Maine, but landed at the mouth of the Ken'-ne-bec River, then called the Sa-ga-da-hoc'. They settled at Parker's Island, and built a fort on it, which was named Fort George. They brought with them two more of the five Indians taken away by Captain Weymouth; and this procured them a welcome from all the Indian tribes.

7. The Penobscot Indians were, at this time, the ruling tribe from Salem to No'-va Sco'-tia, then called A-ca'-di-a. Pleased with the new settlers, their chief acknowledged subjection to the English king, and sent his son to visit the colony, and opened a trade with them for furs Happy had it proved if the friendly intercourse thus begun on our coast had been continued.

8. In December of this year, the ships returned to England; fortyfive of the adventurers remained behind. These, however, were soon discouraged. The winter was excessively severe, and, not having brought over a very liberal supply of provisions, they were reduced to the necessity of living upon fish and very lean game, and finally upon dogs' flesh. They returned to England with the next vessel, and gave up the colony.

9. A strange story used to be told of these settlers by one of the Indian tribes residing on the Kennebec; but it does not comport very well with other accounts of their pacific disposition. However, as it is quite possible the deed described may have been perpetrated by some white people, it may be well to relate it. If true, we cannot wonder at the subsequent hatred and revenge of the savages.

10. The English, it is said, employed the Indians, on a certain occasion, to draw one of their cannons into the fort, by taking hold, unitedly, of a long rope fastened to it. As soon as they were formed in a straight line, delighted with the sport, the cannon was discharged, and a great part of the Indians were killed or wounded.

11. In 1614, Captain John Smith, the South Virginia adventurer, sailed from England, with two ships, on a voyage of discovery, to the coasts of North Virginia. Arriving at Monhegan Island, in Maine, he built several boats, such as would better answer his purposes than larger vessels; and, in one of these boats, with eight men, he traversed the whole coast from Penobscot to Cape Cod, and made many discoveries.

12. On his return to England, he prepared a map of the coast from Maine to Long Island Sound, most of which he had seen and observed during his journey. To many of the capes, points, islands, etc.,

6. What of the settlement in Maine? 7. The Penobscot Indians? 8. What of the colony? 9, 10. What strange story is told by the Indians? 11. What of Captain Smith in 1614? 12. What did Smith do on his return?

FIRST SETTLEMENT OF NEW ENGLAND.

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of this region, he gave the names they now bear. The map was presented to the king's son, afterward Charles I., who named the country, in general, NEW ENGLAND.

13. Captain Smith, on leaving the coast, had left one of his vessels to procure a cargo of fish for the Spanish market. But Hunt, the commander, decoyed on board twenty-seven Indians, whom he carried away and sold for slaves. This act, so well calculated to excite the enmity of the natives, no doubt, afterward caused the death of thousands of unoffending men, women, and children.

CHAPTER XXI.

The Puritans, the first Settlers of New England.

1. THE first permanent settlement in New England was made in 1620,

by a company of

men, women, and children, called Puritans. They were a pious and excellent people, but somewhat peculiar in their religious opinions and habits.

2. The Puritans were desirous of what they deemed a purer wor ship of God than that of the national church of

England, and on this account had separated themselves from that church, and thus became exposed to a religious persecution, which, in 1607, drove them, with their pastor, to Amsterdam, in Holland.

3. This pastor was the Rev. John Robinson. Under his pious care they remained a year in Amsterdam, whence they found it desirable to remove to Leyden [li'-den]. The flames of persecution continuing to

13. What of Hunt, the commander of one of the vessels?

CHAP. XXI.-1. What of the Puritans? 2. Why did some of them go to Amsterdam? #. Their pastor? Where did they remove to?

rage in England, they were joined by many of their countrymen, and the congregation became in a few years large and respectable.

4. Yet they never felt themselves at home in Holland. They were strangers and sojourners there, and likely to remain so. Many were their reasons, some of them weighty, for refusing to settle down permanently among the Dutch. They were on the look-out, therefore, for a resting-place.

5. Just at this time, an asylum was opened to them in the wilds of America. In that untrodden country, as they deemed, they could be entirely free from persecution and tyranny. There they could read their bibles by their own firesides, undisturbed, and worship God as their own conscience told them was right. They could also transmit to their children and grandchildren the same privileges.

6. Having procured a vessel, the Speedwell, of sixty tons, they made preparations to depart for America. Before leaving Holland, however, they kept a day of fasting and prayer. They then went to Delft'-ha-ven, about twenty miles from Leyden, and thence to Southampton, in England. Here they were joined by a company of their Puritan friends from London, in a vessel of one hundred and eighty tons, called the Mayflower.

7. Their little fleet being in readiness, they set out, August 15th, for America; not, however, till they had spent a parting hour with their friends, whose faces they were to see no more, in religious services. A little way out of port, the Speedwell sprang a leak, and they were obliged to return for repairs. They sailed again, but again the vessel failed; and she was at length condemned as unseaworthy.

8. One hundred and two of the Puritans now crowded themselves into one vessel, the Mayflower, and made a final embarkation. This was September 16, 1620. The weather, as might have been feared at this season, proved unfavorable, and they were more than two months in reaching the shores of Cape Cod.

9. It had been their intention to settle further south, near the Hudson; and, with this view, they had procured a patent of the London Company. But winter was now nigh, Hudson River far off, and perilous shoals and breakers lay between. They therefore gave up their original plan, and sought a landing-place near where they were.

10. On the 21st of November, sixty-six days after leaving Southampton, they found themselves at anchor in Cape Cod harbor near the

4. Why did they not consider Holland a home? 5. What prospect opened to them? Why did they cherish the idea of going to America? 6. What of the departure of the pilgrims? 7. What of their progress? 8. What of the Mayflower? 9. What had been the design of the pilgrims? What change of plan did they adopt? 10. What occurred on the 21st of November, 1620?

THE PURITANS AT CAPE COD.

57

present town of Tru'-ro; having lost, during their long and perilous passage, but one man.

11. Before landing, they formed, in the cabin of the Mayflower, a solemn compact for their future safety and government, which was signed by forty-one of the number-the rest being women and children -and John Carver was immediately chosen governor of the colony for one year.

CHAPTER XXII.

The Puritans at Cape Cod.

1. A GOVERNMENT having been formed for their mutual well-being

was so shallow that they were obliged to wade a considerable distance, and many of them took severe colds, which, in some instances, appeared to lay the foundation of what we usually term quick consumption. They found nothing, moreover, on shore but woods and sand-hills. They had gone out armed, but had not been molested.

3. The next day, November 22, was the Sabbath. On this day they rested, "according to the commandment" and their uniform custom,

11. What did they do before landing?

CHAP. XXII.-1. What of going ashore? 2. What happened to the party? 8. What occurred November 22 and 28?

On Monday, the men went on shore to refresh themselves and make further discoveries; the women went also, attended by a guard, to wash some of the clothing.

4. This same day, they also began to repair their shallop for the purpose of coasting, the Mayflower being too large and unwieldy for convenience. It was a slow task, however, for the carpenter did not complete the necessary repairs till sixteen or seventeen days had elapsed, and winter was now at hand.

5. On Wednesday, November 25, a party of sixteen men, commanded by Captain Miles Standish, and well armed, went out to make discoveries. When about a mile from the sea they saw five Indians, who, at sight of their new visitors, immediately fled. The latter pursued them ten miles, but did not overtake them. They had gone so far, however, that they were obliged to kindle a fire and sleep in the woods.

6. The next day they found several heaps of sand, one of which was covered with mats, and an earthen pot lay at one end of it. On digging, they found a box and arrows, upon which they concluded it was an Indian grave, and accordingly replaced every thing as they had found it.

7. In another place they found a large kettle, and near it another pile of sand, in which, on a close examination, was found a basket containing three or four bushels of Indian corn. "This providential discovery," says Holmes, in his Annals, "gave them seed for a future harvest, and preserved the infant colony from famine."

8. One fact should be mentioned, which shows what sort of men these were. Though they took away the kettle and a part of the corn, it was with the firm intention to return the kettle if ever they found an owner, and pay for the corn; and to their honor be it recorded that they actually found the owners afterward, and liberally paid them.

9. In the course of the same day, they found more graves, and the ruins of an Indian hut or house; and in one place a number of palisadoes, or stakes and posts, framed together like a wall. They also saw a trap set for deer, in which one of the party was caught, though without much injury.

10. After sleeping a second night in the woods, they returned to their companions, who received them with great joy. It was about this time that the first white New England child was born. His name was Per'-e-grine White, and he lived to be eighty-four years old.

4. What of the shallop? 5. What occurred on the 25th? 6. What did they find the next day? 7. What other things did they find? What of corn? 8. Did the Puritans pay for the kettle and corn they took? 9. What other things did the party find? 10 The return of the party? The first child?