USA > Massachusetts > Chronicles of the first planters of the colony of Massachusetts Bay, 1623-1636 > Part 34
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Monday morning, wind still northerly ; a fair, cool day. This morning, about seven of the clock, our seamen struck a great porpoise, and hauled it with ropes into the ship ; for bigness, not much less than a hog of twenty or twenty-five shillings apiece, and not much unlike for shape, with flesh fat and lean, like in color to the fat and lean of a hog ; and being opened upon the deck, had within his entrails, as liver, lights, heart, guts, &c., for all the world like a swine. The seeing of him hauled into the ship, like a swine from the sty to the trestle,1 and opened upon the deck in view of all our com- pany, was wonderful to us all, and marvellous merry sport, and delightful to our women and children. So good was our God unto us, in affording us the day before spiritual refreshing to our souls, and this day morning also delightful recreation to our bodies, at the taking and opening of this huge and strange fish. In the afternoon the Angel Gabriel sent their boat to our ship, to see how we did ; and our mas- ter, Captain Taylor, went aboard the Angel, and took Mathew Michel and me along with him. When
1 Trestle, a frame or support for a table, made triangular, or with three legs.
CHAP. XXII. 1635. June 27. 28. 29.
461
THE WEATHER FAIR AND HOT.
we came thither, we found their passengers that had CHAP. XXII. 1635. June 29.
been seasick now well recovered, the most of them, and two children that had had the small pox well recovered again. We were entreated to stay supper there with their master, &c., and had good cheer, mutton boiled and roasted, roasted turkey, good sack, &c. After which loving and courteous enter- tainment, we took leave, and came aboard the James again at night.
Tuesday, a fair, hot summer day, but small wind. 30. This day we saw with wonder and delight abundance of porpoises, and likewise some grampusses, as big as an ox, puffing and spewing up water as they went by the ship.
Wednesday, a fair, hot summer day ; but the wind July 1.
westerly, so that we gained little that day.
Thursday, rainy in the morning, but in the after- 2.
noon fair and clear ; but little wind all day.
Friday, wind strong at southward. We were carried on apace, after eight or nine leagues a watch, as the seamen conceived ; (a watch is four hours, a league is three miles.) This day some few of the weakest passengers had some small remembrance again of sea-qualms and sea-sickness.
3.
Saturday, a very strong wind, but not much for us. 4. This day the sea was very rough, and we saw the truth of that Scripture, Psalm 107. Some were very seasick ; but none could stand or go upon the deck, because of the tossing and tumbling of the ship. This day we lost sight of the Angel Gabriel, sailing slowly behind us, and we never saw her again any more.
The second Sabbath from Milford Haven, and the
5.
462
A PLEASANT SABBATH ON BOARD.
CHAP. seventh on ship. This day God was very gracious XXII. unto us, in giving a fair, calm, sunshiny day, that we July 5. might above, upon the deck, exercise ourselves in his worship. For if this day had been as the former for wind and rain, we could not have known how to have sanctified the Sabbath in any comfortable man- ner. I was exercised in the forenoon, and Mr. Maud in the afternoon.
6.
Monday, wind north and north-east ; good for us, had it been strong enough ; but being but weak, we could not despatch much way. A fair day, and our people were most of them hearty and cheerful. This morning Mathew Michell and I spake to our master, desiring him that we might not stay for the Angel, because we doubted our hay for our cattle would not hold out, and many casks of water were leaked and spent. To which request he gave free assent, and caused the sailors to make all the sail they possibly could ; and so we went that day as the soft wind could drive us.
7.
Tuesday, a fair day, but soft wind at south. Our people cheerful, and in good health.
8.
Wednesday, wind westerly; yet by tacking south- ward and northward, we gained, as the seamen con- ceived, twenty or twenty-one leagues.
9.
Thursday, a strong wind at north-west, which made the sea somewhat rough. Yet the passengers, by the mercy of God, were few of them seasick. This day and two days before we saw following the ship a little bird like a swallow, called a pitterill,1
1 The Stormy Petrel, or Mother
Carey's Chicken. See Wilson's Am. Ornithol. vii. 90; Audubon's
Ornithol. Biog. iii. 486 ; Nuttall's Ornithology, Water Birds, p. 322.
463
FOGGY AND ROUGH WEATHER.
which they say doth follow ships against foul weather; CHAP. and we saw also this afternoon by the ship side a XXII.
great grampus, as big as an ox. July 9.
Friday, wind westerly, so that we could gain lit- 10. tle. A fair day, and our people generally in good health.
Saturday, much like.
11.
12.
The third Sabbath from Milford, and the eighth on shipboard. A very fair day, so that we had liberty to serve God without distraction and dis- turbance from weather. Mr. Maud was exercised in the forenoon, and I in the afternoon. Wind southward.
Monday, a foggy, misty day ; but a good gale of 13. wind at south and by east, which carried us apace, after ten leagues a watch.
Tuesday, also very foggy and misty. Wind south- 14. erly, but about noon became calm.
Wednesday, a strong wind northerly, which made 15. the sea rough; yet we went about eight or nine leagues a watch. Few of us were seasick ; though a wind not so strong and sea not so rough would, in the beginning of our journey, have wrought more upon us. But now we were better used unto it.
Thursday, a fair day ; though the wind being westerly, carried us more to the southward than else we desired. This day we saw with wonder and de- light an innumerable multitude of porpoises leaping and playing about the ship. Towards evening the wind was little.
16.
Friday, calm in the morning. But afore noon, the 17. wind waxed strong at north, and so continued all day, and carried us a good speed in our course.
464
ABUNDANCE OF SEA-FOWL.
CHAP. XXII. July 18.
Saturday, wind north-west, a fair, cool day. We saw this morning a great many of bonitoes1 leaping and playing about the ship. Bonito is a fish some- what bigger than a cod, but less than a porpoise.
19.
Sabbath, a fair forenoon ; but at noon the wind became stiff westward, which was against us. In the afternoon it blew so hard and loud, that my voice could scarce be heard, though I extended it to the furthest that I could.
20.
Monday, a foggy and misty day ; wind about north- west. We saw this day divers dolphins playing about the ship, and many sea-fowl; hagbats,2 and others.
21.
Tuesday morning a great calm after a hot night. This morning our seamen took a bonito, and opened him upon the deck; of which, being dressed, our master sent Mathew Michel and me part, as good fish in eating as could be desired. About noon the wind became north-east, good for our purpose, so that we went that afternoon nine or ten leagues a watch.
22.
Wednesday, wind still about north-east, but not so strong as the day before. Now we saw every day abundance of sea-fowl, as pitterels, hagbats, &c.
23.
Thursday morning, a fine gale of wind at north and by east. Now we saw this morning abundance of porpoises and grampuses, leaping, and spewing up water about the ship. About eight or nine of the clock the wind blew more stiffly, and we went about
1 " Or Spanish dolphins, a fish England, p. 7, in Mass. Hist. Coll. about the size of a large mackerel, xxiii. 217. beautified with admirable variety of 2 Higginson, in his Journal, calls them hag-birds. See page 229. glittering colors in the water." Josselyn's Two Voyages to New-
465
ON THE BANK OF NEWFOUNDLAND.
eight or nine leagues a watch. Towards evening, CHAP. our seamen deemed that we were near to some land, XXII. because the color of the water was changed. But 1635. sounding with a line of a hundred and sixty fathom, July 23. they could find no bottom. It was a very cold wind, like as if it had been winter, which made some to wish for more clothes.
Friday, wind still northerly, but very faint. It was a great foggy mist, and exceeding cold, as it had been December. One would have wondered to have seen the innumerable numbers of fowl, which we saw swimming on every side of the ship,1 and mighty fishes rolling and tumbling in the waters, twice as long and big as an ox. In the afternoon we saw mighty whales spewing up water in the air, like the smoke of a chimney, and making the sea about them white and hoary, as it is said in Job ; of such incred- ible bigness that I will never wonder that the body of Jonas could be in the belly of a whale. At even- ing our seamen sounded, and found ground at fifty fathom.
Saturday morning, they sounded again, and found no bottom, conceiving thereby that we were the day before on Newfoundland Bank, on the end of it nearer to New-England. This day, about nine of the clock, the wind turned from being northerly, and came about by the east unto the south, and the great fog vanished away, and it became a clear, sunshiny day. This day Mathew Michel and I, taking notice that our hay and water waxed scarce, went to our master, entreating him to tell us how far he conceived
24.
Job, xli. 32.
25.
1 They were now near the Grand Bank of Newfoundland. See pages 228 and 229.
30
466
FOUR PORPOISES CAUGHT.
CHAP. us to want of our journey's end, that so we might XXII. better know how to order our water and provisions 1635. July for our cattle, which yet were all alive and in good 25. liking ; and he thereupon summed up all the passages of our journey past, and conceived two hundred and fifty leagues to be yet remaining unfinished.
On Friday, in the evening, we had an hour or two of marvellous delightful recreation, which also was a feast unto us for many days after, while we fed upon the flesh of three huge porpoises, like to as many fat hogs, striked by our seamen, and hauled with ropes into the ship. The flesh of them was good meat, with salt, pepper and vinegar ; the fat like fat bacon, the lean like bull-beef; and on Saturday evening they took another also.
26.
The fifth Sabbath from Milford Haven, and the tenth on shipboard ; a fair, sunshiny summer day, and would have been very hot, had not God allayed the heat with a good gale of southerly wind ; by which also we were carried on in our journey after seven leagues a watch. I was exercised in the forenoon, and Mr. Maud in the afternoon. In the afternoon the wind grew stronger, and it was a rough night for wind and rain, and some had our beds that night ill wet with rain beating in through the sides of the ship.
27.
Monday, wind still strong at south. This day we spent much time in filling divers tuns of emptied cask with salt water ; which was needful, because much beer, fresh water, beef, and other provisions being spent, the ship went not so well, being too light for want of ballast. When this work was done, we set forth more sail, and went that evening and all the night following with good speed in our journey.
467
A LAND-BIRD LIGHTS ON THE SHIP.
Tuesday morning, a great calm, and very hot all CHAP. the forenoon ; our people and cattle being much XXII. afflicted with faintness, sweating, and heat. But 1635. (lo ! the goodness of our God,) about noon the wind July 28. blew at north and by east, which called us from our heat, and holp us forward in our way. This after- noon there came and light upon our ship a little land- bird, with blue-colored feathers, about the bigness of a sparrow ; by which some conceived we were not far from land.
Wednesday, not extremely hot, but a good gale of 29. cooling wind. But yet, being at the west and by north, it was against us in our way ; so that we were forced to tack northward and southward, and gained little.
Thursday, wind still westerly, against us, all the 30. forenoon. But about one of the clock the Lord re- membered us in mercy, and sent us a fresh gale at south ; which, though weak and soft, yet did not only much mitigate the heat, but also holp us some- thing forward in our way. In the evening, about sun-setting, we saw with admiration and delight, in- numerable multitudes of huge grampuses, rolling and tumbling about the sides of the ship, spewing and puffing up water as they went, and pursuing great numbers of bonitoes and lesser fishes ; - so marvellous to behold are the works and wonders of the Almighty in the deep.
Friday, a great foggy mist all the forenoon, and 31. the wind west-northwest, which was against us. In the afternoon the mist vanished, and the day cleared up ; but the wind still against us, so that we gained little, being forced to run a by-course, viz. north and by east, and at night to run southward.
468
ABUNDANCE OF COD TAKEN.
CHAP. XXII. 1635. Aug. 1.
Saturday morning, a cool wind at north, whereby we went on in our course an hour or two, though very slowly, because of the weakness of the wind. Afterwards it became a great calm, and our seamen sounded about one of the clock, and found ground at sixty fathom.1 Presently after, another little land- bird came and light upon the sails of the ship. In the cool of the evening, the calm still continuing, our seamen fished with hook and line, and took cod as fast as they could haul them up into the ship.
2. The sixth Sabbath from Milford, and the eleventh on shipboard. This day was a day of great refresh- ing to us ; not only because of preaching and pray- ers, which we enjoyed for the good of our souls, but also by reason of abundance of fowl which we saw swimming in the sea, as a token of nearness of land. Besides, our bodies fed sweetly on the fresh cod taken the day before, of which our master sent Mr. Maud and me good store. And the wind blew with a cool and comfortable gale at south all day, which carried us away with great speed towards our jour- ney's end ; - so good was our loving God unto us, as always, so also this day. Mr. Maud was exer- cised in the forenoon and I in the afternoon.
3.
But lest we should grow secure, and neglect the Lord through abundance of prosperity, our wise and loving God was pleased on Monday morning, about three of the clock, when we were upon the coast of land, to exercise us with a sore storm and tempest of wind and rain ; so that many of us passengers, with wind and rain were raised out of our beds, and our seamen were forced to let down all the sails ;
1 See note 3 on page 229.
469
FOGS AND CALMS.
and the ship was so tossed with fearful mountains CHAP. and valleys of water, as if we should have been over- XXII. whelmed and swallowed up. But this lasted not 1635. long ; for at our poor prayers the Lord was pleased Aug. 3. to magnify his mercy in assuaging the winds and seas . again about sunrising. But the wind was become west, against us, so that we floated upon the coast, making no despatch of way all that day and the night following. And besides, there was a great fog and mist all that day, so that we could not see to make land, but kept in all sail and lay still, rather losing than gaining, but taking abundance of cod and hali- but, wherewith our bodies were abundantly refresh- ed after they had been tossed with the storm.
Tuesday, the fog continued still all the forenoon. About noon, the day cleared up, and the wind blew with a soft gale at south, and we set sail again, go- ing on in our course, though very slowly, because of the smallness of the wind. At night it was a calm, and abundance of rain.
Wednesday morning, we had a little wind at north, but a foggy forenoon. In the afternoon, the day somewhat cleared ; but it became a calm again. Thus the Lord was pleased, with foggy mists and want of winds, to exercise our patience and waiting upon his good leisure, still keeping us from sight of land, when our seamen conceived us to be upon the coast. This day, in the afternoon, we saw multi- tudes of great whales ; which now was grown ordi- nary and usual to behold.
Thursday, a foggy morning ; afterward a very hot day, and great calm, so that we could make no way, but lay still, floating upon the coast, and could not come to any sight of land.
4.
5.
6.
7
470
FIRST SIGHT OF LAND.
CHAP. XXII. 1635. Aug. 7. 8.
Friday morning, a great fog still, and a slender soft wind at west-southwest. In the afternoon the wind wakened, and we went forward with good speed, though too far northward, because the wind was so much on the west.
Saturday morning, we had a good gale of wind at west-southwest ; and this morning our seamen took abundance of mackerel ;1 and about eight of the clock we all had a clear and comfortable sight of America, and made land again at an island called Menhiggin,2 an island without inhabitants, about thirty-nine leagues northward or northeast short of Cape Ann. A little from this island we saw, more northward, divers other islands, called St. George Islands,3 and the main land of New-England all along, northward and eastward, as we sailed. This mercy of our God we had cause more highly to esteem of, because when we first saw land this morning, there was a great fog, and afterward, when the day cleared up, we saw many rocks and islands almost on every side us, as Menhiggin, St. George Islands, Pemmaquid, &c. Yet, in the midst of these dangers our God preserv- ed us ; though, because of the thick fog, we could not see far about us to look unto ourselves. In the afternoon, the wind continuing still westward, against us, we lay off again to the sea southward, and our seamen and many passengers delighted themselves in taking abundance of mackerel.
1 See note 2 on page 232.
2 See Chronicles of Plymouth, note 4 on p. 182, and Williamson's History of Maine, i. 61.
3 St. George's Islands are a clus- ter of islands, about twenty in num-
ber, on the coast of Maine, situated about the mouth of St. George's river eastwardly, and on the east margin of Broad or Muscongus Bay. See them described in Williamson, i. 59, 60.
471
THEY ANCHOR AT RICHMOND'S ISLAND.
The seventh Sabbath from Milford, and the twelfth CHAP.
on shipboard. This day was a fair, clear, and com- fortable day, though the wind was directly against us, so that we were forced to tack to and again, southward and northward, gaining little, but were all day still in sight of land. Mr. Maud in the fore- noon ; I in the afternoon.
XXII.
1635. Aug. 9.
10.
Monday morning, the wind still continuing against us, we came to anchor at Richmond's Island,1 in the east part of New-England ; the Bay of Massachu- setts, whither we were bound, lying thirty leagues distant from us to the west. Our seamen were will- ing here to cast anchor, partly because the wind was against us, and partly because of necessity they must come to anchor to take in a pilot somewhere before we came to the Bay, by reason that our pilot knew the harbours no further but to the Isle of Shoals. When we came within sight of the island, the planters there, (or rather fishers, for their chief employment was fishing,) being but two families, and about forty persons, were sore afraid of us, doubting lest we had been French, come to pillage the island, as Penob- scots had been served by them about ten days before.2
1 Richmond's (or Richman's) Isl- and is on the coast of Maine, near Cape Elizabeth. It is three miles in circumference, and is only half a mile from the main ; the strait being fordable at low water. This island is frequently mentioned in the early history of the country See Wil- liamson's Maine, i. 30.
2 " At this time (Aug. 1635,)" says Winthrop, "a French ship came with commission from the king of France, (as they pretended,) and took Penobscott, a Plymouth trading house, and sent away the men which were in it, but kept their
goods, and gave them bills for them, and bade them tell all the plantations they would come with eight ships next year and displant them all. But, by a letter which the captain wrote to the Governor of Plymouth, it ap- peared that they had commission from Mons. Rossillon, commander at the fort near Cape Breton, called La Heve, to displant the English as far as Pemaquid ; and by it they pro- fessed all courtesy to us here." See Winthrop, i. 166 ; Hubbard, p. 161 ; Williamson's Maine, i. 262 ; Hutch- inson's Mass. i. 46 ; Holmes's An- nals, i. 230.
472
THEY SAIL ALONG THE COAST.
CHAP. When we were come to anchor, and their fear was XXII. past, they came some of them aboard to us in their 1635. shallops, and we went some of us ashore into the isl- Aug. 10. and, to look for fresh water and grass for our cattle ; and the planters bade us welcome, and gave some of us courteous entertainment in their houses.
11. Tuesday, we lay still at anchor at Richmond's Island, the wind being still against us.
12.
Wednesday morning, the wind serving with a fresh gale at north and by east, we set sail from Richmond's Island for Massachusetts Bay, and went along the coast by Cape Porpus,1 still within sight of land. This day the wind was soft and gentle; and as we went along, our seamen and passengers took abundance of mackerel. Towards night it became a calm, so that then we could despatch little way.
13.
Thursday morning, the wind was against us, at south-southwest, and so had been all night before, so that we tacked to and fro, gaining little, but con- tinuing on the coast towards Cape Ann, within sight of land for the most part, passing by Boon Islands,2 Agamenticus,3 &c. This evening our seamen desir- ed to have anchored at Hog Island,4 or the Isle of Shoals, being seven leagues short of Cape Ann, and thirteen or fourteen leagues from the Isle of Rich- mond. But the wind being strong at south-south- west, they could not attain their purpose, and so were forced to lie off again to sea all night.
1 Cape Porpoise is near Kenne- bour. It is a noted landmark for bunk harbour.
2 Boon Island is an island of rocks a quarter of a mile in length, situa- ted six or seven miles southeast from York harbour.
3 This mountain is about eight miles northwesterly from York har-
mariners, being the first height seen by them from the sea. See Wil- liamson's Maine, i. 96, 231.
4 Hog island is the largest of the Isles of Shoals, containing about 350 acres.
473
THEY ANCHOR AT THE ISLES OF SHOALS.
Friday morning, the wind was strong at south- CHAP. southwest, and so continued till towards evening, XXII. and then was somewhat milder. This day we tacked 1635. Aug. 14. to and again all day, one while west and by north towards Isles of Shoals, another while east-southeast to sea again; Cape Ann, whither our way was, lying from us south-southwest, directly in the eye of the wind, so that we could not come near unto it. But this evening, by moonlight, about ten of the clock, we came to anchor at the Isles of Shoals,1 which are seven or eight islands and other great rocks, and there slept sweetly that night till break of day.
But yet the Lord had not done with us, nor yet had let us see all his power and goodness, which he would have us to take knowledge of; and therefore, on Saturday morning, about break of day, the Lord sent forth a most terrible storm of rain and easterly wind, whereby we were in as much danger as, I think, ever people were. For we lost in that morn- ing three great anchors and cables ; of which cables one, having cost £50, never had been in any water before ; two were broken by the violence of the waves, and the third cut by the seamen in extremity and distress, to save the ship and their and our lives. And when our cables and anchors were all lost, we had no outward means of deliverance but by loosing sail, if so be we might get to the sea from amongst the islands and rocks where we anchored. But the Lord let us see that our sails could not save us neither, no more than our cables and anchors. For, by the force of the wind and rain, the sails were rent
1 See a topographical and histor- Mass. Hist. Coll. vii. 242-261; ical account of these islands in Williamson's Maine, i. 23.
15.
474
A TERRIBLE STORM.
CHAP. in sunder and split in pieces, as if they had been but XXII. rotten rags, so that of the foresail and spritsail there
1635. was scarce left so much as a hand-breadth that was
Aug.
15. not rent in pieces and blown away into the sea. So that at this time all hope that we should be saved, in regard of any outward appearance, was utterly taken away ; and the rather, because we seemed to drive with full force of wind and rain directly upon a mighty rock,1 standing out in sight above the water ; so that we did but continually wait when we should hear and feel the doleful rushing and crashing of the ship upon the rock. In this extremity and appear- ance of death, as distress and distraction would suffer us, we cried unto the Lord, and he was pleased to have compassion and pity upon us ; for by his over- ruling providence and his own immediate good hand, he guided the ship past the rock, assuaged the vio- lence of the sea and of the wind and rain, and gave us a little respite to fit the ship with other sails, and sent us a fresh gale of wind at [blank], by which we went on that day in our course south-west and by west towards Cape Ann. It was a day much to be remembered, because on that day the Lord granted us as wonderful a deliverance as, I think, ever peo- ple had, out of as apparent danger as I think ever people felt. I am sure our seamen confessed they never knew the like.2 The Lord so imprint the me- mory of it on our hearts, that we may be the better for it, and be more careful to please him and to walk uprightly before him as long as we live ; and I hope
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