A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth; Mourt's Relation: A Relation or Journal of the English Plantation settled at Plymouth in New England, by Certain English adventurers both merchants and others
History
A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth; Mourt's Relation: A Relation or Journal of the English Plantation settled at Plymouth in New England, by Certain English adventurers both merchants and others
Massachusetts -- History -- New Plymouth, 1620-1691; Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony) -- Early works to 1800
Monday, the 13th of November, we unshipped our shallop[21] and drew her
on land, to mend and repair her, having been forced to cut her down in
bestowing her betwixt the decks, and she was much opened with the
people’s lying in her,[22] which kept us long there, for it was sixteen
or seventeen days before the carpenter had finished her. Our people went
on shore to refresh themselves, and our women to wash, as they had great
need. But whilst we lay thus still, hoping our shallop would be ready in
five or six days at the furthest, but our carpenter made slow work of
it, so that some of our people, impatient of delay, desired for our
better furtherance to travel by land into the country, which was not
without appearance of danger, not having the shallop with them, nor
means to carry provision, but on their backs, to see whether it might be
fit for us to seat in or no, and the rather because as we sailed into
the harbor there seemed to be a river opening itself into the main land.
The willingness of the persons was liked, but the thing itself, in
regard of the danger, was rather permitted than approved, and so with
cautions, directions, and instructions, sixteen men were set out with
every man his musket, sword, and corslet, under the conduct of Captain
Miles Standish, unto whom was adjoined, for counsel and advice, William
Bradford, Stephen Hopkins, and Edward Tilley.
Wednesday, the 15th of November, they were set ashore, and when they had
ordered themselves in the order of a single file and marched about the
space of a mile, by the sea they espied five or six people with a dog,
coming towards them, who were savages, who when they saw them, ran into
the wood and whistled the dog after them, etc. First they supposed them
to be Master Jones, the master, and some of his men, for they were
ashore and knew of their coming, but after they knew them to be Indians
they marched after them into the woods, lest other of the Indians should
lie in ambush. But when the Indians saw our men following them, they ran
away with might and main and our men turned out of the wood after them,
for it was the way they intended to go, but they could not come near
them. They followed them that night about ten miles by the trace of
their footings, and saw how they had come the same way they went, and at
a turning perceived how they ran up a hill, to see whether they followed
them. At length night came upon them, and they were constrained to take
up their lodging, so they set forth three sentinels, and the rest, some
kindled a fire, and others fetched wood, and there held our rendezvous
that night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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