The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-04
NOT THE MAYFLOWER.
Question Raised by the GeneaIog-
zeal Mngazine.
New York Commercial Advertiser.

New York Commercial Advertiser.
The Bradford manuscript of which so
much has been said recently, is not log
in any proper sense Of the word. 1t Is a
passengers account of the voyage and was
not written by Governor Bradford until
many. years after the famous landing on
Americas shores Bradford never gave il
this title, but called it an account of
Plymouth Plantation" But J. l.. otter. in
the Genealogical Magazine, the first num-
Der of which has been recently received
from j. w. Bouton, publisher, of this city.
suggests that, perhaps, the first ship or
the larger ship" as Governor Bradford
calls 1t, was not the Mayflower. An IN
doubted Mayfower made the voyage IN
1929, with Higginson's company. and again
in 1880. But was this the same as "the
first ship" or was there two MayhOwers?
Or did Morton cOnfound the two and de-
scribe the second as the first?
Mr.. Otter sees at a glance the import
of such suggestion, for he says to assert
that the ship which conveyed the Pilgrim
Fathers was not called the Maytlower
seems as Wantonly skepucal as to hold that
William Shakespeare was none other than
Lord Bacon. Still as Governor Bradford
does not write of this first ship as the
Mayfiower some little enlightenment is re-
CURED the subject 1t viii not affect
the honorable ancestry of the American
descendants from the Pilgrim Fathers. nor
will it call in question the antiquity of the
large quantity of furniture and other relics
which came over in this first ship" but
Mr. Otter has raised an interesting inquiry
This manuscript which Bradford calls the
history "of the Plymouth Plantation" con-
tains go written pages. The first few
pages form q sort of dictionary of Hebrew
words, some of them written in English
characters and some in the Hebrew. Then
follows Bradfords account of the journey
across the ocean. II is divided into two
sections. The first is an account of the
causes which led to the exile of the pore
prosecuted church. and the second is an
account OF the principal things and pas
sages as they fell in order of time on the
ships voyage. The handwriting of the
book is clear, and although there is not u
shadow of a doubt that it is the writing
of Bradford, he does not indicate that he
is the author and always refers TO himself
as the governor"
The last five pages of the book contain
"the register" or the names of those
which came over first. and were with the
blessings of God the first beginners. and
in a sort, the foundation of all plantations
and colonies IN New England" At the
foot OF the register Bradford makes me me
following quaint statement; Of the lOO
persons which came first over in this first
ship the greater part died in the great
mortality and most OF them in two or three
mouths time. And those who survived,
though some were ancient and past pro-
country, yet of those few remains are
sprung up 100 persons, in this thirty years,
and are now living in this present year,
1860, besides many of their children which
are dead and come not in this account.
And of the oldest stock of one or other)
near thirty persons. Let the Lord nave
the praise who is the High PreserVer or
them"
The Genealogical Magazine, to which we
are indebted for this information, is pub
lished in London, and Is a valuable add
speaking people on either side of the At
lantic,