This ship, called the Fortune, was speedily despatched, laden with good clapboard, as full as she could stow, and two hogsheads of beaver and otter skins, which they had traded in exchange for a few trifling commodities brought with them at first, being otherwise altogether unprovided for trading; nor was there a man among them who had ever seen a beaver skin till they came out, and were instructed by Squanto. The freight was estimated to be worth nearly £500. Mr. Cushman returned with the ship, as Mr. Weston and the rest had commissioned him, for their better information. And neither he nor the settlers doubted that they would receive speedy supplies, considering that, owing to Mr. Cushman’s persuasion, and to letters which they received from the congregation at Leyden, urging them to do so, they agreed to the aforesaid conditions, and signed them. But it proved otherwise, for Mr. Weston, who had made that large promise in his letter, that if all the rest should drop out, he would never quit the business, but would stick to them if they signed the conditions and sent some lading on the ship,—and of this Mr. Cushman was equally confident, confirming it by Mr. Weston’s own words and serious protestations to himself before he left,—all this, I say, proved but wind, for he was the first and only man that forsook them, and that before he had so much as heard of the return of the ship, or knew what had been done. So vain is confidence in man! But of this, more in its place. A letter in answer to that written by Mr. Weston to Mr. Carver was sent from the Governor, of which so much as is pertinent to the thing in hand I will insert here: _Governor Bradford at New Plymouth to Mr. Weston in England_: Sir, Your long letter written to Mr. Carver, and dated July 6th, 1621, I received on November 10th, wherein, after the apology made for yourself, you lay many imputations upon him and us all. Touching him, he is now departed this life, and is at rest in the Lord from all these troubles and incumbrances with which we yet strive. He needs not my apology; for his care and pains were so great for the common good, both ours and yours, that, as it is thought, he thereby oppressed himself and shortened his days; of whose loss we cannot sufficiently complain. At great expense in this adventure I confess you have been, and many losses may sustain; but the loss of his and many other industrious men’s lives cannot be valued at any price. Of the one there may be hope of recovery, but the other no recompense can make good. However, I will not confine myself to general statements, but will deal with your particular charges.