Ans: This might seem incomprehensible to those to whom he wrote his letters in England, and who did not know the reason for it; but to him and others it was well understood. The first comers had no allowance at all, but lived on their own corn. Those who came in the Anne the August before, and had to live thirteen months on the provisions they brought, had as good an allowance of meal and peas as would go round. A little while before harvest, when fish and fruits were to be got, they had only 4 lbs., being at liberty to make their own provisions in addition. But some of those who came last, such as the ship-builder, the salt men, and others who were to follow constant employment and had not an hour’s time from their labour to provide food besides their allowance,—such workers had at first 16 lbs. allowed them, and afterwards, when fish and other food could be got, they had 14 lbs., 12 lbs., or some of them 8 lbs., as occasion required. But those who had time to plant corn for themselves, even though they received but 4 lbs. of meal a week from the store, lived better than the others, as was well known. And it must be remembered that Lyford and his family had always the highest allowance. He accused them of many other things in his letters such as of great waste of tools and utensils—though he knew that an honest man was appointed to look after these very things; and of this, when it came to be examined, all the instances he could give was, that he had seen an old hogshead or two fall to pieces, and a broken hoe or two left carelessly in the fields. But he had written such things as these to cast disgrace and prejudice upon them thinking that what came from a minister would pass for true. He told them that Winslow had said that there were not above seven of the adventurers who sought the good of the colony; and he ended by saying that the faction here matched the Jesuits for cunning. Finally he gave his friends advice and directions: 1. First, that the Leyden company (Mr. Robinson and the rest) must still be kept back, or all would be spoiled. Lest any of them should be taken in privately somewhere on the coast of England, as was to be feared, they must change the captain of the ship (Mr. William Pierce), and put someone else in Winslow’s place as agent, or it could not be prevented. 2. He would have such further settlers shipped over as would out-number those here; the private settlers should have votes in all courts and elections, and be free to bear any office; and every private settler should come over as an adventurer, even if he be only a servant, someone else investing the necessary £10, the bill being taken out in the servant’s name, and then assigned to the party whose money it was, proper agreements being drawn between them for the purpose. These things, said he, would be the means of strengthening the private settlers.