degrees of north latitude, but neither was to occupy any country within a hundred miles of the first settlement previously made by the other. Each colony was to extend along the coast fifty miles either way from the point first occupied, and from the same point inward or seaward one hundred miles. Each company was authorized to search for mines, paying the king for the yield thereof, one-fifth of all gold and silver, and one-fifteenth of all copper. It was made the especial duty of the councils governing these colonies to provide that "the true word and service of God, according to the rites and service of the Church of England, be preached, planted, and used in the colonies, and among the neighboring savages." In process of time, and after many complications, the London, or first Virginia company, obtained a new charter, and was created a corporation, under the title of "The Treasurer and Company of Adventurers and Planters of the City of Londou, for the first colony of Virginia." In the new charter a distinct and separate grant of territory was provided for. Subsequently the Plymouth company applied for a similar grant, but this was opposed by the London company. After years of solicitation the Plymouth company succeeded in obtaining a new charter, known as the "Great Patent." By this charter all North America, from the fortieth to the forty-eighth degree of north latitude, excepting only such places as were then actually possessed by any other Christian prince or people was granted, with exclusive right of jurisdiction, settlement, and traffic, and incorporated as "The Council established at Plymouth, in the county of Devon, for the Planting, Ruling, Ordering, and Governing of New England in America." In the interval between the granting of the first and second patents to the London and Plymouth companies, disorder was prevalent among the colonists, the Indians suffered sadly, and as opportunity offered they retaliated.

In the progress of time and growing out of religious dissensions in England, a body of men known as the Pilgrims determined to remove, and had actually escaped to Holland, where they resided for some years. They did not, however, like the manners and customs of the Dutch, and determined

to emigrate to Virginia, provided they were allowed a settlement to themselves, where they could arrange religious matters to suit their own views and ideas. Two of their principal men went to England as agents, and through their efforts the company agreed to give the Pilgrims a grant of land, but other guarantees were not obtained. After further negotiation they decided to emigrate, leaving John Robinson, one of their preachers, at Leyden, with such of his congregation as were not ready to embark, or not thought fit for pioneers. After a fast and religious service, under Brewster, one of the ruling elders, the adventurers took passage on the Speedwell, to Southampton. Here they were joined by Cushman, in the Mayflower, which was hired for the voyage, to convey the outfit and provisions. They immediately embarked, distributing the passengers between the vessels, but the Speedwell proved unseaworthy and was discharged. Some of her passengers went on board the Mayflower. About twenty, including Cushman, unwillingly remained behind. They had a tedious voyage of more than two months, when the ship entered Cape Cod harbor. The colonists, finding they were not in the limits of the Virginia company, whose grant they had obtained, thought it fit before landing, in view of the fact that there were some indications of insubordination, to draw up an agreement for their social government. Before it was executed they offered up thanksgiving for their preservation on the voyage, and prayers for future guidance. By the agreement which they signed, they mutually promised to obey such "just and equal laws and ordinances" as from time to time. should be thought necessary and for the common good. The colony consisted of one hundred and one persons. John Carver was chosen to act as governor for one year. It was the 10th of November, 1620, when the Mayflower entered Cape Cod harbor. A month intervened before the colonists. disembarked. The interval was occupied in coasting along the shore. Exploring parties occasionally landed and were sent inland to make explorations. Frequently these parties found deserted Indian wigwams, and at one point a quantity of corn, in baskets, buried in the sand. This was taken possession of and served for seed the next spring. Occasionally,

Indians were seen, and at one time, probably incensed at the loss of the corn, some of them showed signs of hostility, but disappeared without molesting the Pilgrims. The natives in the region of Cape Cod were not without previous experience with the whites. Both French and English adventurers had been there, and their intercourse with the natives was not such as to impress these simple people favorably. A single instance of perfidy, out of many committed by the whites, will satisfy the reader that the Indians had cause to look upon the Europeans with suspicion. It occurred in 1614, and is narrated by Captain John Smith, who, after stating that they spent a long time in trying to catch whales, without success, and as for finding gold, "it was rather the master's device to get a voyage that projected it." He says that for trifles they got "near 1,100 beaver skins, 100 martin, and many otters, the most of them within the distance of twenty leagues." On his departure for Europe, the captain remarks thus: "The other ship stayed to fit herself for Spain with dried fish, which was sold at Malaga for four rials the quintal, each hundred weight two quintals and a half. But one Thomas Hunt, the master of this ship (when I was gone), thinking to prevent that intent I had to make there a plantation, thereby to keep this abounding country still in obscurity, that only he and some few merchants more might enjoy wholly the benefit of trade and profit of this country, betrayed four and twenty of these poor salvages aboard his ship, and most dishonestly and inhumanly, for their kind usage of me and all our men, carried them with him to Malaga, and there for a little private gain, sold these silly salvages for rials of eight; but this vile act kept him ever after from any more employment to those parts."

The great event in the history of New England, the landing of the Pilgrims, took place on the 11th December, 1620. On the 7th of December the boat's crew of explorers, who had "gone ranging up and down till the sun began to draw low," hastened out of the woods and returned to their shallop. About midnight some Indians appeared, and the event is thus described in their journal: "About midnight we heard a great and hideous cry, and our sentinel called arm! arm! so

Upon a sud

knew to be

One of our

we bestirred ourselves and shot off a couple of muskets, and the noise ceased. We concluded that it was a company of wolves and foxes, for one of our company told us that he had heard such a noise in Newfoundland. At five o'clock in the morning (December 8) we began to be stirring. den we heard a great and strange cry, which we the same voices, though they varied their notes. company being ashore came running and cried, They are men! Indians! Indians!' and withal their arrows came flying among us. Our men ran out with all speed to recover their arms. The cry of our enemies was dreadful, especially when our men ran out to recover their arms. Their note was after this manner, Wouch, woach, ha ha, hach, woach. Our men were no sooner come to their arms but the enemy was ready to assault them. There was a lusty man, and no whit less valliant, who was thought to be their captain, stood behind a tree within half a musket shot of us, and there let his arrows fly at us. He stood three shots of a musket. At length one of us, as he said, taking full aim at him, he gave an extraordinary cry and away they all went." It was not known that any blood was shed in this first "battle," but presumed that the lusty man was wounded. The "conquerors" gathered up the trophies of their " victory," in all sixteen arrows, some of which were "headed with brass, some with hart's horn, and others with eagle's claws." These were all sent by the Pilgrims to their friends in England.

In speaking of an event that occurred previous to this attack, Morton says: "The Indians got all the powaws in the country, who for three days together, in a horrid and devilish manner, did curse and execrate them with their conjurations, which assembly and service they held in a dark and dismal swamp;" and adds, "Behold how Satan labored to hinder the Gospel from coming into New England."

Some time after the landing of the Pilgrims, a Wampanoag Indian, named Samoset, came to Plymouth. He could speak some broken English, having been much among the whites who came to fish at Monhiggon. His first salutation was: "Welcome, Englishmen! Welcome, Englishmen!" He gave the colonists much information. His residence was not

in that region, but some five days' journey therefrom. "He told us (they say) the place where we now live is called Pautuxet, and that about four years ago all the inhabitants died of some extraordinary plague, and there is neither man, woman, nor child remaining, as indeed we have found none; so there is none to hinder our possession or lay claim to it." After this singular people had sailed for America, James, their oppressor, had caused a charter to issue to them. Before they left home they had permission from this monarch to go out and settle in the wilderness, and they did not appear to have any scruple about taking possession of the country where they landed, although it was not within the limits of the Virginia colony. In the charter of James I. to the Pilgrims, which has become known as "The Grand Plimouth Charter," he said, "that he had been given certainly to knowe, that within these late years there hath, by God's visitation, reigned a wonderfull plague, together with many horrible slaughters and murthers, committed amongst the sauages and brutish people there heretofore inhabiting, in a manner to the utter destruction, deuastacion, and depopulacion of that whole territorye, so that there is not left, for many leagues together in a manner, any that do claime or challenge any kind of interest therein."

Thus assured by the charter of King James, and informed by Samoset that all the inhabitants of the region for "many leagues" had died of a great plague, and that neither man, woman, nor child remained, the good Pilgrims felt that they were providentially seized and possessed of a country wherein they could establish a system of religious worship such as they could not enjoy in their own native land. As the years passed and accessions were made to the English settlements, difficulties between the colonists and the natives frequently occurred, often resulting in the loss of life on both sides. In commenting upon these Drake says: "These affairs call for no commentary; that must accompany every mind through every step of the relation. It would be a weakness, as appears to us, to attempt a vindication of the rash conduct of the English." When Robinson, one of the fathers of the Plymouth Church, heard how his people (the Pilgrims)