FACSIMILE OF A PASSAGE IN THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT OF GOVERNOR BRADFORD'S "HISTORY."
THE LOG OF THE "MAYFLOWER."
GOVERNOR BRADFORD'S LOST "HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH PLANTATION."
The State of Massachusetts has lately recovered as a friendly gift from England the original manuscript of the "History of Plymouth Plantation," written by William Bradford, one of the founders and second governor of the colony. During the Revolution the manuscript disappeared from the New England Library in the Old South Church, Boston, where it had been deposited, and it was regarded as forever lost. But in 1855 Samuel G. Drake discovered it in the Bishop of London's Library at Fulham, England. How it came there no one knows. The discovery was an event of great historical importance; for while several early historians had had access to the manuscript and had made liberal use of it, the larger part of it had not been published at the time it disappeared, and it is, for the period it covers, the first and almost the only authority. The return of the original manuscript, written in Governor Bradford's own hand, to its natural and proper home, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is, therefore, an incident of no ordinary interest. There have been two publications of the complete work since its recovery: one in 1856, by the Massachusetts Historical Society; and, recently, a beautiful reproduction in facsimile of the original manuscript, by Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston. Neither of these, however, renders it accessible to the general reader. Herewith are given the chapters in which Governor Bradford relates the passage of the "Mayflower" and the first landing and settlement of the Pilgrims on the shores of Cape Cod Bay.—Editor.
THE 9 CHAP.
of their voyage and how they passed the sea; and of their safe arrival at cape cod.
SEPT. 6th [1620 O. S.].—These troubles being blown over, and now being all compacted 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 sea-sickness. And I may not omit here a special mark of God's providence: there was a proud, a very profane young man, one of the seamen, of a lusty able body, which made him the more haughty. He would alway be condemning 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 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
