Chapter 21

[145] Now though they had some untowarde persons mixed amongst them from the first, which came out of England, and more afterwards by some of y^e adventurers, as freindship or other affections led them,--though sundrie were gone, some for Virginia, and some to other places,--yet diverse were still mingled amongst them, about whom y^e Gove^r & counsell with other of their cheefe freinds had serious consideration, how to setle things in regard of this new bargen or purchas made, in respecte of y^e distribution of things both for y^e presente and future. For y^e present, excepte peace and union were preserved, they should be able to doe nothing, but indanger to over throw all, now that other tyes & bonds were taken away. Therfore they resolved, for sundrie reasons, to take in all amongst them, that were either heads of families, or single yonge men, that were of abillity, and free, (and able to governe them selvs with meete descretion, and their affairs, so as to be helpfull in y^e comone-welth,) into this partnership or purchass. First, y^ey considered that they had need of men & strength both for defence and carrying on of bussinesses. 2^ly, most of them had borne ther parts in former miseries & wants with them, and therfore (in some sort) but equall to partake in a better condition, if y^e Lord be pleased to give it. But cheefly they saw not how peace would be preserved without so doing, but danger & great disturbance might grow to their great hurte & prejudice other wise. Yet they resolved to keep such a mean in distribution of lands, and other courses, as should not hinder their growth in others coming to them.

So they caled y^e company togeather, and conferred with them, and came to this conclusion, that y^e trade should be managed as before, to help to pay the debts; and all such persons as were above named should be reputed and inrouled for purchasers; single free men to have a single share, and every father of a familie to be alowed to purchass so many shares as he had persons in his family; that is to say, one for him selfe, and one for his wife, and for every child that he had living with him, one. As for servants, they had none, but what either their maisters should give them out of theirs, or their deservings should obtaine from y^e company afterwards. Thus all were to be cast into single shares according to the order abovesaid; and so every one was to pay his part according to his proportion towards y^e purchass, & all other debts, what y^e profite of y^e trade would not reach too; viz. a single man for a single share, a maister of a famalie for so many as he had. This gave all good contente. And first accordingly the few catle which they had were devided, which arose to this proportion; a cowe to 6. persons or shars, & 2. goats to y^e same, which were first equalised for age & goodnes, and then lotted for; single persons consorting with others, as they thought good, & smaler familys likwise; and swine though more [146] in number, yet by y^e same rule. Then they agreed that every person or share should have 20. acres of land devided unto them, besids y^e single acres they had allready; and they appoynted were to begin first on y^e one side of y^e towne, & how farr to goe; and then on y^e other side in like maner; and so to devid it by lotte; and appointed sundrie by name to doe it, and tyed them to certaine ruls to proceed by; as that they should only lay out settable or tillable land, at least such of it as should butt on y^e water side, (as y^e most they were to lay out did,) and pass by y^e rest as refuse and co[=m]une; and what they judged fitte should be so taken. And they were first to agree of y^e goodnes & fitnes of it before the lott was drawne, and so it might as well prove some of ther owne, as an other mans; and this course they were to hould throwout. But yet seekeing to keepe y^e people togither, as much as might be, they allso agreed upon this order, by mutuall consente, before any lots were cast: that whose lotts soever should fall next y^e towne, or most conveninte for nearnes, they should take to them a neigboure or tow, whom they best liked; and should suffer them to plant corne with them for 4. years; and afterwards they might use as much of theirs for as long time, if they would. Allso every share or 20. acers was to be laid out 5. acres in breadth by y^e water side, and 4. acres in lenght, excepting nooks & corners, which were to be measured as y^ey would bear to best advantage. But no meadows were to be laid out at all, nor were not of many years after, because they were but streight of meadow grounds; and if they had bene now given out, it would have hindred all addition to them afterwards; but every season all were appoynted wher they should mowe, according to y^e proportion of catle they had. This distribution gave generally good contente, and setled mens minds. Also they gave y^e Gove^r & 4. or 5. of y^e spetiall men amongst them, y^e houses they lived in; y^e rest were valued & equalised at an indiferent rate, and so every man kept his owne, and he that had a better alowed some thing to him that had a worse, as y^e valuation wente.

Ther is one thing that fell out in y^e begining of y^e winter before, which I have refferred to this place, that I may handle y^e whole matter togeither. Ther was a ship, with many passengers in her and sundrie goods, bound for Virginia. They had lost them selves at sea, either by y^e insufficiencie of y^e maister, or his ilnes; for he was sick & lame of y^e scurvie, so that he could but lye in y^e cabin dore, & give direction; and it should seeme was badly assisted either w^th mate or mariners; or else y^e fear and unrulines of y^e passengers were such, as they made them stear a course betweene y^e southwest & y^e norwest, that they might fall with some land, what soever it was they cared not. For they had been 6. weeks at sea, and had no water, nor beere, nor any woode left, but had burnt up all their emptie caske; only one of y^e company had a hogshead of wine or 2. which was allso allmost spente, so as they feared they should be starved at sea, or consumed with diseases, which made them rune this desperate course. But it plased God that though they came so neare y^e shoulds of Cap-Codd [147] or else ran stumbling over them in y^e night, they knew not how, they came right before a small blind harbore, that lyes about y^e midle of Manamoyake Bay, to y^e southward of Cap-Codd, with a small gale of wind; and about highwater toucht upon a barr of sand that lyes before it, but had no hurte, y^e sea being smoth; so they laid out an anchore. But towards the evening the wind sprunge up at sea, and was so rough, as broake their cable, & beat them over the barr into y^e harbor, wher they saved their lives & goods, though much were hurte with salt water; for w^th beating they had sprung y^e but end of a planke or too, & beat out ther occome; but they were soone over, and ran on a drie flate within the harbor, close by a beach; so at low water they gatt out their goods on drie shore, and dried those that were wette, and saved most of their things without any great loss; neither was y^e ship much hurt, but shee might be mended, and made servisable againe. But though they were not a litle glad that they had thus saved their lives, yet when they had a litle refreshed them selves, and begane to thinke on their condition, not knowing wher they were, nor what they should doe, they begane to be strucken with sadnes. But shortly after they saw some Indians come to them in canows, which made them stand upon their gard. But when they heard some of y^e Indeans speake English unto them, they were not a litle revived, especially when they heard them demand if they were the Gove^r of Plimoths men, or freinds; and y^t they would bring them to y^e English houses, or carry their letters.

They feasted these Indeans, and gave them many giftes; and sente 2. men and a letter with them to y^e Gove^r, and did intreat him to send a boat unto them, with some pitch, and occume, and spiks, w^th divers other necessaries for y^e mending of ther ship (which was recoverable). Allso they besought him to help them with some corne and sundrie other things they wanted, to enable them to make their viage to Virginia; and they should be much bound to him, and would make satisfaction for any thing they had, in any comodities they had abord. After y^e Gove^r was well informed by y^e messengers of their condition, he caused a boate to be made ready, and such things to be provided as they write for; and because others were abroad upon trading, and such other affairs, as had been fitte to send unto them, he went him selfe, and allso carried some trading comodities, to buy them corne of y^e Indeans. It was no season of y^e year to goe withoute y^e Cape, but understanding wher y^e ship lay, he went into y^e bottom of y^e bay, on y^e inside, and put into a crick called Naumskachett, wher it is not much above 2. mile over [148] land to y^e bay wher they were, wher he had y^e Indeans ready to cary over any thing to them. Of his arrivall they were very glad, and received the things to mend ther ship, and other necessaries. Allso he bought them as much corne as they would have; and wheras some of their sea-men were rune away amonge the Indeans, he procured their returne to y^e ship, and so left them well furnished and contented, being very thankfull for y^e curtesies they receaved. But after the Governor thus left them, he went into some other harbors ther aboute and loaded his boat with corne, which he traded, and so went home. But he had not been at home many days, but he had notice from them, that by the violence of a great storme, and y^e bad morring of their ship (after she was mended) she was put a shore, and so beatten and shaken as she was now wholy unfitte to goe to sea. And so their request was that they might have leave to repaire to them, and soujourne with them, till they could have means to convey them selves to Virginia; and that they might have means to tr[=a]sport their goods, and they would pay for y^e same, or any thing els wher with y^e plantation should releeve them. Considering their distres, their requests were granted, and all helpfullnes done unto them; their goods transported, and them selves & goods sheltered in their houses as well as they could.

The cheefe amongst these people was one M^r. Fells and M^r. Sibsie, which had many servants belonging unto them, many of them being Irish. Some others ther were y^t had a servante or 2. a peece; but y^e most were servants, and such as were ingaged to the former persons, who allso had y^e most goods. Affter they were hither come, and some thing setled, the maisters desired some ground to imploye ther servants upon; seing it was like to be y^e latter end of y^e year before they could have passage for Virginia, and they had now y^e winter before them; they might clear some ground, and plant a crope (seeing they had tools, & necessaries for y^e same) to help to bear their charge, and keep their servants in imployment; and if they had opportunitie to departe before the same was ripe, they would sell it on y^e ground. So they had ground appointed them in convenient places, and Fells & some other of them raised a great deall of corne, which they sould at their departure. This Fells, amongst his other servants, had a maid servante which kept his house & did his household affairs, and by the intimation of some that belonged unto him, he was suspected to keep her, as his concubine; and both of them were examined ther upon, but nothing could be proved, and they stood upon their justification; so with admonition they were dismiste. But afterward it appeard she was with child, so he gott a small boat, & ran away with her, for fear of punishmente. First he went to Cap-Anne, and after into y^e bay of y^e Massachussets, but could get no passage, and had like to have been cast away; and was forst to come againe and submite him selfe; but they pact him away & those that belonged unto him by the first oppertunitie, and dismiste all the rest as soone as could, being many untoward people amongst them; though ther were allso some that caried them selves very orderly all y^e time they stayed. And the [149] plantation had some benefite by them, in selling them corne & other provisions of food for cloathing; for they had of diverse kinds, as cloath, perpetuanes, & other stuffs, besids hose, & shoes, and such like co[=m]odities as y^e planters stood in need of. So they both did good, and received good one from another; and a cuple of barks caried them away at y^e later end of so[=m]er. And sundrie of them have acknowledged their thankfullnes since from Virginia.

That they might y^e better take all convenient opportunitie to follow their trade, both to maintaine them selves, and to disingage them of those great sumes which they stood charged with, and bound for, they resoloved to build a smale pinass at Manamet, a place 20. mile from y^e plantation, standing on y^e sea to y^e southward of them, unto which, by an other creeke on this side, they could cary their goods, within 4. or 5. miles, and then tr[=a]sport them over land to their vessell; and so avoyd the compasing of Cap-Codd, and those deangerous shoulds, and so make any vioage to y^e southward in much shorter time, and with farr less danger. Also for y^e saftie of their vessell & goods, they builte a house their, and kept some servants, who also planted corne, and reared some swine, and were allwayes ready to goe out with y^e barke when ther was occasion. All which tooke good effecte, and turned to their profite.

They now sent (with y^e returne of y^e ships) M^r. Allerton againe into England, giveing him full power, under their hands & seals, to conclude the former bargaine with y^e adventurers; and sent ther bonds for y^e paimente of the money. Allso they sent what beaver they could spare to pay some of their ingagementes, & to defray his chargs; for those deepe interests still kepte them low. Also he had order to procure a patente for a fitt trading place in y^e river of Kenebec; for being emulated both by the planters at Pascataway &, other places to y^e eastward of them, and allso by y^e fishing ships, which used to draw much profite from y^e Indeans of those parts, they threatened to procure a grante, & shutte them out from thence; espetially after they saw them so well furnished with co[=m]odities, as to carie the trade from them. They thought it but needfull to prevente such a thing, at least that they might not be excluded from free trade ther, wher them selves had first begune and discovered the same, [=a]d brought it to so good effecte. This year allso they had letters, and messengers from y^e Dutch-plantation, sent unto them from y^e Gov^r ther, writen both in Dutch & French. The Dutch had traded in these southerne parts, diverse years before they came; but they begane no plantation hear till 4. or 5. years after their coming, and here begining. Ther letters were as followeth. It being their maner to be full of complementall titles.

Eedele, Eerenfeste Wyse Voorsinnige Heeren, den G[)o]veerne[)u]r, ende Raeden in Nieu-Pliem[)u]en residerende; onse seer Goede vrinden den directe[)u]r ende Raed van Nieu-Nederlande, wensen v[)w]e Edn: eerenfesten, ende wijse voorsinnige gel[)u]ck salichitt [gelukzaligheid?], In Christi Jesu onsen Heere; met goede voorspoet, ende gesonthijt, naer siele, ende lichaem. Amen.[CE]

The rest I shall render in English, leaving out the repetition of superfluous titles.

[150] We have often before this wished for an opportunitie or an occasion to congratulate you, and your prosperous and praise-worthy undertakeings, and Government of your colony ther. And the more, in that we also have made a good begining to pitch y^e foundation of a collonie hear; and seeing our native countrie lyes not farr from yours, and our forefathers (diverse hundred years agoe) have made and held frendship and alliance with your ancestours, as sufficently appears by y^e old contractes, and entrecourses, confirmed under y^e hands of kings & princes, in y^e pointe of warr & trafick; as may be seene and read by all y^e world in y^e old chronakles. The which are not only by the king now reigning confirmed, but it hath pleased his majesty, upon mature deliberation, to make a new covenante, (and to take up armes,) with y^e States Generall of our dear native country, against our commone enemie the Spaniards, who seeke nothing else but to usurpe and overcome other Christian kings and princes lands, that so he might obtaine and possess his pretended monarchic over all Christendom; and so to rule and co[=m]and, after his owne pleasure, over y^e consciences of so many hundred thousand sowles, which God forbid.

And also seeing it hath some time since been reported unto us, by some of our people, that by occasion came so farr northward with their shalop, and met with sundry of y^e Indeans, who tould them that they were within halfe a days journey of your plantation, and offered ther service to cary letters unto you; therfore we could not forbear to salute you with these few lines, with presentation of our good will and servise unto you, in all frendly-kindnes & neighbourhood. And if it so fall out that any goods that comes to our hands from our native countrie, may be serviceable unto you, we shall take our selves bound to help and acco[=m]adate you ther with; either for beaver or any other wares or marchandise that you should be pleased to deale for. And if in case we have no co[=m]odity at present that may give you contente, if you please to sell us any beaver, or otter, or such like comodities as may be usefull for us, for ready money, and let us understand therof by this bearer in writing, (whom we have apoynted to stay 3. or 4. days for your answer,) when we understand your minds therin, we shall depute one to deale with you, at such place as you shall appointe. In y^e mean time we pray the Lord to take you, our honoured good freinds and neighbours, into his holy protection.

By the appointment of y^e Gov^r and Counsell, &c.

ISAAK DE RASIER, Secrectaris.

From y^e Manhatas, in y^e fort Amsterdam, March 9. An^o: 1627.

To this they returned answer as followeth, on y^e other side.

[151] To the Honoured, &c.

The Gove^r & Counsell of New-Plim: wisheth, &c. We have received your leters, &c. wherin appeareth your good wills & frendship towards us; but is expresed w^th over high titls, more then belongs to us, or is meete for us to receive. But for your good will, and congratulations of our prosperitie in these smale beginings of our poore colonie, we are much bound unto you, and with many thanks doe acknowledg y^e same; taking it both for a great honour done unto us, and for a certaine testimoney of your love and good neighbourhood.

Now these are further to give your Wor^pps to understand, that it is to us no smale joye to hear, that his majestie hath not only bene pleased to confirme y^t ancient amitie, aliance, and frendship, and other contracts, formerly made & ratified by his predecessors of famous memorie, but hath him selfe (as you say) strengthened the same with a new-union the better to resist y^e prid of y^t co[=m]one enemy y^e Spaniard, from whose cruelty the Lord keep us both, and our native countries. Now forasmuch as this is sufficiente to unite us togeather in love and good neighbourhood, in all our dealings, yet are many of us further obliged, by the good and curteous entreaty which we have found in your countrie; haveing lived ther many years, with freedome, and good contente, as also many of our freinds doe to this day; for which we, and our children after us, are bound to be thankfull to your Nation, and shall never forgett y^e same, but shall hartily desire your good & prosperity, as our owne, for ever.

Likwise for your freindly tender, & offer to aco[=m]odate and help us with any comodities or marchandise you have, or shall come to you, either for beaver, otters, or other wares, it is to us very acceptable, and we doubte not but in short time we may have profitable co[=m]erce & trade togeather. But for this year we are fully supplyed with all necessaries, both for cloathing and other things; but hereafter it is like we shall deale with you, if your rates be reasonable. And therfore when you please to send to us againe by any of yours, we desire to know how you will take beaver, by y^e pounde, & otters, by y^e skine; and how you will deale per cent. for other comodities, and what you can furnishe us with. As likwise what other commodities from us may be acceptable unto you, as tobaco, fish, corne, or other things, and what prises you will give, &c.

Thus hoping that you will pardon & excuse us for our rude and imperfecte writing in your language, and take it in good parte, because [152] for wante of use we cannot so well express that we understand, nor hapily understand every thing so fully as we should. And so we humbly pray the Lord for his mercie sake, that he will take both us and you into his keeping & gratious protection.

By y^e Gove^r and Counsell of New-Plimoth, Your Wor^pps very good freinds & neigbours, &c.

New-Plim: March 19.

After this ther was many passages betweene them both by letters and other entercourse; and they had some profitable commerce togither for diverce years, till other occasions interrupted y^e same, as may happily appear afterwards, more at large.

Before they sent M^r. Allerton away for England this year, y^e Gove^r and some of their cheefe freinds had serious consideration, not only how they might discharge those great ingagments which lay so heavily upon them, as is affore mentioned, but also how they might (if possiblie they could) devise means to help some of their freinds and breethren of Leyden over unto them, who desired so much to come to them, [=a]d they desired as much their company. To effecte which, they resolved to rune a high course, and of great adventure, not knowing otherwise how to bring it aboute. Which was to hire y^e trade of y^e company for certaine years, and in that time to undertake to pay that 1800^li. and all y^e rest of y^e debts that then lay upon y^e plantation, which was aboute some 600^li. more; and so to set them free, and returne the trade to y^e generalitie againe at y^e end of y^e terme. Upon which resolution they called y^e company togeither, and made it clearly appear unto all what their debts were, and upon what terms they would undertake to pay them all in such a time, and sett them clear. But their other ends they were faine to keepe secrete, haveing only privatly acquaynted some of their trusty freinds therwith; which were glad of y^e same, but doubted how they would be able to performe it. So after some agitation of the thing w^th y^e company, it was yeelded unto, and the agreemente made upon y^e conditions following.

Articles of agreemente betweene y^e collony of New-Pli[=m]oth of y^e one partie, and William Bradford, Captein Myles Standish, Isaack Allerton, &c. one y^e other partie; and shuch others as they shall thinke good to take as partners and undertakers with them, concerning the trade for beaver & other furrs & comodities, &c.; made July, 1627.

First, it is agreed and covenanted betweexte y^e said parties, that y^e afforsaid William Bradford, Captain Myl Standish, & Isaack Allerton, &c. have undertaken, and doe by these presents, covenante and agree to pay, discharge, and acquite y^e said collony of all y^e debtes both due for y^e purchass, or any other belonging to them, at y^e day of y^e date of these presents.