The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-02

since become so historic, was signed by
the adult colonists. 1t is given precisely
rs it was written at the time, including
cancellations:
In ye name OF God, Amen. We whose names
dread soveraigne, Lord King James by We grace
pr God OF Great Britaine, France * Ireland King,
Defender Of the Faith. &C. Hayeing undertaken Ia
Christian faith and honour of our King d coun-
trie, voyage to plant ye first colonie IN ye
ents solemly and mutually, in ye presence OF
God and one OF another, covenant q COMBINE
our selves togeather in a civil body 2oItick for
our better ordering 4 preservation, & further.
ance OF We ends aforesaid: and by yertue hearof
TO enact, constitute and frame such Just equal
laws, ordinances, acts. constitutions. * ofnces,
from time 10 time, as shall be thought most
meete and convenient for We general good or ye
sion and obedience. In witness whereofwe have
hereunder subscribed our names at Cape-Codd:
We IL OF November. IN ye year OF ye Ea,ghe OF
France e. Ireland We eighteenth. and OF Scotland
ye fsftie-fourth, Ano DoHh. 1920.
The signers of this compact then con-
hrmed John Carver as Governor OF the col
ony, TO act until the following New Years
day, which came upon March p, according
To the Pilgrims reckoning.
There is a traditio that the Mayfiower
was driven into her harbor at Cape Cod.
Nov. -. by a severe storm. but this histori-
ans deny, recording that ''she seems to have
had pleasant weather, for Immediately
after anchoring sixteen well-armed men
went on shore to explore and others to pro
cure fire woods, while they climed the hills
and took observations of the surroundings"
Nov. 20 Captain Myles Standish, with nine
I teen men, went ashore again and made an
days. Dec. z. another exploring party went
ashore, and on the 10th a new expedition
started In the Mayfower's shallop, with in
structions to follow the shore and look for
an eligible harbor Dec. 19 found the party
on Clarks island. in Plymouth harbor.
This place had been named Plymouth by
Capt. John Smith about five
years before the arrival of the
Pilgrims, who had his map of the
place in their possession. Dec: 20 happen
Ing on Sunday, the explorers did not pursue
their investigations on thai day, the rec
iords of the party showing that ION the Sab
bath day we rested" On the list they
sounded and explored the harbor. and on
this day occurred the technical landing of
the pilgrims at Plymouth. William Brad
ford, afterward Governor. who was one of
the party in the shallOp, and who acted az
historian of the colony until his death. re-
cording that ION Monday we sounded the
harbor and found 1T tit for shipping, and
marched into the land and found divers
corn-nelds and little running brOOks-a
place fit for situation; at least it was the
best we could find" Owing to shallow
water there were but few places where a
landing could be effected from the shallop
be seen for miles along the shore. This was
bowlder weighing. perhaps. half dozen
tons, while behind it rose a hill about thirty
feet in height. The stone was afterwards
TO be known as plymouth Rock" Dec. %
the shallop and her crew returned to the
Maytower, twenty-five miles away. Dec.
p6 the ship arrived in Plymouth harbor.
Dec. 80 1T was voted to establish the
colony at Plymouth and the first regular
landing from the Mayfiower took place on
this day. Twenty of the men went on
shore to build barricade for protection
against the Indians. They slept on shore.
1t is related that on the same day 1.-THE
women were set on shore to wash their
clothes"
The identity OF the person who first set
foot upon Plymouth rock is to this day a
matter of some uncertainty. One historian
says: I'VE are supposed now to generalize
the anecdote. The first generation doubt
less know who came on shore from the ship
In the hrst boat; the second generation re-
fourth with still less; like the stone thrown
on the calm lake, the circles we'll defined at
hrst become fainter and fainter as they
recede. For the purposes of the arts how
and charity. is we'll adapted" The honor nor
of having been the first person to step upon
plymouth rock is claimed for Mary Chiffon
by her descendants and also by those of
John Alden for the latter. There are others
who declare that they have little reason to
think that Mary Chiffon ever saw it. or
that John Alden, first or last was ever upon
IT." Notwithstanding these contradictions,
the majority believe that Mary Chiffon was
the first known person to place her feet npOn
the rock. The first technical landing of the
Pilgrims at Plymouth. therefore, was on
Dec. Il NEW Style. and the permanent land
The ''old style" of dating. adopted by the
Pilgrims, has been the cause of much con-
fusion in the minds of succeeding genera
lions. In A. ID. 325 the calendar was "set
ri hA ll.&xx
365l4 days to each year, which was an over
allowance of eleven minutes ten and one
fourth seconds. This small error grew to
such an extent that in A. ID. 725 the calen-
dar was between three and four days be-
hind the true reckoning, as shown by the
sun. At the time of the discovery of Amer
lea by Columbus, the difference had in
creased to nine days: In 1852 Pope Gregory,
finding all fixed ecclesiastical Observances
falling ten days behind their seasons. cor
rected the calendar by adding ten days at
the same time guarding against future err
ors by establishing the rule that years end
Ing with two clphers were not to be leap
years. except when the number was an ex-
act multiple of 400. AL nations in CONT
mental Europe. except Russia and Turkey,
adopted the new rule. which was known as
the new style" of reckoning. while the pre-
vious manner of reckoning was known as
the ''old STYLE" BY the new styler the
year was made to commence on Jan. 1, in
stead of March Is, as formerly. The
tenance the innovation of Pope Gregory. 1t
was for this reason that the Pilgrims, on first
landing at Plymouth, reckoned the day as
Dec. ii, 1920. but the sun then reaching his
winter solstice, showed it to be really the
21st. By making leap year of 100 the
national miscOunt was increased to eleven
days. 1t was not until 1852, that by order
of Parliament the new calender was adopt
ed by Great Britain and her colonies. by
calling the day after Sept. 2, the 14th. At
the same time the beginning of the year
was changed from March D to Jan. 1.
1t was for these reasons that the Pilgrims
used double dates so frequently, as, for in
stance. March 20. 1676-7.r This would be
1916. .'old STYLE" because it would lack five
days to complete the Year, but in the new
style it would be 1917. The system of
double dating has not been practiced in the
colony since 1852. May "a. 1850. the present
Plymouth Pilgrim Society changed the date
of observing the day of the landing of the
Pilgrims from Dec. IL, ''old STYLE" to Dec.
u, new style"
Jan. 2. 1921 the work of building the town
actually began, all able-boded persons
leaving the ship and assisting in getting
material for the construction of houses.
This work continued until all the Pilgrims
had roofs to cover them. although twenty
men slept in one house. Much sickness and
mortality prevailed among the cOlonists,
not so much because of the unhealthy eli
mate, but on account of the unwholesOme
food. which had hacome hardlv fiji I'm eat &c