A severe drought prevailing at this time in Plym- 1623. outh, the government set apart a solemn day of humiliation and prayer; and soon after, in grateful and pious acknowledgment of the blessing of copious showers, and supplies of provisions, a day of public thanksgiving.' The first patent of Plymouth had been taken out in the name of John Pierce, in trust for the company of adventurers; but when he saw the promising state of their settlement, and the favour, which their success had obtained for them with the council for New England, he, without their knowledge, but in their name, procured another patent, of larger extent, intending to keep it for his own benefit, and hold the adventurers as his tenants, to sue and be sued at his courts. In pursuance of this design, he, in the autumn of the last year, and beginning of this, made repeated attempts to send a ship to New Eng land; but it was forced back by storms. In the last attempt, the mariners, about the middle of February, were obliged, in a terrible storm, to cut away their main mast, and return to Portsmouth. Pierce was then on board, with one hundred and nine souls. After these successive losses, he was prevailed on by Pierce'spathe company of adventurers, to assign to them, for tent assignfive hundred pounds, the patent, which had cost him ed to the but fifty. The goods, with the charge of passen- adventurgers in this ship, cost the company six hundred and ers. forty pounds. Another ship was hired, to transport the passengers and goods; and it arrived at Plymouth in July. Soon after arrived a new vessel, of forty four tons, which the company had built, to remain in the country; both brought supplies for the plantation, and about sixty passengers. Magnal. book i. 11. Morton. 47. Prince, 128-132. I. Mather N. Eng. 14-16. Belknap Biog. ii. 314-327. I Purchas, v. 1866. Prince, 137, 138. 2 Morton, 50-53. Mather Magnal. book i. 12. Prince, 136-139 Neal N. Eng. i. 113, 115. Belknap Biog. ii. 234, 235 Plymouth ments be ver. 1623. John Mason, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, and others, Settle- having obtained patents of the New England coungun at Pas- cil for several portions of territory, sent over, in the cataqua ri- spring of this year, David Tomson, Edward and William Hilton, and a few other persons, to begin a settlement. Tomson and some of his company began one accordingly, twenty five leagues north east from Plymouth, near Smith's Isles, at a place called Pascatoquack. The place, first seized, was called Little Harbour, on the west side of Pascataqua river, and near its mouth; where was built the first house, called Mason Hall.' F. West admiral of The Hiltons, proceeding higher up the river, settled at Cocheco, afterward called Dover. Scatter ed settlements were also begun this year by different adventurers, at Monahigan, and at other places.3 Francis West arrived at Plymouth in June, with arrives, as a commission to be admiral of New England, with N.England. power to restrain such ships, as came either to fish or trade on the coast without licence from the New England council; but, finding the fishermen too stubborn and strong for him, he sailed for Virginia. The owners of the fishing vessels, complaining to the parliament of this attempted restraint, procured an order, that fishing should be free." September. arrives, as Robert Gorges, son of Ferdinando, sent by the R. Gorges Plymouth council as general governor of New Enggeneral land, arrived at Massachusetts Bay with several pasof N. Eng- Sengers and families; and purposed to begin a plan governor land. 1 Hubbard MS. N. Eng. chap. xxxi. The chimney and some part of the stone wall of this house were standing when Hubbard wrote his history. Ib. Tomson, from dislike either of the place, or of his employers, removed within a year after into Massachusetts, where he possessed himself of a fertile island, and a valuable neck of land, which was afterward confirmed to him, or his heirs, by the Massachusetts court, on the surrender of all his other interest in New England. Ibid. chap. xviii. He visited Plymouth in 1623. Purchas, v. 1867. † Squantum neck. Belk. Biog. ii. 334. 2 Hubbard MS. N. Eng. chap. xxxi. Prince, 134. But few buildings were erected about Pascataqua river until after the year 1631. In that year a there were but three houses there. Hubbard, ut supra. 3 Prince, 134. 4 Morton, 52. Prince, 137. tation at Wessagusset; but he returned home, without scarcely saluting the country within his government. Gorges brought with him William Morrell, an episcopal minister, who had a commission from the ecclesiastical courts in England to exercise a kind of superintendence over the churches, which were, or might be, established in New England; but he found no opportunity to execute his commission. This was the first essay for the establishment of a general government in New England; but, like every succeeding attempt, it was totally unsuccessful." 1623. Notwithstanding the late disasters in Virginia, State of there were now in that colony above two thousand Virginia five hundred persons, sent over at the expense of thirty thousand pounds of the public stock, beside the charges of particular societies and planters. * The cattle were increased to above a thousand head. The debt of the company was wholly discharged. During the four last years, great sums were expend ed, and much care was bestowed, by the officers and company, for promoting useful arts and manufac tures; particularly iron works, wine, silk, sawing mills, and saltpans. Numerous Indians, of various tribes, contiguous to the Virginian colony, were kil led this year by the English; among the slain, were 1 Gorges soon returned to England. Morrell staid behind, and resided at Plymouth about a year, making inquiries and observations respecting the country; the result of which he wrought into an elegant and descrip tive Latin poem, which, with his own English translation, is published in vol. i. p. 125-139 of the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society. 2 Morton, 54-57. Prince, 141, 142. Belknap Biog. i. 367–369. The grant of the council for the affairs of New England to Robert Gorges is in Hazard Coll. i. 152-155 3 Smith [Virg. 236.] says, since he left the colony the Virginia company had been "humble suiters to his majesty, to get vagabonds and condemned men to goe thither; nay, so the business hath been abused, that so much scorned was the name of Virginia, some did chuse to be hanged ere they would goe thither, and were.' Not long after the massacre however, he remarks," there is more honest men now suiters to goe, than ever hath beene constrained knaves." 1623. some of their kings, and several of their greatest Literary warriors.' One of the earliest literary productions of the production. English colonists in America, of which we have any notice, is a translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, made this year by George Sandys, treasurer of the Virginia company.* New Ne The Dutch at New Netherlands, in defence of herlands. their colony, built several forts; one, on the east side of Delaware Bay, which they named Fort Nassau ; one, a hundred and fifty miles up Hudson's river, which they named Fort Orange; and a third, on Connecticut river, which they named the Hirsse of Good Hope. At the mouth of the Hudson, they built a town, which they called New Amsterdam. St. Chris Ralph Merifield, having, in connection with captopher's tain Warner, obtained letters from king James to planted by the Eng plant and possess the island of St. Christopher, arrived there in January with fifteen Englishmen, and commenced a plantation at one end of the island, where he built a fort and a house. The French lish; I Stith, 303. 2 Stith, 304. This historian calls it "a very laudable performance for the times." Sandys, in his dedication of it to king Charles, informs him, that" it was limned by that imperfect light, which was snatched from the` hours of night and repose; and that it is doubly a stranger, being sprung from an ancient Roman stock, and bred up in the New World, of the rudemess of which it could not but participate; especially as it was produced among wars and tumults, instead of under the kindly and peaceful influences of the muses." Ibid. About this time Dr. William Vaughan, educated at Oxford, wrote at Newfoundland his Poem, entitled The Golden Fleece, which was printed in quarto in 1626. Vaughan was the author of several publications in verse and prose. In 1615 he purchased a grant of the patentees of Newfoundland for part of the island, and resided there several years. Brit. Emp. A. i. 7-9. Ancient Right Eng. Nation to American Fishery, 20. 3 Smith N. York, 2. Brit. Emp. A. i. 237. Smith N. Jersey, 20. Governor Bradford says, that the Dutch had traded in those southern parts several years before he and the other English adventurers came to Plymouth, but that they began no plantation there until after this time. See Prince, 165; and p. 182 of this volume. 4 Churchill Voy. ii. chap. xxv. These English adventurers planted various seeds, and raised a crop of tobacco; but a hurricane" drove away" this crop in September. Until that time they lived on cassada bread, po tatoes, plantanes, pine apples, turtles, guanas, and fish. Ibid. Univ. Hist. xli. 267. Many historians place this settlement in 1625. planted themselves at the same time on the other and French. end of the island; and this was their first settle ment in the West Indies." 1624. at Cape The fame of the plantation at Plymouth being Settlement spread in the west of England, Mr. White, a cele- Ann brated minister of Dorchester, excited some merchants and other gentlemen, to attempt another settlement in New England. They accordingly, on a common stock, sent over several persons, who began a plantation at Cape Ann, and held this place of the Plymouth settlers, for whom they set up here a fishing stage. 4 3 ants chosen in Ply mouth co lony. The Plymouth colonists, who had hitherto ap- Five assist pointed but one assistant to the governor, on the motion of governor Bradford, added four others; but, instead of acceding to a motion, which he made at the same time, for the change of their governor, they reelected him; and gave this officer a double that Land give governor, voice. + On making request to the they might have some land for permanent use, in- en to setstead of the accustomed assignment by annual lot, he gave every person an acre for himself and his family, as near, as it was convenient, to the town. s Plymouth at this time contained thirty two dwelling houses, and about one hundred and eighty persons. The inhabitants had erected a salt work; and this year they freighted a ship of a hundred and eighty tons. In the last three years, notwithstanding the I Churchill Voy. ii. chap. xxv. 2 Europ. Settlements, ii. 6. It is a remarkable circumstance, that the English and the French took possession of this island the same day. Ibid. The Spaniards soon drove both these colonies out of the island. The English returned, and possessed themselves of the largest and most fertile quar ter; the French returned, and left a small colony in another part. But the most adventurous of the French went in quest of new places, and, after va rious fortune, made settlements in Martinico and Guadaloupe. Ibid. Prince, 144, 151. 3 Hubbard MS. N. Eng. chap. xviii. 4 Hubbard MS. N. Eng. chap. xvi. Prince, 145. Chalmers, i. 87.. tlers. |