Soon after the first purchase abovementioned, and previous to the procuring of this charter, Mr. John Endicott, who was one of the company, was sent over with a few men (in June, 1628) and uniting his own men with those formerly in the country, they made up in all not much above fifty or sixty persons. Another supply was sent over in the spring of 1629, which consisted of three hundred and eighty-six men, women, maids and children. They arrived in June. The Rev. Francis Higginson was a principal member of this last company. They found but six houses built, besides that of Mr. Endicott, at which Mr. Higginson was kindly entertained.*

About a hundred of this party, under the conduct of Mr. Thomas Graves, soon removed to Charlestown, where a small settlement was already made. By Mr. Endicott's permission, three brothers, of the name of Ralph, Richard, and William Sprague, had started from Salem, in the preceding summer, with three or four more, to explore the country westward; and after travelling above twelve miles through the woods, they light on a neck of land, called by the Indians, Mishawum. Their old sachem being dead, his eldest son John Sagamore was chief in power. He is described as a man of gentle and good disposition, and freely consented to their settling there. Probably he was the more readily induced to this, by the good conduct, and the advantages he derived from the skill of Thomas Walford, a blacksmith, who had previously taken up his residence, and built himself a house, which he had thatched and palisadoed, at the south end of the west hill, not far from the river. Both the town and river received their name in honour of the king.

The success, which now attended the plantation, encouraged the company to persevere and several of the principal members entered into an agreement to remove with themselves and families, provided the whole government, together with the patent, might first be legally transferred and established, to remain with them and others who should be inhabitants therein. The proposal of this measure occasioned considerable debate; and it was finally adopted, both for the sake of avoiding the inconveniences attending the administration of the government, at such a distance, and also for the sake of inducing gentlemen of wealth and quality to embark in the expedition, with their property and families. This was an act of great political importance. Neither the advocates, nor the opposers of it, could have truly estimated its magnitude,

* In 1628, the Plymouth people, having obtained a patent for Kennebeck, where they had traded for two years in conjunction with David Thompson, erected a house up the river in a convenient place for business.-Prince.

Hutch. Coll. p. 25.

or have foreseen the great events, which it ultimately produ

ced.

This alteration in the management of the company affairs, was made in August 1629, and on the 20th of October following, a special court was held for the purpose of electing a new Governour, deputy and assistants, who should be willing to remove. Mr. John Winthrop was chosen for the Governour, and Mr. Humphrey for the deputy, to hold their places for a year; but Mr. Humphrey, not being likely to be ready to sail, when the rest expected to be, Mr. Thomas Dudley was afterwards chosen in his stead.

Preparations then began to be made with vigour, for the embarkation of a great colony. The Company appointed ten persons,* as undertakers, who after much intreaty, accepted the charge of the management of the stock, and were ordered to provide a sufficient number of vessels, for the transportation of passengers and goods. Accordingly, by the end of February, 1630, a fleet of fourteen sail was furnished with men, women, children, all necessaries, men of handicrafts, and others of good condition, wealth and quality, to make a firm Plantation.t

In this fleet were congregated our fathers, with their wives and their little ones, about to quit forever their native country, kindred, friends and acquaintance. Let us pause a moment, and mingle our sympathy with their sorrows, as hand in hand we see them lead each other to the sandy banks of the brinish ocean.'

6

They were about to leave the land of their fathers' sepulchres, perhaps forever; to break asunder those cords of affection, which so powerfully bind a good man to his native soil; and to dissolve those tender associations which constitute the bliss of civil society. In ordinary cases, the pain of separation is lessened by the promises of hope-the pleasure of another interview; but here adieu, to most of them at least, was to be the last, like the final farewell to a departing spirit.'

Messrs.

Of whom five were to remain in England, and five to go with the colony. Winthrop, Dudley, Johnson, Saltonstall and John Revel were the five that came over-Eliot. Biog. Dict. Johnson.

↑ Prince.

CHAPTER V.

"Westward the star of empire rolls its way."

THE fleet above mentioned all sailed before the end of May, and reached America in safety. The first vessel that arrived was the Mary-John, which brought over the Rev. Messrs. John Warham and John Maverick, with many godly families and people, under their care, from Devonshire, Dorsetshire, and Somersetshire, together with Messrs. Edward Rossiter and Roger Ludlow, two of the assistants, and Roger Clap, who was afterwards captain of the castle in Boston harbour. They had some difficulty on the passage, with the master of the vessel, Capt. Squibb, who, like a merciless man, put them and their goods ashore on Nantasket point, notwithstanding his engagement was to bring them up Charles river. They succeeded, however, in obtaining a boat from some of the old planters; and having laden her with goods, and manned her with some able men well armed, (not more than ten, under Captain Southcot, a brave low country soldier) they went up towards Charlestown. There they found some wigwams, a few English people, and one English house. They continued their course up the river till it became narrow and shallow, which is at Watertown, where they landed their goods with much labour on a steep bank. At evening they were much alarmed with information, that there was a body of three hundred savages encamped near by them. Fortunately they had been accompanied from Charlestown by an old planter, who knew enough of the Indian tongue and Indian disposition, to succeed in persuading them not to molest the party during the night. In the morning, some of the savages made their appearance, but stood awhile at a distance at last one of them held out a bass, and the English sent a man with a biscuit, to exchange for it; and thus commenced a friendly intercourse. A shelter for their goods was erected at the place, but they did not long remain there, for their companions discovered a neck of land* fit to keep cattle upon, adjoining Mattapan, (Dorchester,) and these were ordered to join them.

This all took place before the fourteenth of June, on which day the admiral of the New England fleet arrived in Salem

* This neck of land included what is now called South Boston.

harbour. In the vessel which bore that distinction, Gov. Winthrop and Mr. Isaac Johnson came passengers, and the Governour has left us, in his journal, a circumstantial account of the voyage, from which we select the following particulars. On Monday, March 29, 1630, they were riding at the Cowes, near the Isle of Wight, in the Arabella (for so they called the Eagle, in honour of the Lady Arabella, wife of Mr. Johnson) a ship of three hundred and fifty tons, Capt. Peter Milbourne, manned with fifty-two seamen, and carrying twenty-eight guns. The Ambrose, Jewel, and Talbot were riding by their side. On that day it was agreed, that, forasmuch as it was uncertain when the rest of the fleet would be ready, these four ships should consort together, the Arabella to be admiral, Talbot vice admiral, Ambrose rear admiral, and the Jewel a captain.

*

On

By head winds and other causes they were detained a week, during which they improved one day as a fast. the 8th of April, about six in the morning, the wind being E. and by N. and fair weather, we weighed anchor and set sail. By daylight on the 9th we were come to Portland, but the other ships not being able to hold up with us, we were forced to spare our mainsail, and went on with a merry gale. In the morning we descried, from the top, eight sail astern of us, and supposing they might be Dunkirkers, our captain caused the gun room and gun deck to be cleared, all the hammocks taken down, our ordnance loaded, powder chests and fire works made ready, and our landsmen were quartered among the seamen, twenty-five appointed musketeers, and every man assigned to his post. The wind continued N. with fair weather, and after noon it calmed, and we still saw those eight ships to stand towards us. Having more wind than we, they came up again, so that our captain and the masters of our consorts were more occasioned to think they might be Dunkirkers! for we were told at Yarmouth there were ten sail of them waiting for us! Whereupon we all prepared to fight with them; took down some cabins which were in the way of our guns, threw out of every ship such bed matters as were subject to fire, hove out our long boat, and put up our waste cloths, and drew forth our men, and armed them with muskets and other weapons, and instruments for fireworks; and for an experiment, our captain shot a ball of wildfire, fastened to an arrow, out of a cross-bow, which burnt in the water a good time. The Lady Arabella, and the other

* Dunkirk was then a part of the Spanish Netherlands, and war existed between Great Britain and Spain.

women and children, were removed into the lower deck, that they might be out of danger.

It was

All things being thus fitted, we went to prayer. much to see how cheerful and comfortable all the company appeared; not a woman or child that showed fear, though all did apprehend the danger to be great; for there had been eight against four, and the least of the enemy's ships was reputed to carry thirty brass pieces: but our trust was in the Lord of hosts and the courage of our captain, and his care and diligence, did much encourage us.

:

It was now about one of the clock, and the fleet seemed to be within a league of us; therefore the captain, because he would show he was not afraid of them, and that he might see the issue before night, tacked about and stood to meet them, and when we came within hail, we perceived them to be our friends and so, God be praised, our fear and danger was turned into mirth and friendly entertainment.

The weather during the remainder of the voyage was variable, sometimes mild, and sometimes boisterous. The passengers, as may well be supposed, suffered from sea-sickness, and that contributed to the amusement of the hardy sailors. 'Our children and others that were sick, and lay groaning in the cabins, we fetched out, and having a rope stretched from the steerage to the mainmast, we made them stand, some on one side and some on the other, and swing it up and down till they were weary, and by this means they soon grew well and merry. The captain set our children and grown men to some other harmless exercises, which the seamen were very active in, and which did our people much good, though the sailors would sometimes play the wag with them.'

Very strict attention to religious duties was observed, and the most rigid discipline enforced. On one occasion, two of the landsmen were laid in the bolts all night, for piercing a rundlet of strong water, and stealing some of the same; and the next morning, the principal was openly whipped, and both were kept on bread and water all day. Two young men falling at odds, and fighting, contrary to orders which were set up in the ship, were sentenced to walk upon deck till night, with their hands tied behind them and another man, for using contemptuous speech in our presence,' was laid in bolts, till he made open confession of his offence. A servant of one of the company had made a bargain with a child, to sell him a trinket box worth three pence, for three biscuits a day all the voyage, and the rogue had received about forty, and sold them to his comrades, before he was found out. caused his hands to be tied up to a bar, and hung a basket full of stones about his neck, and so he stood for two hours.'

We