11 



old writer, are " so delicately conformed, that like 

 the humble bird, they should live always among 

 flowers," produced a supply ample enough for the 

 consumption of the tribes, and a surplus to impart 

 to the English emigrants. 



The acquaintance of the colonists with the maize, 

 began at an early period. In the earliest expedi- 

 tion of the company of the Mayflower, November 

 25, 1620, the explorers discovered, in the language 

 of Mourt, an eye witness and most credible narra- 

 tor, "a heap of sand : it was newly done: we 

 might see how they paddled it with their hands : 

 which we digged up, and in it, we found a little old 

 basket, full of fair Indian corn : and digged further, 

 and found a fine, great, new basket, full of very fair 

 corn, of this year, with some six and thirty goodly 

 ears of corn, some yellow, and some red, and other 

 mixt with blue : which was a very goodly sight. "^ 



In a second excursion, larger stores were dis- 

 closed, "which," he affirms in the narrative, "will 

 serve us sufficiently for seed." "And sure," ex- 

 claims the excellent annalist, with a fervid glow of 

 piety, " it was God's good providence that we found 

 this corn : for else we know not how we should 

 have done : for we knew not how we should find or 

 meet with any of the Indians except it be to do us a 

 mischief Also we had never, in all likelihood, seen 

 a grain of it, if we had not made our first journey : 

 for the ground was now so frozen, that we were fain 

 with our cutlasses and short swords to hew and 



(1) Journal of a Plantation settled at Plymouth, &,c., reprinted in Massachusetts 

 Historical Society's Collections, series i, vol. viii, page 210. 



