GINIA, doe by these presents solemnly & mutually in the presence of God and one of another, covenant, and combine our selues together into a civill body politike, for our better ordering and preservation, and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by vertue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such iust and equall Lawes, Ordinances, acts, constitutions, offices from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the generall good of the Colony; vnto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witnesse whereof we haue here-vnder subscribed our names, Cape Cod 11th. of November, in the yeare of the reigne of our soveraigne Lord King I AMES, of England, France, and Ireland 18. and of Scotland 54. Anno Domino 16 20.

The same day so soone as we could, we set a-shore 15. or 16. men, well armed, with some to fetch wood, for we had none left; as also to see what the Land was, and what Inhabitants they could · meet with. They found it to be a small neck of Land; on this side where we lay is the Bay, and the further side the Sea; the ground or earth, sand hills, much like the Downes in Holland, but much better; the crust of the earth a Spits depth, excellent blacke earth; all wooded with Okes, Pines, Sassafras, Iuniper, Birch, Holly, Vines, some Ash, Walnut; the wood for the most part open and without vnder-wood, fit either to goe or ride in; at night our people returned, but found not any person, nor habitation, and laded their Boat with Iuniper, which smelled very sweet & strong, and of which we burnt the most part of the time we lay there.

Munday the 13. of November, we vnshipped our Shallop and drew her on land, to mend and repaire her, having bin forced to cut her downe in bestowing her betwixt the decks, and she was much opened with the peoples lying in her, which kept vs long there, for it was 16. or 17. dayes before the Carpenter had finished her; our people went on shore to refresh themselues, and our women to wash, as they had great need; but whilest we lay thus still, hoping our Shallop would be ready in fiue or sixe dayes at the furthest, but our Carpenter made slow worke of it, so that some of our people impatient of delay, desired for our better fur

therance

therance to travaile by Land into the Countrey: which was not without appearance of danger, not having the Shallop with them, nor meanes to carry provision, but on their backes; to see whether it might be fit for vs to seate in or no, and the rather because as we sayled into the Harbour, there seemed to be a river opening it selfe into the maine land; the willingnes of the persons was liked, but the thing it selfe, in regard of the danger was rather permitted than approved, and so with cautions, directions, and instructions, sixteene men were set out with every man his Musket, Sword, and Corslet, vnder the command of Captaine Miles Standish, vnto whom was adioyned for counsell and aduise, William Bradford, Stephen Hopkins, and Edward Tilley.

Wednesday the 15. of November, they were set a shore, and when they had ordered themselues in the order of a single File, and marched about the space of a myle, by the Sea, they espyed fiue or sixe people, with a Dogge, comming towards them, who were Savages, who when they saw them ran into the Wood and whisled the Dogge after them, &c. First, they supposed them to be master Iones, the Master and some of his men, for they were a-shore, and knew of their comming, but after they knew them to be Indians they marched after them into the Woods, least other of the Indians should lie in Ambush; but when the Indians saw our men following them, they ran away with might and mayne and our men turned out of the Wood after them, for it was the way they intended to goe, but they could not come neare them. They followed them that night about ten miles by the trace of their footings, and saw how they had come the same way they went, and at a turning perceived how they run vp an hill, to see whether they followed them. At length night came vpon them, and they were constrained to take vp their lodging, so they set forth three Sentinells, and the rest, some kindled a fire, and others fetched wood, and there held their Randavous that 1620. night. In the morning so soone as we could see the trace, we proceeded on our iourney, and had the tracke vntill we had compassed the head of a long creake, and there they tooke into another wood, and we after them, supposing to finde some of their dwellings; but we marched thorow boughes and bushes, and vnder hills and vallies, which tore our very Armour in peeces,

Nov. 16.

and

and yet could meete with none of them, nor their houses, nor finde any fresh water, which we greatly desired,. and stood in need off, for we brought neither Beere nor Water with vs, and our victuals was onely Bisket and Holland cheese, and a little Bottle of aquavite, so that we were sore a thirst. About ten a clocke we came into a deepe Valley, full of brush, wood-gaile, and long grasse, through which we found little paths or tracts, and there we saw a Deere, and found springs of fresh water, of which we were heartily glad, and sat vs downe and drunke our first New-England water with as much delight as euer we drunke drinke in all our liues. When we had refreshed our selues, we directed our course full South, that we might come to the shore, which within a short while after we did, and there made a fire, that they in the ship might see where wee were (as we had direction) and so marched on towards this supposed River; and as we went in another valley, we found a fine cleere Pond of fresh water, being about a Musket shot broad, and twise as long; there grew also many small vines, and Foule and Deere haunted there; there grew much Sasafras; from thence we went on & founde much plaine ground, about fiftie Acres, fit for the Plow, and some signes where the Indians had formerly planted their

corne.

After this, some thought it best for nearenesse of the river to goe downe and travaile on the Sea sands, by which meanes some of our men were tyred, and lagged behind; so we stayed and gathered them vp, and struck into the Land againe; where we found a little path to certaine heapes of sand, one whereof was covered with old Matts, and had a woodden thing like a morter whelmed on the top of it, and an earthen pot layd in a little hole at the end thereof; we musing what it might be, digged & found a Bow, and, as we thought, Arrowes, but they were rotten; We supposed there were many other things, but because we deemed them graues, we put in the Bow againe and made it vp as it was, and left the rest vntouched, because we thought it would be odious vnto them to ransacke their Sepulchers. We went on further and found new stubble, of which they had gotten Corne this yeare, and many Wallnut trees full of Nuts, and great store of Strawberries, and some Vines; passing thus a field or two, which were

not great, we came to another, which had also bin new gotten, and there we found where an house had beene, and foure or fiue old Plankes layed together; also we found a great Ketle, which had beene some Ships ketle and brought out of Europe; there was also an heape of sand, made like the former, but it was newly done, (we might see how they had padled it with their hands,) which we digged vp, and in it we found a little old Basket full of faire Indian Corne, and digged further & found a fine great new Basket full of very faire corne of this yeare, with some 36. goodly eares of corne, some yellow, and some red, and others mixt with blew, which was a very goodly sight; the Basket was round, and narrow at the top, it held about three or foure Bushels, which was as much as two of vs could lift vp from the ground, and was very handsomely and cunningly made; But whilst wee were busie about these things, we set our men Sentinell in a round ring, all but two or three which digged vp the corne. We were in suspence, what to do with it, and the Ketle, and at length after much consultation, we concluded to take the Ketle, and as much of the Corne as we could carry away with vs; and when our Shallop came, if we could find any of the people, and come to parley with them, we would giue them the Ketle againe, and satisfie them for their Corne, so wee tooke all the eares and put a good deale of the loose Corne in the Ketle for two men to bring away on a staffe; besides, they that could put any into their Pockets filled the same; the rest wee buried againe, for we were so laden with Armour that we could carry no more.

Not farre from this place we found the remainder of an old Fort, or Palizide, which as we conceiued had beene made by some Christians: this was also hard by that place which we thought had beene a river, vnto which wee went and found it so to be, deviding it selfe into two armes by an high banke, standing right by the cut or mouth which came from the Sea; that which was next vnto vs was the lesse, the other arme was more then twise as big, and not vnlike to be an harbour for ships; but whether it be a fresh river, or onely an indraught of the Sea, we had no time to discover; for wee had Commandement to be out but two days. Here also we saw two Canoas, the one on the one side, the other on the other side; wee could not beleeue it was

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a Canoa, till we came neare it: so we returned leauing the further discovery hereof to our Shallop, and came that night backe againe to the fresh water pond, and there we made our Randevous that night, making a great fire, and a Baricado to windward of vs, and kept good watch with three Sentinells all night, euery one standing when his turne came, while fiue or sixe inches of Match was burning. It proved a very rainie night. In the morning we tooke our Ketle and sunke it in the pond, and trimmed our Muskets, for few of them would goe off because of the wett, and so coasted the wood againe to come home, in which we were shrewdly pus-led, and lost our way. As we wandred we came to a tree, where a young Spritt was bowed downe over a bow, and some Acornes strewed vnder-neath; Stephen Hopkins sayd, it had beene to catch some Deere, so, as we were looking at it, William Bradford being in the Reare, when he came looked also vpon it, and as he went about, it gaue a sodaine jerk vp, and he was immediately caught by the leg; It was a very pretie devise, made with a Rope of their owne making, and having a noose as artificially made, as any Roper in England can make, and as like ours as can be, which we brought away with vs. In the end wee got out of the Wood, and were fallen about a myle too high aboue the creake, where we saw three Bucks, but we had rather haue had one of them. Wee also did spring three couple of Partridges; and as we came along by the creake, we saw great flocks of wild Geese and Duckes, but they were very fearefull of vs. So we marched some while in the Woods, some while on the sands, and other while in the water vp to the knees, till at length we came neare the Ship, and then we shot off our Peeces, and the long Boat came to fetch vs; master Iones, and master Caruer being on the shore, with many of our people, came to meete vs.

And thus wee came both weary and well-come home, and deliuered in our Corne into the store, to be kept for seed, for wee knew not how to come by any, and therefore were very glad, purposing so soone as we could meete with any of the Inhabitants of that place, to make them large satisfaction. This was our first Discovery, whilst our Shallop was in repairing; our people did make things as fitting as they could, and time would, in seeking out wood, and heluing of Tooles, and sawing of Tymber to build

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