238 
CAPE COD. 
true they were busy at first about their building, and 
were hindered in that by much foul weather; but a party 
of emigrants to California or Oregon, with no less work 
on their hands, — and more hostile Indians, —> would do 
as much exploring the first afternoon, and the Sieur de 
Champlain would have sought an interview with the 
savages, and examined the country as far as the Connect¬ 
icut, and made a map of it, before Billington had climbed 
his tree. Or contrast them only with the French search¬ 
ing for copper about the Bay of Fundy in 1603, tracing 
up small streams with Indian guides. Nevertheless, the 
Pilgrims were pioneers, and the ancestors of pioneers, in 
a far grander enterprise. 
By this time we saw the little steamer Naushon en¬ 
tering the harbor, and heard the sound of her whistle, 
and came down from the hills to meet her at the wharf. 
So we took leave of Cape Cod and its inhabitants. We 
liked the manners of the last, what little we saw of them, 
very much. They were particularly downright and 
good-humored. The old people appeared remarkably 
well preserved, as if by the saltness of the atmosphere, 
and after having once mistaken, we could never be cer¬ 
tain whether we were talking to a coeval of our grand¬ 
parents, or to one of our own age. They are said to be 
more purely the descendants of the Pilgrims than the in¬ 
habitants of any other part of the State. We were told 
that sometimes, when the court comes together at Barn¬ 
stable, they have not a single criminal to try, and the 
jail is shut up.” It was “ to let” when we were there. 
Until quite recently there was no regular lawyer below 
Orleans. Who then will complain of a few regular man- 
eating sharks along the back-side ? 
One of the ministers of Truro, when I asked what 
