=Source.=--Bradford, _History of Plymouth Plantation_. Chapter IX.
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 diverse 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 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 shrewdly shaken and her upper parts
made very leaky. And one of the main beams in the midships 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 sufficiency of the ship, as
appeared by their mutterings, 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 among the mariners themselves; fain would
they do what could be done for their wages' sake (being now 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 otherways 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 overpress her with sails. So they committed themselves to the
will of God and resolved to proceed. In sundry of these storms the
winds were so fierce and the seas so high as they could not bear a
knot of sail, but were forced to drift for diverse days together. And
in one of them as they thus lay at drift in a mighty storm, a lusty
young man (called John Howland,) coming upon some occasion above the
gratings, was, with a roll of the ship, thrown into the sea, but it
pleased God that he caught hold of the topsail halyards, which hung
overboard and ran out at length; yet he held his hold (though he was
sundry fathoms under water) till he was hauled up by the same rope to
the brim of the water, and then with a boat-hook and other means got
into the ship again, and his life saved; and though he was something
ill with it, yet he lived many years after; and became a profitable
member both in church and commonwealth. In all this voyage there died
but one of the passengers, which was William Butten, a youth, servant
to Samuel Fuller, when they drew near the coast. But to omit other
things (that I may be brief,) after long beating at sea they fell
in with that land which is called Cape Cod; the which being made and
certainly known to be it, they were not a little joyful. After some
deliberation had among themselves and with the master of the ship,
they tacked about and resolved to stand for the southward (the wind
and weather being fair) to find some place about Hudson's river for
their habitation. But after they had sailed that course about half a
day, they fell among dangerous shoals and roaring breakers, and they
were so far entangled therewith as they conceived themselves in great
danger: and the wind shrinking upon them withal, they resolved to
bear up again for the Cape, and thought themselves happy to get out
of those dangers before night overtook them, as by God's providence
they did. And the next day they got into the Cape Harbour, where they
rode in safety.
Being thus arrived in a good harbour and brought safe to land, they
fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought
them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the
perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and
stable earth, their proper element.