Of Plymouth Plantation

Chapter IX

OF THEIR VOYAGE, AND HOW THEY PASSED THE SEA; AND OF THEIR SAFE ARRIVAL AT CAPE COD

September 6 [1620]. These troubles being blown over, and now all being compact together in one ship, they put to sea again with a prosperous wind, which continued divers days together, which was some encouragement unto them; yet, according to the usual manner, many were afflicted with seasickness. And I may not omit here a special work of God’s providence. There was a proud and very profane young man, one of the seamen, of a lusty, able body, which made him the more haughty; he would always be contemning the poor people in their sickness and cursing them daily with grievous execrations; and did not let to tell them that he hoped to help to cast half of them overboard before they came to their journey’s end, and to make merry with what they had; and if he Were by any gently reproved, he would curse and swear most bitterly. But it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was himself the first that was thrown overboard. Thus his curses light on his own head, and it was an astonishment to all his fellows for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him.
After they had enjoyed fair winds and weather for a season, they were encountered many times with cross winds and met with many fierce storms with which the ship was soundly shaken, and her upper works made very leaky; and one of the main beams in the mid-ship was bowed and cracked, which put them in some fear that the ship could not be able to perform the voyage. So some of the chief of the company, perceiving the mariners to fear the insufficiency of the ship as appeared by their mutterings, they entered into serious consultation with the master and other officers of the ship, to consider in time of the danger, and rather to return than to cast themselves into a desperate and inevitable peril. And truly there was great distraction and difference of opinion amongst the mariners themselves; fain would they do what could be done for their wages’ sake (being now near half the seas over) and on the other hand they were loath to hazard their lives too desperately. But in examining of all opinions, the master and others affirmed they knew the ship to be strong and firm under water; and for the buckling of the main beam, there was a great iron screw the passengers brought out of Holland, which would raise the beam into his place; the which being done, the carpenter and master affirmed that with a post put under it, set firm in the lower deck and otherwise bound, he would make it sufficient. And as for the decks and upper works, they would caulk them as well as they could, and though with the working of the ship they would not long keep staunch, yet there would otherwise be no great danger, if they did not over-press her with sails. So they committed themselves to the will of God and resolved to proceed.


Reflection:

The author began the chapter by telling the troubles, such as heavy winds or violent storms, which they dealt with only a daily basis. The travelers often told of how they wish God would help them along the way and teach them how to be better off than they were. This showed me how religious they were in those times and how the only one they could turn to was God for their hope and faith. The haughty man’s death was the only shine of light they had as he was struck with sickness as to cursing all the poor making their way across the ocean for their search for community in America. He described the weather changes of hot or cold, even windy or fair so that the audience would know what they were going through. The author states many facts dealing with the new land trying to show us every detail they saw coming to this new world. He told what they went through from travel to travel as well as the people they saw which were the Native Americans. William Bradford wanted us to know exactly what the people went through as they sought their American freedom.


Dear Diary:

It is a cold day when we arrived ashore to gather some nearby food that we scavenged a few days ago. There was no one there to claim the food, but my parents or peers did not notice the foot prints as I did. It frightened me to go back ashore for I did not tell anyone of what I saw except my friend Joseph. We rowed the boat ashore and immediately we saw a giant sailor fall to the ground with red water surrounding his upper body. Then we knew that we were under attack and as his blood reached our feet the men grabbed their guns and started firing any which way to stop they barrage of arrows. As the men fired a few tan colored men jumped from the bushes with axes in each hand trying to swing at them. Our parents told us to hurry on the boats and go back to the ship and as they did the tan men retreated as did we when we had the optimal moment to get away from that part of this giant piece of land. So here I am writing as a record of my events so I will always remember what happened to me.