362 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



m appearance, though tub-like and clumsy, the hull being 

 broad-bottomed and capacious, while the lofty cabins, towering 

 high both fore and aft, — a style now obsolete in Europe, but 

 still prevailing in the Red Sea and the Levant, — caused them 

 to roll heavily in rough water. The Mayflower was a high- 

 sterned, quaint, but staunch little vessel of one hundred and 

 eighty tons, and was built for one of the trading companies 

 lately chartered by the Government. The Dutch portion of 

 the emigration had already embarked at Delfthaven in the 

 Speedwell, of sixty tons, and both vessels were, on the 1st of 

 August, 1620, anchored before the old towers of Southampton. 

 The pilgrims were then regularly organized for the voyage, 

 being distributed according to rules laid down and accepted 



SPEEDWELL AND MAYFLOWER. 



by all. The larger number were of course received on ooard 

 the Mayflower. On the 5th of August, both vessels weighed 

 anchor, and sailed down the beautiful estuary of Southampton 



