99 



' The records of iheir sojourn at Cape Cod— the "Shoal Hope" of 

 Gosnold — show that they were not only 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 tliis; but I have not room 

 to go into the evidence. Their good pastor, Robinson, who was the 

 ■soul of the undertaking, never joined tnom; 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 may close the discussion with the sentiment that our 

 fisheries should be dear 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 indenture with the English merchants, we are now t<* 

 find that the Pilgrims embarked at once in the fisheries. 



Singular to observe, early 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 days by another, who was called 

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

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

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

 to England by a vessel that fished at Monhegan, and had lived with 

 a London merchant two years. Squanto 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 with alewives ; and acted, 

 as their guide in their journeys. 



In the spring of 1622, the settlers were in a famishing condition. 

 Fortunately a boat firom one of Weston's fishing vessels (the Sparrow) 

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

 were then engaged in making fares at Monhegan. Edward Winslovr 

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

 The fishermen had no food to spare, and refused to sell, but freely gave 

 •sufficient to reheve 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. Here- 

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

 of the colony much weaker than when I 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 

 a,bound with fish and fowl, he adds: "For though our hay and creeks 

 were full of bass cmd otJicr fish, yet, for want of fit and strong seines and 

 other netting, they, for the most jjart, brake through, and carried all away 

 before them. And though the sea were full of cod, yet we had neither tack- 



* After ft<e Kdgrime liad held a solemn consultation respecting their final settlement, a part 

 of them were disposed to select a place which they called Cold Harbor, (between Truro and 

 Wellfleetj-Cape Cod;) because, among other things, "it seemed to offer some adi^mt(tges hoth. 

 for whale and cod-fishery." Others "Sisisted that they should proceed about twenty leagues 

 further, to a jflace caUisd Agawam, (now Ipswich,) a Imrhor which was known tO' fishermen wito 

 had hecM on tlte coast." 



