USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Cape Cod, the right arm of Massachusetts : an historical narrative > Part 2
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CAPE COD.
onter one, called Webb's Island, containing about twenty acres, remained nutil about 1720, being resorted to before that time, according to tradition, by the people of Nantucket and other places for wood, with which it was well stocked. Stumps, showing the marks of the axe, are drawn up by the fishermen, or driven ashore by the gales. Sandy or Monomoy Point did not then exist; it was formed by the debris of Gilbert Point. From the Point, Gosnold voyaged westerly, visiting Hyannis harbor and skirting the southerly coast of the Cape, touching at the islands, finally landing and erecting a trading house at Cuttyhunk, which a few weeks after was abandoned, the entire party sailing for England, with a collection of furs and peltry and sassafras root, the latter of which was then held in great esteem in pharmacy.
The next year after Gosnold's visit, came Martin Pring upon the coast, searching for sassafras, which for some time thereafter was in great request by the old-time pharmacists ; but Pring left no accessible accounts of what he saw and heard, for the enlightenment of posterity.
The most valuable and scientific explorations of this coast in the early part of the seventeenth century were made under the auspices of the French government, by Champlain and De Monts, but strange to say, neither Bancroft nor Palfrey refer to them, and Holmes, Barry and Hildreth only incidentally, without giving an account of their work in delineating the coast of New England. Champlain was a skilful navigator, a man of science, and geographer to the King of France, and erossed the Atlantic about twenty times. He was engaged between Nova Scotia and Cape Cod, observing the land and its inhabitants and making a map of the coast, from May, 1604, to September, 1607. Cape Cod harbor was visited by De Monts and Champlain
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THE FIRST EXPLORERS.
in 1605, and the next year was further explored by Poitrin- court and Champlain. In his map Cape Cod is called Cape Blanc (i. e. Cape White) from the color of its sand hills. Champlain, in the account of his "voyages," gave separate charts and soundings of two harbors-Malle Barre, the Bad Bar (Nauset Harbor?) and Port Fortune, Chatham Harbor. By his own account Champlain arrived off Chatham Oct. 2, 1606. His boat, which he sent on shore, could not land, by reason of the breakers, but the Indians launched a canoe and came on board. The next morning, piloted by the Indians, he entered the harbor, but found difficulty of navigation among the shoals of Monomoy. The vessel struck the bottom, broke her rudder, and was in peril. "Finally," he says, "we succeeded by the grace of God, in passing over a point of sand which juts out into the sea three leagues to the S. S. E., a very dangerous place. We were involved in such fashion among the breakers and sand-banks that it was necessary to pass at all hazards." Finding a smooth place they anchored and sent a boat with men to look out a channel. After "considering the place," the boat returned with a savage, and favorable news. They immediately got under way, and were piloted by the savage to a place where they cast anchor in a roadstead having six fathoms of water and good bottom. The next day marks. were put up on the sand, and at high water they run in at what is now known as Harding's Beach Point, and anchored in two fathoms of water. In view of the perils they had passed they called the place Port Fortune. This is now that portion of Chatham coast known as Stage Harbor.
Fifteen days were spent in this place, a cross was erected, and possession taken in the name of the King of France. Their intercourse with the natives had up to this time been friendly and without apprehension of danger. When the
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CAPE COD.
repairs of the bark were completed, Poitrincourt walked a short distance into the interior, while his people were baking bread for the coming voyage. In his absence some of the natives went to the encampment of the French, stole a hatchet, and guns were fired, and they fled. Poitrincourt, on his return from his expedition inland, saw the Indians carrying away their children and other indications of excite- ment and preparation. This created suspicions, which were verified the next morning by the discharge among the company of a shower of arrows, killing two and wounding several. The Indians then fled, and pursuit was considered useless. The dead were buried at the foot of a cross; but whilst the funeral service was being performed, the Indians were seen dancing and yelling in concert, at a convenient distance away. After the French had retired to their bark, the Indians took down the cross, and dug up the bodies, stripping them of their grave clothes, which they carried about in mock triumph. Poitrincourt then attempted to pass further around the Cape, but was driven back by adverse winds, to his former anchorage. The Indians now seemed pacifically inclined, and made proffers of trade ; whereupon six or seven of them were seized by the French and executed. They again left the harbor, and sailed southerly, discovering an island, probably Nantucket or Martha's Vine- yard. With his wounded men, whose lives he considered in peril, he sailed away for Port Royal, relinquishing his designs for forming a settlement.
That Capt. Henry Hudson, when in the employ of the Dutch East India company, "discovered" Cape Cod and landed upon some part of it, rests upon the authority of the journal of his voyage. What portion of the Cape he visited and how long he remained, is not known.
In 1614, the famous Capt. John Smith visited the coast,
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THE FIRST EXPLORERS.
and in his "Description of New England," printed ten years later, after speaking of Accomack, since called Plymouth, he says : "Cape Cod is the next which presents itself, which is only a headland of hills of sand, overgrown with scrubby pines, hurts (i. e., whorts or whortleberries) and such trash, but an excellent harbor for all weathers. This Cape is made by the main sea on the one side, and a great bay on the other, in the form of a sickle. On it doth inhabit the people of Pawmet, and in the bottom of the bay those of Chawum" (Barnstable or Yarmouth). Smith's ships appear to have made as thorough an exploration of the inside of the Cape as Champlain did of the outside, but, like Champlain, his important work on this coast has escaped the notice of the standard historians of the United States. To one of Smith's subordinates, Capt. Hunt, who commanded one of the vessels of his fleet, is due an act of aggressive hostility which was a fruitful source of difficulty and danger to those who subsequently visited these shores. Hunt, while at Nauset, perfidiously inveigled a company of natives on board his vessel, and setting sail, carried them to Malaga, where they were sold into slavery, at twenty pounds per head. It was many years before the Indians forgot this act of perfidy, and Hunt's unoffending successors had to atone for his bad faith and treachery.
Other adventurers, both French and English, explored the coast of New England, from 1616 to 1619, and found a terrible pestilence raging among the natives, many places which had been populous now being depopulated, thus interrupting trade, which was beginning to be active between the natives and the traders of other nationalities. One of Sir Ferdinando Gorges's ships, commanded by Capt. Thomas Dermer, in 1619, found many places before populous, now uninhabited. Capt. Dermer brought with
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CAPE COD.
him one of the victims of Hunt's treachery, an Indian named Tisquantum, who afterwards, under the more familiar name of Squanto, became very serviceable to the English settlers. When this savage returned after his exile to his native place, he found all his people dead ! At Monomoyick (Chatham) Dermer was taken prisoner by the Indians, but succeeded in effecting his escape.
CHAPTER III.
THE MAYFLOWER'S COMPANY AND THEIR EXPLORATIONS.
The Mayflower in Cape Cod harbor-The Social Compact - First Exploring Expedition-First Drink of New England Water- Discovery of Indian Corn-Second Exploration-Debate of the Scheme of Settling in Truro-Third Expedition-Landing at Billingsgate-The First Encounter-Voyage to and Return from Plymouth-First Birth and First Death - Visit to Nauset in search of Lost Boy-Entertained by Iyanongh-Expeditions to Mono- moyick, Nauset, Manomet-Panic Among the Indians-Deatlı of Iyanough - Wreck of the Sparrowhawk -Trading Post at Manomet -Great Storm of 1635.
N the 11th of November, 1620, old style, as is well known to the English speaking race, the Mayflower, with the Pilgrim Fathers on board, after a boisterous passage of sixty-three days, cast anchor in Provincetown harbor. In Mourt's Relation, in a description of the voyage, from the pen of Bradford, we are told how it appeared to the Pilgrim Fathers : "It is a good harbor and pleasant bay, circled round, except in the entrance, which is about four miles over from land to land, compassed about to the very sea, with oaks, pines, juniper, sassafras, and other sweet wood. It is a harbor wherein a thousand sail of ships may safely ride. There we relieved ourselves with wood and water, and refreshed our people while our shallop was fitted to coast the bay, to search for an habitation; there was the greatest store of fowl that ever we saw. And every day
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we saw whales playing hard by us, of which, in that place, if we had instruments and means to take them we might have made a very rich return, which to our great grief, we wanted. Our master and his mate, and others experienced in fishing, professed that we might have made three or four thousand pounds worth of oil; they preferred it before Greenland whale fishing, and purposed the next winter to tish for whale here." Unlike Gosnold, they found no cod,
THE MAYFLOWER.
nor other fish. He continues the narrative : "The bay was so round and circling that before we could come to anchor we went round all the points of the compass. We could not come near the shore by three-quarters of an English mile, because of shallow water, which was a great prejudice to us, for our people going on shore were forced to wade a bow-shoot or two in going aland, which caused many to get colds and coughs, for it was many times
MAYFLOWER COMPANY AND THEIR EXPLORATIONS. 21
freezing cold weather." He afterwards says, "It brought much sickness amongst us," and doubtless led to some of the deaths which occurred in Plymouth.
Before the Mayflower came to anchor, observing that some, who were not of the Leyden company, were not disposed to acknowledge that any authority existed for governing them, as the place of landing was not within the limits of the patent of Virginia, "it was thought good that we (they) should combine together in one body, and to submit to such government and governors as we should hy common consent agree to make and choose," after solemnly invoking the throne of grace, they entered into the following compact, to which forty-one persons, including all the males of age, subscribed, as a basis of government :
In the name of God, Amen.
We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord King James, by the grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, defender of the faith, etc., having undertaken for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith, and the honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid : and by virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which we promise all dne submission and obedience.
In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of
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the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, Anno Domini 1620.
Mr. JOHN CARVER.
WM. BRADFORD.
Mr. EDWARD WINSLOW.
JAMES CHILTON.
Mr. WILLIAM BREWSTER.
JOHN CRAXTON.
Mr. ISAAC ALLERTON.
JOHN BILLINGTON.
Capt. MILES STANDISH.
JOHN ALDEN.
JOHN GOODMAN. DEGORY PRIEST.
Mr. SAMUEL FULLER.
Mr. CHRISTOPHER MARTIN.
THOMAS WILLIAMS.
Mr. WILLIAM MULLINS.
GILBERT WINSLOW.
Mr. WILLIAM WHITE.
EDMUND MARGESON.
Mr. RICHARD WARREN.
PETER BROWN.
JOHN HOWLAND.
RICHARD BRITTERIDGE.
Mr. STEPHEN HOPKINS.
GEORGE SOULE.
EDWARD TILLY.
RICHARD CLARKE.
JOHN TILLY.
RICHARD GARDINER.
FRANCIS COOKE.
JOHN ALLERTON.
THOMAS ROGERS.
THOMAS ENGLISH.
THOMAS TINKER.
EDWARD DOTEY.
JOHN RIDGEDALE.
EDWARD LEISTER.
EDWARD FULLER.
JOHN TURNER. FRANCIS EATON.
MOSES FLETCHER.
Much has been written by speculative theorists, in relation to this simple act of the Pilgrim adventurers, who probably did not imagine they were performing a part which by posterity would be regarded as a new departure in the science of self-government. Their action was so simple and unpretentious, and grew so naturally out of their posi- tion and necessities that it did not require elaborate explana- tion. But its results cannot be overestimated. "This,"
PROVINCETOWN
--
CAPE COD HARGOR
TH round
בחשחז אדנפל
E
LEET
............
WELLFLEET BAY
EASTNAM
ORLEANS
-------
PROBABLE LOCALITIES AS DESCRIBED IN "MOURT'S RELATION."
a Place where the women washed. b Where they saw the Indians and the dog. e Woods into which the Indians ran, d Hill which the Indians ran np. e Where the first expedition spent the first night. f Spring where they drank their first New England water. g Where they built their signal fire. h Where the second night was spent, and the kettle sunk in the pond. i Deer-trap in which Bradford was caught. j " Plaine ground fit for the plow." k First mound opened, which proved to be a grave. 1 Where they dug up the corn, and found the kettle. m Where they saw the two cances, and where the second expedition landed. n Where they found the old palisade. o Where the first night of the second expedition was spent. p Where the second night of the second expedition was spent. q Where the eighteen who re- mained spent the third night. r The place of graves on the "plaine
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says John Quincy Adams, "is perhaps the only instance in human history, of that positive, original social compact, which speculative philosophers have imagined as the only legitimate source of government." Its adoption was followed by the election of John Carver for governor for one year.
The same day, fifteen or sixteen armed men, went on shore to gather wood, and explore the country. They found the place "to be a small neck of land," "the ground sand hills, much like the downs in Holland, but much better, the crust of the earth a spit's depth, excellent black earth all wooded with oaks, pines, sassafras, juniper, birch, holly, vines, some ash, walnut; the wood for the most part open and without underwood, fit either to go or ride in." But they found no human beings, and returned with a boat laden with juniper, "which smelled very sweet and strong."
The next day was the Sabbath, which was kept in the accustomed way by the voyagers. The men commenced the next week's work by landing a shallop, which they had brought with them in sections, while the women went ashore to wash clothes. The work of putting together the shallop progressed so slowly that the more active members of the company became impatient and devised plans for more thoroughly exploring the surrounding country. Capt. Miles Standish and sixteen others, armed and provisioned, set off Dec. 15, on what seemed to be regarded as an expedition attended by some degree of peril. They had proceeded but a little way, when they observed several
ground." s The place of the two houses where they found the deer's heads. t Where the third expedition passed the first night, u The two " becks" that "one might stride over." v Where they found the grampus on the sands. w Place of the palisade of graves "like a churchyard." x "More corn ground" and houses? y Where the third expedition passed the second night, and had the first encounter with the Indians.
MAYFLOWER COMPANY AND THEIR EXPLORATIONS, 25
Indians and a dog coming towards them, but the Indians retreated inward and whistled the dog after them. They followed the Indians, but did not overtake them, and encamped near Stout's Creek, at East Harbor. The next morning they pursued their journey, through thick and tangled nnderbrush, finding no springs for a long time, but at the valley at East Harbor village they record that, with great relish, they partook of the first drink of New England water. They also found land suitable for planting and signs that it had been used for that purpose. They also found mounds which, upon examination, proved to be an Indian burial place. Still further on they found a deposit of corn in baskets and a great kettle, which probably had belonged to some ship. They filled with corn the kettle, and took it away with them; the rest they left as they had found it. Further on they saw two canoes, and "an old fort or palisade, made by some Christians," as they thought. They returned that evening as far as Pond village, where they encamped for the night, having passed as far as Pamet Harbor, in Truro. In the morning they sunk their kettle in- the pond. In pursuing their journey home, William Bradford was caught by the leg in a deer-trap which had been set by the Indians. They reached their vessel after a wearisome march, and delivered their corn into the store to be kept for seed, the chronicler of the voyage saying that they proposed as soon as they could meet any of the owners- to repay them, which to their honor they subsequently did.
The next week was spent in preparing timber for a new boat. The weather was cold and stormy, and they experienced much discomfort in going ashore; having no boat, they wet their feet and contracted "coughs and colds, which afterwards turned to seurvy."
On Monday of the following week twenty-four of the
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CAPE COD.
company in the shallop, and the ship-master and ten of his men in the long boat, set forth for further exploration along the shore. They came to Pamet Harbor again, and discussed the feasibility of the place for a settlement ; but the idea was abandoned, in consideration of " the insufficiency of the place for the accommodation of large vessels and the uncertainty as to the supply of fresh water." During this expedition they again visited the corn deposit from which they had formerly helped themselves, and took what remained there, and also visited a burial place in which they found the remains of a European, as was evidenced by the light color of his hair, besides visiting several of the dwellings of the natives, but withont encountering any of the inhabitants.
Dec. 6th, a third voyage of discovery, the company including Carver, Bradford and others, was commenced. They did not land until they passed Billingsgate Point, and when they reached the shore, they found some Indians cutting up a grampus, who fled on discovering the English. They encamped for the night, and the next day explored the region round about Eastham, discovering a burial place of considerable extent. That night they heard "a great and hideous ery," which caused them to arm, but concluded the noise was made by foxes and wolves. About 5 o'clock in the morning they heard a strange cry, and one of the company being abroad came running in, and cried, "Indians, Indians !" and at once their arrows came flying amongst the company, who hastily seized their arms. The cry of the enemies was dreadful; but after the English had discharged their pieces the Indians retired, except one lusty savage, who stood his ground until after several shots had been fired at him. The English then followed the enemy for about a quarter of a mile, and picked up eighteen
MAYFLOWER COMPANY AND THEIR EXPLORATIONS. 27
"arrows, some of which were headed with brass, harts' horn and eagles' claws. The place where this skirmish occurred was called the "First Encounter." It is situated on the .north side of Great Meadow Creek, in the town of Eastham, not far from the mouth, From this point the voyagers coasted along to Plymouth, passing Barnstable harbor, as Mourt states, in a thick snow-storm, otherwise they might have entered and settled there. Dee. 11, they sounded Plymouth harbor and found it fit for shipping, and having explored the region round about, and finding some fields and running brooks, they deemed the place suitable for settlement, .and returned to the ship with the news of the result of their discovery.
They found upon their return, that Mistress William White had during their absence been delivered of a son, who was called Peregrine, the first child born of English parents "in New England ; and that the wife of William Bradford had fallen overboard and drowned. Besides these occurrences, Edward Thompson died Dec. 8. Thus are recorded the first birth and the first deaths of the colonists, all of these occurring in Cape Cod harbor. On the 15th of Dee. O. S., the Mayflower sailed from Cape Cod harbor for Plymouth, to which place is transferred the interest which attaches to their subsequent history and achievements, in some of which, however, the Cape bore an intimate and important part.
We hear very little more from the Cape for several months after the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. In the following spring, Samoset, whose sudden appearance to the settlers and his greeting, "Welcome, Englishmen !" have so often been commemorated in history and on canvas, gave them the information that the Indians who had attacked them the previous season were the Nansets, who were incensed against the English because of the treachery of Capt. Hunt,
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CAPE COD.
Smith's subordinate, which has already been adverted to. He said that, because of Hunt's conduct, several months before the coming of the Pilgrims, these Indians had put to death three Englishmen who had fallen into their hands, and that two others had averted a like fate by making their escape to Monhegan.
In July, 1621, a boy named John Billington lost his way in the woods near Plymouth, and for a long time search was made for him in vain. Receiving information that he was somewhere on the Cape, an expedition of ten men set forth. in search of him. They put into Barnstable Harbor, where their boat was dry at low water. Secing some Indians a. short distance off, seeking lobsters, they sent forward two Indians who were with them, as interpreters, to communicate the object of the expedition. The Indians told them the boy was at Nauset, and extended an invitation to the English to go ashore and accept their hospitalities, which the visitors did. After the exchange of hostages they sent for their sachem, Iyanongh, who joined them, and who is described. by Winslow, as "a man not exceeding twenty-six years of age, personable, gentle, courteous and fair-conditioned ; . indeed, not like a savage except in his attire. His condition was answerable to his parts, and his cheer plentiful and various." Flere they found an old woman not less than a hundred years old, who was the mother of one of Hunt's victims, and who bewailed in piteous tones the loss of her child, and whom they tried to appease by comforting messages and presents. £ After dinner the expedition proceeded to Nauset, Iyanough and two of his men accom- panying them. Their boat grounded near the Nauset shore, and the Indians came out to meet them; but the English were properly guarded in their intercourse. Aspinet, sachem . of the Nausets, subsequently came to the boat, bringing the
MAYFLOWER COMPANY AND THEIR EXPLORATIONS. 29
'boy who was the object of their seareh, and after the exchange of courtesies, the natives departed. While at Nanset they found the owners of the corn they had helped themselves to the preceding season, and made arrangements to make restitution. Upon the homeward trip they again stopped at Cummaquid with Iyanough, who brought water to them with his own hand, the women and children of his tribe joining hands and dancing before them. Iyanough showed his kindness by taking a runlet and leading the scamen some distance in the dark for water. The men also showed them honor, Iyanough himself taking a bracelet from his neek and hanging it upon the neck of one of the English. The English then started for home, but made little progress, and again returned for water. They were still further enter- tained by Iyanough before their final departure.
Most of the Cape Indians soon after gave in their adhesion to the English, and a good understanding was established. When the ship Fortune arrived at Cape Cod in November of the same year (1621), the Indians brought word of the event to Plymouth before the ship reached there.
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