99 



Thn rccnrds of their sojourn at C;ipe Corl — the " Phoal Hope" of 

 Gosnold — show that thc}^ were not onl}' anxious to settle on the coast, 

 but on such particular parts of it as would afford them the surest re- 

 wards for searching the seas.* 



Nothing in our history is more certain than this; hut I have not room 

 to go into the evidence. Their good pastor, Rol)inson, who was the 

 soul of the un(hn-taking, never joined them; but his sons did; and as 

 one of them settled at Cape Ann, and another fixed his abode at Scitu- 

 ate, we may conclude that they designed to follow the "honest trade" 

 of fishing. We mny close the discussion with the sentiment thnt our 

 fisheries should be dcnr to the American people because of the hallowed 

 names connected with their origin, and should be thought worthy of 

 national protection for this reason alone. 



True to their mdenture with the English merchants, we are now to 

 find that the Pilgrims embarked at once in the fisheries. 



Singular to observe, earl}^ in the spring after their arrival an Indian, 

 to their "no small amazement," came boldly in among them, and said: 

 " Welcome, Englishmen," in their own language. His name was 

 Samoset. He was followed in a few davs bv another, who was called 

 Squanto, or Tisquantum. Both had been acquainted with the English 

 who had fished on the coast, and could even tell the names of the mas- 

 ters and fishermen of the ships. The latter, indeed, had been carried 

 to England b}^ a vessel that fished at INfonhegan, and had lived with 

 a London merchant two years. S(]uanto served them faithfully till 

 the end of his life. He instructed them in the manner of taking fish, 

 of planting corn, and of manuring the ground wath alewives ; and acted 

 as their guide in their journeys. 



In the spring of 1622, the settlers w^cre in a fimishing condition. 

 Fortunate!}' a boat from one of Weston's fishing vessels (the Sj)arrow) 

 came into the harbor, and gave information that thirty English ships 

 were then engaged in making fares at Monhegan. Edward Winslovf 

 departed immediately for that island to procure a supply of provisions. 

 The fishermen had no food to spare, and refiised to sell, but fr(^ch' gave 

 sufficient to relieve the pressing wants of their Plymouth brethren; 

 regretting, says Winslow, that their store was small, and that they 

 could not express their love by a more liberal contribution. He re- 

 turned with all convenient speed. "I found," he remarks, "the state 

 of tlie colony much \veaker than when T left it; for till now we were 

 never without some bread, the want whereof much abated the strength 

 and flesh of some, and swelled others." To answer the charge of 

 negligence in suffering extreme destitution in a country represented to 

 abound with fish and fowl, he adds: ^^ For thnugk our haij and creeks 

 tcere full of hufts and oIJk r fisJi, yet, for vanf of fit and strong seines and 

 other netting, they, for the viosl yart, hrahc through, and carried all airaij 

 hefnre them. And though the sea, were full (f rod, ijet we had neither tack- 



• Afrcr tlio PilirriinH ha<l hold a Kolcinn (•onsiiltjitinn rfspiTtin^; their final R(>ftlfiiiciif, a part 

 of them weri' (lixiKiirj-ii td Kcjcct a phice which tli''y ciiiicd Cdld Fliirhur, (between Tnii-o and 

 Welltleet, (Ja[te (Uii\\) l)eeaiiH<', anmn^ otlier \\\\\\iifi," it srcwitl to offer sonic otlnniliiirs hotli 

 f,>r irlitiJr anil coil-Jis/irrji." Otiiers " insisted that iliey shiiiild jiroceed ahoiit twenty h-asnes 

 further, til a placo called Agawain, (tji.iw Jpswieii,) n liarbor icltkh iras lifioisn to Ji;<licniuii iclio 

 had been on the coast." 



