Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1937-07-29
THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN
MORE THAN 300 YEARS Age
McConnelsyille, Ohio,
July IA. 1897.

McCOnnelSvllle, ONO,
July IA, 1897.
Editor Democrat, Dear Sir:-No
very often do any of us haveathe op
portunity to see letters or other pa
pers, written more than 800 year:
ago, and when that item happens tc
be one written by an ancestor il
holds especial interest to the one
reading it.
AS l read over the letter, copy
of which is hereto attached,
thought it possible that others than
myself might be interested in read
ing what had been written so long
ago. The difference in expression is
noticeable and the use of certain
words shows how their application
has changed with the times. This
letter was written on July "a, 1929,
after a voyage from England to the
new colony established in Massachu-
Setts.
1t was written by the Reverend
Francis Higginson, the founder Of
the first complete church organiza-
tion in North America. A more ex-
tensive account of this will be found
in another letter that am writing
you, for, in as much as this is part
of our history, all your readers will
be interested in knowing something
about it, especially when we have
here such a comparatively close con-
nection with such an historic event.
A copy of the letter, above men
toned, with it's use of capital let
ters as written, follows
Now in our Passage divers
X,lx IL
Through Gods Pleasing, our Pass
age was short and speedy; for,
whereas, we had Thousand
Leagues, that is, Three Thousand
English Miles, to sail from Old to
New England, we performed the
Same in Six Weeks and Three Days.
Secondly: Our Passage was Com
Portable and Easy, for the most
part; having ordinarily Fair Wealth
er and Moderate Winds, and being
freed, for the most part, from
Stormy and Rough Seas, saving one
Night, only, which we, that were not
used, thought to be more Terrible
than indeed it was, and this We'd
nesday at Night, May 27, 1929.
Thirdly: Our Passage was also
Healthful to our Passengers, being
freed from the Great Contagion of
Scurvy and other Maledictions,
which on other Passages, to other
Places, had taken away the Lives of
Many. And yet we were, in all Rea-
son, in Wonderful Danger all the
Way, our Ship being greatly crowd
ed with Passengers; but through
Gods Great Goodness, we had None
that died of the Pox, (small pox)
but that Wicked Fellow that Scorn-
ed at Fasting and Prayer. There
were, indeed, Two Little Children,
One of them my own, and Another
besides; but I do not impute it en-
tirely to the Passage, for they were
born Sickly Children and not likely
to have lived long if they had not
gone to Sea. And take this for a
Rule; if Children be Healthy when
they come to Sea, the Younger they
are the Better will they endure the
Sea and are not troubled with Sea-
sickness as Older People are, as we
have experienced in Many Children
that went this Voyage. My wife, in
deed, in tossing weather was some ,
thing III by Vomiting, but in Calm |
Weather she recovered again and is /
ness. And for my own part: Where |
as I have for Divers Years past been !
very Sickly and ready to Cast Up |
whatsoever / have eaten, and was
very Sick at London, and at Grave
send, yet, from the Time | came on
Ship Board to this Day, 1 have been
strangely Healthful, and now I can
digest our Ship Diet very we'll, which
| could not do when 1 was on Land.
And, indeed, in this Regard, l have
Great Cause to give God Praise, that
He hath made my Coming to be
Method to Cure me of Wonderful |
Weak Stomach, and continued Pain
of Melancholy Mind from the Spleen
Also, Divers Children were Sick Of
the Small Pox, but are Safely recov-
cred again; and Two or Three Pas
towards the End of the
Voyage, fell Sick Of the Scurvy, but
coming to Land, soon recovered in
short time.
Fourthly: Our Passage was both
and Profitable; for We
received Instruction and Delight in
the Wonders of the Lord
in the Deep Waters, and sometimes.
seeing the Sea around us appearing |
with a Terrible Countenance, and,
as it were, full of High Hills and
Deep Valleys, and sometimes it ap-
peared as a Most Plain and Even |
Meadow And, ever and anon, we
saw divers Kinds of Fishes, sport I
ing in the Great Waters; great |
Grampuses and Huge Whales going |
by Companies and Putting up Water
Streams Those that Love their /,
Chimney Corners and dare not go
far beyond their own Towns End,
shall never have the Honour to see
these Wonderful Works of Almighty
God. /