday, December 6th, the company sailed on a third excursion for discovery; the weather was so intensely cold that the water froze every moment on their clothes, and two of the men were greatly overcome. On their approach to the shore at Eastham, they discovered 10 or 12 Indians engaged in cutting up a grampus, but they soon fled. Two other grampuses were dead on the shore, having been cast on the land; the fat on their sides was two inches thick, affording abundance of oil. The English landed on the shore, made a barricado, planted sentinels, and took lodgings beside a fire, and saw the smoke from the Indian's fire 4 or 5 miles from them. In the morning part of the company kept in the shallop, and the rest ranged the woods. A large burial-place was discovered, partly encompassed with a palisado, like a church-yard, and filled with graves of various sizes. At night they took their lodgings in the shallop, and at about midnight hideous cries were heard, and the sentinel called, arms! arms! but by firing two guns the noise ceased. About five o'clock in the morning the noises were renewed and they had only time to cry out Indians! Indians!' when the arrows came flying thickly about them. The English ran with all speed to receive their guns, and in a moment bullets were exchanged for arrows, but no exchange could be a match for the dreadful Indian yells. There was a lusty Indian, supposed to be their captain, who placed himself behind a tree, discharged three arrows, and stood three shots from a musket, till at length a charge struck the tree, when he gave a horrid yell, and fled. Eighteen of their arrows were taken up and sent to their friends in England, by master Jones, of the Mayflower; some were headed with brass, some with deer's horns, and

others with eagles' claws; but the contest ended without bloodshed on either side. It was about this time that the wife of Wm. White was favored with the birth of a son, whom they named Peregrine, being the first English child born in New England.* After the skirmish with the Indians, the pilgrims rendered thanks to God for their preservation, and named the place the First Encounter. In the afternoon of the same day, December 8th, the shallop departed from the cape on a cruise of discovery, with the following persons on board:-Governor Carver, Mr. William Bradford, † Edward Winslow, Capt. Miles Standish, John Howland, Mr. Warren, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Edward Tilly, Mr. John Tilly, Mr. Clarke, John Allerton, Thomas English and Edward Dotey, together with Coppin, the pilot, the master gunner of the ship, and three of the common seamen, making eighteen in the whole. The pilot assured them that there was a harbor of which he had some knowledge, which they could reach before night. They were in the afternoon overtaken by a violent storm, the wind and rain increasing, and the sea raging with rough and heavy surges, by which the hinges of their rudder were broken, and they were obliged to steer the shallop by oars in the hands of two men stationed at the helm. Not long after, in their severe struggle, their mast was severed in three pieces, and the sails went

* William White died in the ensuing spring. His widow Susannah, married Edward Winslow, who was the third governor of the colony; this marriage was solemnized May 12th, 1621, and was the first marriage in New England. She was the mother of Peregrine White, the first child born of English parents in the colony. Peregrine White died at Marshfield, July 20th, 1704, aged 83 years and eight months. His children by Sarah, his wife, were Daniel, Sarah, Mary, Jonathan, Peregrine, Sylvanus. Children of Daniel White and Hannah his wife, were John, Joseph, Thomas, Cornelius, Benjamin, Eleazer, Ebenezer. Children of Cornelius White and Hannah his wife, Lemuel, Cornelius, Paul, Joanna, Daniel, Gideon, Benjamin. Children of Gideon White and Joanna Howland his wife, were Cornelius, (died 1779) Joanna married Pelham Winslow, (died 1829) Hannah still survives at Plymouth, Gideon (died at Nova Scotia, 1833), Polly still survives, Elizabeth, Experience and Thomas. Deacon Joseph White, great grand-son of Peregrine, resided at Yarmouth, where he died not many years since, and where some of his descendants still survive.

† While Mr. William Bradford was absent in the shallop, his wife Dorothy accidentally fell overboard from the Mayflower at Cape Cod and was drowned.

It is not improbable that the pilot had visited this shore with Capt. Smith or Hunt, in 1614.

overboard. In passing the point called the Gurnet's nose, at the mouth of Plymouth harbor, the pilot finding himself deceived, and greatly alarmed, exclaimed Lord be merciful!' my eyes never saw this place before; and he with the master's mate would have run the boat ashore before the wind in a cove among breakers; which cove is between the Gurnet head and Saquish point. But a more resolute seaman at the helm making úncommon exertions, and urging the oarsmen, the boat was with difficulty put about, and they fortunately reached the lee of a small island, in the midst of a heavy rain, and the darkness of night, where they came safe to anchor, and in the night they landed and kindled a fire. The next morning they found the island was uninhabited, and as it was the last day of the week, and extremely cold, they employed themselves in drying their clothes, cleaning their arms, and repairing their shallop. The following day, the tenth, being the christian sabbath, and the first ever observed in New England, they devoted themselves in pious gratitude for their preservation and safe arrival... As Mr. Clark, the master's mate was the first to land on the island, it received his name, which it still retains. *

Memorable Landing of the First Settlers.

On Monday, the 11th day of October, O. S. they proceeded from the island in their shallop, to sound and examine the harbor, and to their unspeakable joy, found it commodious and 'fit for shipping.' A part of their number, no names mentioned, landed, went some distance into the country, and examined the territory contiguous to the shore, where they found cleared land which had been planted with Indian corn, two or three years before, and a beautiful running brook, and numerous springs of the purest water. Having selected this as the most eligible situation for a permanent settlement yet discovered, they re-embarked on board the shallop and returned to the ship, at Cape Cod, announcing to the anxious pilgrims the joyful tidings of their discoveries, and the cheering prospects which Providence had opened to their view. This, then, is to be considered as the first stepping on the Rock of the Pilgrims from the shallop belonging to the Mayflower, and this is the birth day of our nation. The day which has been annually celebrated in commemoration of this momentous event, the landing of the forefathers, is the twenty-second of December, N. S. which has hitherto been supposed to correspond with the

* See a tradition respecting this when describing the island, at the latter end of the volume.