The Penn's Grove record., 1920-12-10
SAILING OF THE MAYFLOWER

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mouth, England, on the "May1ower,"
the original point of departure having
been D~elshaven, Holland. Among the
passengers were 20 women and IL
children. Their attempts to flee from
England to Holland had often been
frustrated by INSCRIPTIONS captains
of ship they engaged and others upon
of ships they relied, and the trip to
America also had its share of unsym-
pathetic persons among members of
the May1ower crew.
After suffering great hardship
aboard ship, on a voyage which re-
quired "a days, and after spending
five weary weeks in search of a site
suitable for founding their settlement,
the place already designated as Ply
mouth was selected.
They first landed on what they later
called "Clark's Island" Governor
Bradford, in his history, gives US par
~ticulars regarding this point in their
history:
"In the morning they find the place
to be a small island secure from In
dams. And this being the last day of
the week, they here dry their stuff, fix
their pieces, rest themselves, return
God thanks for their many deliver
ances, and here the next day keep
their Christian Sabbath. The next
day, Monday, they sailed up to the
shore below us, and, stepping on Ply
mouth Rock, made the exploration
ultimately determined them to
fix upon this place for their planta-
During the first year, half the peo-
pie died because of a disease which
gripped them.
Ten years after settlement Ply
mouth numbered but 300 souls. In
1913, when the New England confeder-
acy was formed, the population of
Plymouth was about 5000.
The Mayflower Pilgrims were plain
farmers. They were without social
recognition. Social recognition would
nave been more likely to make them
acquiescent and contented with things
Is they were. There were a few
artisans among them, who had
earned, through a rather discouraging
experience in Holland, some of the
'ougher trades.
A cheap wit has sometimes made
he Pilgrims appear ludicrous and
'ften their attitude toward certain
ociai and legislative matters has
eemed narrow and bigoted, not to say
leartless and INSCRIPTIONS.
For example, it has been charged
hat the early legislation of the Pill
was noted for its severity above
hat of any other country. But those
rho make the charge know little of the
istory of criminal law.
The Compact, draw up and signed
A the cabin of the Mayfower," was
he fundamental law of the state. In
heir legislation, the Pilgrims were
uided by the conception of equal
ights and common duties announced
/ this great instrument. OF this
ompact has been said:
"The Mayfower Compact is an i'm !
lortal document. 1t is justly counted
ne of the most important contribu-
ons made to the civic thought of the I
In 1886, here were among the Pill
rims only six crimes which were
unstable by death. There were trea-
IN, murder, witchcraft, arson, rape,
nd crimes against nature. Only ten
ersons were convicted by the Pill Il
rims during the seventy years of
leir independent existence.
At the time the Pilgrims left
the English law-books emu
!erated thirty-one crimes for which a
an might be deprived of his life.
/ 1919, there were two hundred and
yenty-three offenses which, in the
ldgment of British p~arliaments,
light be suitable punishment by
,ath. In their first codes, Massachu-
and Connecticut each had twelve
lpital offensees. There were M con- I
ctions for either treason or witch
aft, or arson, or assaults on virtue,
nong the Pilgrims. /.
When the Pilgrims were framing :
leir laws, England and Scotland
ere burning and hanging witches.
7. E. Lecky, the historian, said: !
"The credulity which Luther mani
,sted on all matters connected with !
.abolical intervention was amazing
zen for his age; and, when speaking =
witchcraft, his language was en-
and unhesitating: 4 would '
ave no compassion on these witches
= exclaimed, 4 would burn them ALI !;
At the date of the landing of the :
at Plymouth Rock, as earlier
nd later, belief in ~witchcraft was D.,
ell-nigh universal. {
1t is worth while to remember that :
lie Colony had a remarkably scarcity
{ witches within it's bounds, and a de- .
ded indisposition on the part of the 4,
athorities to convict persons charged :
18th this crime. From first to last !
lere were only two cases brought to :
-ial. Neither of the two was con- ,
=
Likewise, one hears occasionally !
bout the unjust treatment of the In
ians by the Pilgrims. A very COM !,
ION bit of wit is that which declares
lat first the Pilgrims fell upon their
nees, then they fell upon the abort
ines" But, with the exception of a
ew incidental skirmishes with a very
ew Indians, the Pilgrims were at
eace with the red men, and a treaty
as made that was faithfully was