University of Virginia Library

45. The First Landing at Plymouth[163]
BY GOVERNOR WILLIAM BRADFORD (1620)

OMITTING other things, I will tell you that after long beating about at sea they came to Cape Cod and they were not a little joyful. Having thus arrived in a good harbor and having been 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 perils and miseries of the sea. Even now they had no friends to welcome them, nor inns to entertain or refresh their weather-beaten bodies; no houses and much less towns in which to seek for succor.

It was in the winter season, and those who know about the winters of that country know them to be sharp and violent, with cruel and fierce storms, which make it dangerous to travel even to known places, much more to search an unknown coast.[164] They knew that they were in a desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts and wild men, in what numbers they knew not. If they looked behind them, there was the mighty ocean which they had crossed, seeming now like a

gulf or a bar to separate them from all the civilized parts of the world.

It was on the eleventh day of November that they arrived at Cape Cod and necessity called them to look immediately for a place of habitation. They had brought a large shallop with them out of England, stowed away in the quarters of the ship. No\v they took her out and set their carpenters to work to trim her up. This work they saw would take a long time because the ship had become much shattered during the foul weather which struck the big vessel. Whilst the ship was being mended a few of them offered to go along the land to explore the places near by. Some of them thought that they saw a river as they went into the harbor. Sixteen men well armed started out under the leadership of Captain Standish. After some hours sailing it began to snow and rain and the sea became very rough; they broke their rudder and it was as much as two men could do to steer the shallop with a couple of oars. Their pilot bade them be of good cheer, for he saw the harbor, but the storm increased and the night came on; so they put on what sail they could in order to get there while they could see. By doing this they broke their mast in three pieces and their sail-fell overboard. The men set things to right as far as they could, and having the current with them they came into the harbor. Then the pilot saw that he had been deceived in the place and that they were in a dangerous rough cove, full of breakers. A lusty seaman who steered bade those who rowed to put the shallop about, or else they would all be cast away. This they did with speed, so that he bade them be of good cheer and to row bravely for there was a fair bay before them

which he thought they might find, and there ride in safety Though it was very dark and rained hard they got under the lee of a small island and remained there all night in safety.[165]

They did not know that this was an island until morning. Then they were divided in their minds; some wished to stay in the boat for fear they might be amongst the Indians; others were so weak and cold that they felt they could not endure that, so they went ashore to make a fire. This they did with great trouble, everything was so wet. Then the rest were delighted to come to them, for the wind had shifted to the northwest, and had frozen their clothing, which had been wet in the storm. So after a day and night of much trouble and danger, God gave them a morning of comfort and hope, for the next day was a fair sunshiny day. They found themselves on an island secure from the Indians, where they might dry their clothes, clean their firearms and rest themselves. So they gave God thanks for his mercies. This being the last day of the week, they prepared to keep the Sabbath the next day.

On Monday they sounded the harbor and found it fit for shipping.[166] They marched up into the land, found many cornfields and little running brooks, making it a place, as they supposed, fit for a settlement. At least, it was the best they could find and both the season and their present necessities made them glad to accept it, so that they returned to their big ship again with this news, which did much to comfort the hearts of the rest of their people.

On the fifteenth of December, the big ship weighed anchor to go to the place which Miles Standish and his exploring party had discovered, and came within

two leagues of it,[167] but they were obliged to wait there a day. On the sixteenth day the wind came fair, and they arrived in this harbor.[168] Afterwards they took a better view of the place and decided where to pitch their dwelling. On the twenty-fifth day they began to erect the first house, for the common use of all.