Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-05-31
MAYFLOWER'S CAPTAIN.
How the Pilgrims Came to Plymouth
"A Badly Crowded Weasel.

One hundred and two passengers sailed
from plymouth on the MayfOwer They
had been so constantly stirred up, in so
many ways, since leaving Leyden or Lon
don, that they were glad to settle them
selves at last for their long voyage Aft
er the two ships companies We're united,
Carver became governor Tin place Of Mr..
Martin, the treasurer, who made many
enemleS), and though the vessel was bad
ly crowded, and of course many were
SeaSlck, things were soon in order, and
with the fine weather which lasted till
they were half way over the sea all were
soon used to the ship life.
But who were the passengers? Of the
seVehty-slX who came from Leyden, six
went pack, leaving seventy, and there
were out thlrty-two left Of those who
Joined at Southampton. Of these thirty
tmo, nlie were men, four young men, five
women lWlves), eight were boys, and six
girls. SO there were, in all. fortv-four
men ihcludlng the hired seamen and
SERVANTS OF full age), nineteen women.
LWehty-nlne young men, boys and male
tnun i servants, and ten girls of all ages
ri Inc master of the Pilgrim ship was
Ih0mas Jones, "a rough sea-dogb who
had been pirate, but was a good navi.
gator and had sailed one or more vow
ages to Virginia" (as all North Amer
lea was then called) The first mate
tor ''piiot',) was John Clarke, a quiet
man and good officer, who had also been
to Virginia." the second mate (or
''pilot'D being Robert Coppin, an cover
smart young man who had made one
voyage to the New England coast. Be
sides these were the 'ships merchant"
or supercargo, Mr.. Williamson, fine
man, who had doubtless also been in
some parts of Virginia" as he seems
to have known the Indian lingo and
lastly, the ships surgeon, Giles Heale,
OF whom we know Very litt1a
Not much that is good can be said of
Master Jones, and his record is wholly
bad. lie inspired confidence only in his
Skiu as seaman and sportsman. The
Plgrlm leaders evidently made little
talk with him, and we may be sure that
the young folks feared him. He died
pirate. Clarke was modest and faith
full, one in whom all seem to have had
confidence. COppin was not, as a GER
tain author has portrayed him, "old,"
sanity, or even a pilot" Gn the sense
of guide), and he was but the third
offlcer OF the Pilgrim ship, and of very
little account, though he came very near
Wrecking the colony by his plumbers on
the shallop's first visit to Plymouth har-
Dor.
We know now that Jones had been
hired and ordered by his employers,
Thomas Weston and Sir Ferdinand
Georges, and by the Earl of Warwick,
whose evil work he had long done, to
land his passengers somewhere north Of
the forty-frst parallel of north latitude.
They would then be within the territory
of the council Of affairs for New Eng
land, controlled by the willy Gorges, who
had long wanted these Pilgrim colonists
and plotted and maneuvered to get
them upon his domain. This was Mas
ter Jones' chance, and he was quick
to seize it. and so steal the Pilgrim col
ony for his masters form, the London
Virginia Company, who's were the colo
nists' friends and patrons.-Azei Ames,
M. D., in ST. Nicholas.