Bradford's History of 'Plimoth Plantation': From the Original Manuscript. With a Report of the Proceedings Incident to the Return of the Manuscript to MassachusettsBradford, William
History
Bradford's History of 'Plimoth Plantation': From the Original Manuscript. With a Report of the Proceedings Incident to the Return of the Manuscript to Massachusetts
Bradford, William
Massachusetts -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
They now begane to dispatch y^e ship away which brought them over, which
lay tille aboute this time, or y^e begining of Aprill. The reason on
their parts why she stayed so long, was y^e necessitie and danger that
lay upon them, for it was well towards y^e ende of Desember before she
could land any thing hear, or they able to receive any thing ashore.
Afterwards, y^e 14. of Jan: the house which they had made for a generall
randevoze by casulty fell afire, and some were faine to retire abord for
shilter. Then the sicknes begane to fall sore amongst them, and y^e
weather so bad as they could not make much sooner any dispatch. Againe,
the Gov^r & cheefe of them, seeing so many dye, and fall downe sick
dayly, thought it no wisdom to send away the ship, their condition
considered, and y^e danger they stood in from y^e Indeans, till they
could procure some shelter; and therfore thought it better to draw some
more charge upon them selves & freinds, then hazard all. The m^r. and
sea-men likewise, though before they hasted y^e passengers a shore to be
goone, now many of their men being dead, & of y^e ablest of them, (as is
before noted,) and of y^e rest many lay sick & weake, y^e m^r. durst not
put to sea, till he saw his men begine to recover, and y^e hart of
winter over.
Afterwards they (as many as were able) began to plant ther corne, in
which servise Squanto stood them in great stead, showing them both y^e
maner how to set it, and after how to dress & tend it. Also he tould
them excepte they gott fish & set with it (in these old grounds) it
would come to nothing, and he showed them y^t in y^e midle of Aprill
they should have store enough come up y^e brooke, by which they begane
to build, and taught them how to take it, and wher to get other
provissions necessary for them; all which they found true by triall &
experience. Some English seed they sew, as wheat & pease, but it came
not to good, eather by y^e badnes of y^e seed, or latenes of y^e season,
or both, or some other defecte.
[62] In this month of _Aprill_ whilst they were bussie about their seed,
their Gov^r (M^r. John Carver) came out of y^e feild very sick, it being
a hott day; he complained greatly of his head, and lay downe, and within
a few howers his sences failed, so as he never spake more till he dyed,
which was within a few days after. Whoss death was much lamented, and
caused great heavines amongst them, as ther was cause. He was buried in
y^e best maner they could, with some vollies of shott by all that bore
armes; and his wife, being a weak woman, dyed within 5. or 6. weeks
after him.
Shortly after William Bradford was chosen Gove^r in his stead, and being
not yet recoverd of his ilnes, in which he had been near y^e point of
death, Isaak Allerton was chosen to be an Asistante unto him, who, by
renewed election every year, continued sundry years togeather, which I
hear note once for all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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