The final selection of a place for settlement is described as follows: “After our landing and viewing of the places, so well as we could, we came to a conclusion, by most voices, to set on the main land, on the first place, on a high ground, where there is a great deal of land cleared, and hath been planted with corn three or four years ago; and there is a very sweet brook, runs under the hillside, and many delicate springs of as good water as can be drunk, and where we may harbor our shallops and boats exceeding well; and in this brook much good fish in their seasons; on the further side of the river also much corn-ground cleared. In one field is a great hill, on which we point to make a platform, and plant our ordinance, which will command all round about.” “So there we made our rendezvous, and a place for some of our people, about twenty, resolving in the morning to come all ashore and to build houses.” [Illustration: The first building, showing position in relation to Town Brook and Pilgrim Spring] CHAPTER V A New Home From the foregoing the reader will readily recognize Coles Hill and Burial Hill and the site of the first fort, marked now by an appropriate tablet. Also Town Brook and the adjacent spring which has quenched the thirst of many a modern day pilgrim as well as residents of this historic town. [Sidenote: 1621 Sat. Jan. 2 to Sat. Jan. 9] During Dec. 31, and Jan. 1, a violent storm prevailed and it was Saturday, Jan. 2, before work on shore could be started. In the several days following trees were felled, timbers shaped, and work begun on the Common House and the “platform” or fort on the hill. [Sidenote: Mon. Jan. 11 Mon. Jan. 18] Allotments of land were made, first by taking notice of “how many families there were, willing all single men that had not wives, to join with some family as they thought fit, that so we might build fewer houses; which was done and we reduced them to nineteen families.” Friday and Saturday being stormy and Jan. 10 being the Sabbath, work was resumed on Monday, Jan. 11. During this period the greater number were living on the Mayflower which presumably anchored in the lower harbor, necessitated going to and fro and in bad weather seriously interfered with work on shore. It was on Monday, the 18th, that Francis Billington made a visit to the “great sea” as he thought and which he had seen from a tree the week previous. This fine pond of sparkling water “full of fish and fowl” thus derived its name Billington Sea. After some interruptions occasioned by bad weather, work was again resumed on the 19th. “We agreed that every man should build his own house, thinking by that course men would make more haste than working in common.” [Sidenote: Tues. Jan. 19 to Fri. Mar. 26]