When Captain John Smith had promised on Cheapside that I should be one
of the company of adventurers, because of such labor as it might be
possible for me to perform, and had refused to listen to my comrade,
Nathaniel, without acquainting me with the fact, had made up his mind
that he also would go into the new world of Virginia.
Fearing lest I would believe it my duty to tell Captain Smith of his
purpose, he kept far from me, doing whatsoever he might in London town
to earn as much as would provide him with food during a certain time.
In this he succeeded so far as then seemed necessary, and when it was
known that the fleet was nearly ready to make sail, he came to Blackwall
with all his belongings tied in his doublet.
To get on board the Susan Constant without attracting much attention
while she was being visited by so many curious people, was not a hard
task for Nathaniel Peacock, and three days before the fleet was got
under way, my comrade had hidden himself in the very foremost part of
the ship, where were stored the ropes and chains.
There he had remained until thirst, or hunger, drove him out, on this
night of which I am telling you, and he begged that I go on deck, where
were the scuttle butts, to get him a pannikin of water.
For those of you who may not know what a scuttle butt is, I will explain
that it is a large cask in which fresh water is kept on shipboard. When
Nathaniel's burning thirst had been soothed, he began to fear that I
might give information to Captain John Smith concerning him; but after
all that had been done in the way of hiding himself, and remembering his
suffering, I had not the heart so to do.
During four days more he spent all the hours of sunshine, and the
greater portion of the night, in my bed, closely covered so that the
sailors might not see him, and then came the discovery, when he was
dragged out with many a blow and harsh word to give an account of
himself. I fear it would have gone harder still with Nathaniel, if I had
not happened to be there at that very moment.
As it was, I went directly to Captain John Smith, my master, telling him
all Nathaniel's story, and asking if the lad had not shown himself made
of the proper stuff to be counted on as one of the adventurers.
Although hoping to succeed in my pleading, I was surprised when the
captain gave a quick consent to number the lad among those who were to
go into the new land of Virginia, and was even astonished when his name
was written down among others as if he had been pledged to the voyage in
due form.
But for the sickness of Master Hunt, and the fear we had lest he should
die, Nathaniel and I might have made exceeding merry while we lay at
anchor in the Downs, for food was plentiful; there was little of work to
be done, and we lads could have passed the time skylarking with such of
the sailors as were disposed to sport, except orders had been given that
no undue noise be made on deck.