edge God, and he shall direct thy paths," they set apart a day for fasting and prayer, to seek direction from Gcd.*

Having decided to settle in Virginia, their next object was to obtain a patent, which they at length effected, from the London company. At the same time, they received from King James an intimation, that they should not be molested in respect to the enjoyment of their religion. They now began to prepare themselves for their momentous enterprise. For this purpose, they procured two vessels, the Speedwell and the Mayflower. The Speedwell, of sixty tons, they purchased in Holland, with the intention of keeping her for their accommodation in America. The Mayflower, of one hundred and eighty tons, they hired at London.

All things being in readiness for their departure from Leyden, they kept a day of solemn humiliation and prayer. On the 21st of July, the pilgrims went to Delfthaven, a place about twenty miles from Leyden, and two miles from Rotterdam. Here they were to embark. To this port they were kindly attended by many of their brethren and friends from Amsterdam, as well as from Leyden. Leaving Delfthaven, they sailed for Southhampton, at which place they were joined by the rest of their company from London, in the Mayflower. On the 5th of August, 1620, both vessels set sail for the new world; but before proceeding far, the Speedwell sprung a-leak, and at Plymouth, whither they put in, she was condemned as not seaworthy. Under these circumstances, a part of the emigrants were dismissed, and the rest were taken on board of the Mayflower.

With one hundred passengers, this vessel sailed from Plymouth, September 6th. For two months they were tossed and driven upon the tempestuous ocean; till, at length, on the 9th of November, they had the happiness to descry the bleak and dreary shores of Cape Cod. The part then discovered was Sandy Point, called Cape Malabar, in Chatham. But they were still remote from the place which they had selected for a habitation. It was their intention to settle near the mouth of the Hudson.

Toward that river they now bent their course. But the wintry season, the stormy prospect," the perilous shoals and breakers in their way, induced them to relinquish their design, and seek the nearest resting place, where they might hope for tolerable accommodations. They therefore turned back, sailed round Race Point, and, after two days, November 11th, anchored in Cape Cod harbor, between Cape Cod and Plymouth.t

Before landing, having devoutly given thanks to God for their safe arrival, they formed themselves into a body politic, fortyone signing a solemn contract, according to the provisions of which they were to be governed. Mr. John Carver was elected governor for one year.

* Robbins's New England Fathers.

† Dr. Parish.

"Government being thus established, sixteen men, well armed, with a few others, were sent on shore the same day, to fetch wood and make discoveries; but they returned at night, without having found any person or habitation. The company, having rested on the Lord's day, disembarked on Monday, the 13th of November; and soon after proceeded to make further discovery of the country.

"On Wednesday, the 15th, Miles Standish and sixteen armed men, in searching for a convenient place for settlement, saw five or six Indians, whom they followed several miles, until night; but, not overtaking them, were constrained to lodge in the woods. The next day, they discovered heaps of earth, one of which they dug open; but finding within implements of war, they concluded these were Indian graves; and, therefore, replacing what they had taken out, they left them inviolate. In different heaps of sand, they also found baskets of corn, a quantity of which they carried away in a great kettle, found at the ruins of an Indian house. This providential discovery gave them seed for a future harvest, and preserved the infant colony from famine. Before the close of the month, Mrs. Susannah White became the mother of an infant son, who was called Perigrine; and this was the first child, of European extraction, born in New England.

"On the 6th of December, the shallop was sent out with sev eral of the principal men, Carver, Bradford, Winslow, Standish, and others, and eight or ten seamen, to sail round the bay, in search of a place for settlement. The next day, this company was divided; and, while some travelled on shore, others coasted in the shallop. Early on the morning of the 8th, those shore were surprised by a flight of arrows from a party of Indians; but on the discharge of the English muskets, the Indians instantly disappeared.

on

"The shallop, after imminent hazard from the loss of its rudder and mast in a storm, and from shoals which it narrowly escaped, reached a small island on the night of the 8th; and here the company, the next day, which was the last day of the week, reposed themselves with pious gratitude for their safety. On this island they kept the Christian sabbath. The day following, they sounded the harbor, and found it fit for shipping; went on shore, and explored the adjacent land, where they saw various cornfields and brooks; and judging the situation to be convenient for a setlement, they returned with the welcome intelligence to the ship. "On the 15th, they weighed anchor, and proceeded with the hip for this newly-discovered port, where they arrived on the following day. On the 18th and 19th, they went on shore for discovery, but returned at night to the ship: On the morning of the 20th, after imploring divine guidance, they went on shore again, to fix on some place for immediate settlement. After viewing the country, they concluded to settle on a high ground,

facing the bay, where the land was cleared, and the water was excellent.

"On Saturday, the 23d, as many of the company as could, with convenience, went on shore, and felled and carried timber to the spot designed for the erection of a building for common use. On the Lord's day, the 24th, the people on shore were alarmed by the cry of Indians, and expected an assault; but they continued unmolested. On Monday, the 25th, they began to build the first house. A platform for their ordnance demanding their earliest attention, they began one on the 28th. on a hill, which cominanded an extensive prospect of the plain beneath, of the expanding bay, and of the distant ocean.

"In the afternoon, they divided their whole company into nineteen families; measured out the ground, and assigned to every person by lot half a pole in breadth, and three poles in length, for houses and gardens. Though most of the company were on board the ship on the Lord's day, Dec. 31st, yet some of them kept sabbath for the first time in their new house. Here, therefore, is fixed the epoch of their settlement, which. in grateful remembrance of the Christian friends whom they found at the last town they left in their native country, they called Plymouth. This was the foundation of the first English town built in NW England.'

4 *

* Holmes's Annals

13. In November, 1620, the same month in which the Puritans arrived on the American coast, James I. issued a patent granting to the Duke of Lenox, Ferdinando Gorges, and others, styling themselves "The Council of Plymouth, in the county of Devon, for planting and governing New England, in America," the territory between the 40th and 48th degrees of north latitude, and extending through the main iand from sea to sea.

This territory had, until this time, been known by the name of North Virginia; but now it received the name of New England, by royal authority. The patent thus issued to the council of Plymouth, was the foundation of all the subsequent grants, under which the colonies of New England were settled.

14. In March, 1621, the colony of Plymouth, through Gov. Carver, entered into a league of friendship, commerce, and mutual defence, with Masassoit, the great sachem of the neighboring Indians. This treaty, which was strictly observed until the breaking out of Philip's war, (a period of more than fifty years,) gave general peace to the colony, and laid the foundation for their intimate and amicable correspondence with the neighboring Indian tribes.

The person chiefly instrumental in bringing this event to pass, was Samoset, a sagamore or chief of the country lying at the distance of about five days' journey. He was the first visitant of the colony at Plymouth, and greatly surprised the inhabitants, by call ing out, as he entered their village, Welcome, Englishmen! wel come, Englishmen He had conversed with the English fishermen who had come to the eastern coast, and had learned some of the language. He informed the colony that the place where they were settled, was called by the Indians Patuxet that, five years before, a plague had swept off all the natives from the place, so that there was neither man, woman, nor child remaining. Prov idence had thus singularly prepared the way for the colonies to take possession of the land without molesting a single owner.

Samoset, having been treated with hospitality by these strangers, was disposed to cultivate a further acquaintance with them; and, on his third visit, was accompanied by Squanto a native of the country, who had been carried away in 1614, by one Hunt, and sold into Spain, but had been taken to London, whence he had returned to America.

They informed the English that Masassoit, the greatest sachem

of the neighboring Indians, was near, with a guard of sixty men. Mutual distrust prevented, for some time, any advances from either side. But Squanto, who was at length sent to Masassoit, returned, saying that the sachem /wished the English to send some one to confer with him. Mr. Edward Winslow was ac cordingly sent, bearing suitable presents to the chief. These proving acceptable, Masassoit left Mr. Winslow in the custody of his men as a hostage, and ventured to the English, by whom he was hospitably entertained, and with whom he concluded the treaty already noticed.

15. In 1621, the colony of Virginia received from the London company, through Sir Francis Wyat, who, at this time, arrived as governor, a more perfect constitution and form of government. The powers of this government were vested in a governor and two coun cils. One of these was called the council of state, to advise and assist the governor. This council was to be appointed and removed by the company. The other was called the general assembly, consisting of the council of state, and two burgesses, or representatives, deputed from each town, hundred, or plantation. This assembly met annually, and were intrusted with the business of framing laws for the colony, the governor having a negative upon their proceedings. No laws were valid until ratified by a court of the company in England.

16. In 1622, the Virginia colony, which for some time had enjoyed great prosperity, and had received frequent accessions, experienced a stroke which proved nearly fatal. The successor of Powhatan, who was of a proud, revengeful spirit, and extremely hostile to the colony, concerted a plan to cut them off at a blow On the 22d of March, it was so far put in execution, that three hundred and forty-seven of the colony, men, women, and children, were butchered almost in the same instant.

The chief by whom this massacre was planned, and under whom it was executed, was Opecancanough, the successor of Powhatan, but a deadly foe to the English. The whole Indian population in the surrounding country had been enlisted by this