Having now no fishing business or other things to attend to besides their trading and planting, they set themselves to follow them with the best industry they could. The settlers finding that their spare corn was a commodity worth six shillings a bushel, spared no pains in sowing it. The Governor and those appointed to manage the trade (for it was still retained for the general benefit, and none were allowed to trade for themselves) co-operated; so, lacking goods to trade with, and hearing that a settlement which had been at Monhegan and belonged to some merchants at Plymouth was to break up, and many useful goods were to be sold, the Governor and Mr. Winslow took a boat and some hands and went there. Mr. David Thomson, who lived at Piscataqua, learning their purpose, took the opportunity to go with them; but lest their competition for the goods should raise the prices, they agreed to buy them all and divide them equally between them. They also bought some goats, which they distributed amongst the colonists as they thought fit in exchange for corn. Their share of the goods came to above £400 sterling. That same spring a French ship had been wrecked at Sagadahoc, containing many Biscay rugs and other commodities, which had fallen into the hands of these people and some fishermen at Damariscove Islands who had been taken into partnership; and these extras increased their share of the purchase to £500. This they made shift to pay for, chiefly with beaver and goods they had got the winter before, and what they had obtained that summer. Mr. Thomson having somewhat exceeded his resources, asked them to relieve him of some of his purchase; but they declined to take any but the French goods, and on the understanding that the merchant who was selling them, and who was a Bristol man, would take their bill to be paid next year; to which both parties agreed. By this means they were well furnished with articles for trading, and were able to take up some of their previous engagement, such as the money raised by Captain Standish and the balance of former debts. With these goods and their corn when harvested they traded profitably, and were able to meet their engagements punctually and get some clothing for the people, and still had some supplies in hand. But soon they began to be emulated, and others went and supplied the Indians with corn, and beat down the price, giving them twice as much as they had done, and under-traded them with other articles too.