shipp Lyon of Bristou with supplyes of victualls from England who had sett fourth from Bristou the first of December before. Hee had a stormy passage hether, and lost one of his saylors not farr from our shore who in a tempest haueing helped to take in the spritt saile lost his hold as hee was comeigne doune and fell into the sea, where after long swiming hee was drowned, to the great dolour of those in the shipp, who beheld soe lamentable a spectacle, without beeing able to minister help to him. The sea was soe high and the shipp droue so fast before the wind, though her sailes were taken doun. By this shipp wee understood of the fight of 3 of our shipps and 2 English men of warr comeinge out of the straites with 14 Dunkirkes, upon the coast of England, as they returned from vs in the end of the last summer, who through God's goodnes with the loss of some 13 or 14 men out of our 3 shipps; and I know not how many out of the 2inen of warr, gott at length cleare of them. The Charles, one of our 3,* a stout shipp of 300 tunne beeing soc torne that shee had not much of her left whole aboue water. By this shipp wee allso vnderstood the death of many of those who went from vs the last ycare to old England as likewise of the mortallity there whereby wee see there are graues in other places as well as with vs.

Allso to increase the heape of our sorrous wee received advertisement by l'res from our friends in England and by the reports of those who came hether in this shipp to abide with vs, (which were about 26) that those who went discontentedly from vs the last yeare, out of their evill affections towards us, have raised many false and scandalous reports against vs, affirminge vs to be Brounists in religion and ill affected to our state at home and that theis vile reports haue wonne creditt with some who formerly wished vs well. But wee doc desire, and cannot but hope, that wise and imp'tiall men will at length consider that such malecontents haue ever p.sed this manner of casting dirt to make others to seeme as fowle as themselves and that our godly freinds to whom wee haue been knowne will not easily beleive that wee are not soe soon turned from the profession wee soe long haue made in our natiue Country: And for our further cleareinge I truely affirme that I know noe one person who came over with vs the last yeare to bee altered in his judgment and affection eyther in ecclesiasticall or civill respects since our comcinge hether, but wee doc continue to pray dayley for our soveraigne lord the Kinge, the Queene the Prince, the royal blood, the counsaile and whole state as dutye bindes us to doc and reason persuades others to beleive, for how ungodly and unthankfull should wee bee if wee

*The other two were the Success and the Whale.

should not thus doe, who come hether by vertue of his Ma'ties letters patents, and vnder his gratious protection vnder which shelter wee hope to liue safely and from whome kingdome and subiects, wee now haue received and hereafter expect releife, Lett our friends therefore giue noe creditt to such malicious aspersions, but bee more ready to answer for us, then we heare they haue beene: wee are not like those which haue dispensations to lye, but as we were free enough in Old England, to turne our insides outwards sometimes to our disadvantage very unlike is it that now (beeinge procul a bulmine) wee should bee so unlike ourselves; lett therefore this be sufficient for vs to say, and others to heare in this matter.

Amongst others who dyed about this time was Mr. Robert Welden, whom in the time of his sicknes wee had chosen to bee Captaine of 100 foote, but before hee tooke possession of his place hee dyed the 16 of this February, and was buried as a soldier with 3 volleyes of shott. Vpon the 22 of February wee held a general day of thanks giveinge throughout the whole Colony for the safe arrivall of the shipp which came last with our provisions.

About this time wee apprehended one Robt. Wright who had been sometimes a lynnen draper in Newgate market and after that a brewer on the banke side and on Thames Streete. This man wee lately vnderstood had made an escape in London from those who came to his house to apprehend him for clipping the king's coyne had stollen after vs Vppon his examinacon hee confessed the fact and his escape, but affirmed hee had the kinge's pardon for it ynder the broade seale which hee yett not beeing able to prooue, and one to whome he was knoune chargeing him with untruth in some of his answers wee therefore comitted him to prison to bee sent by the next shipp into England.

Likewise wee were lately informed that one Mr. Gardiner, who arrived here a month before us (and who had passed here for a knight by the name of Sr. Christopher Gardiner all this while) was noe knight, but instead thereof, had 2 wiues, now liueinge in an howse at London, one of which came about September last from Paris in Ffrance, (where her husband had left her 4 yeares before) to London where shee had heard her husband had marryed a second wife, and whom by enquiry shee found out, and they both condoleinge each others estate wrote both their l'res to the Governour (by Mr. Peirce who had conferrence with both the women in the presence of Mr. Allerton of Plymouth) his first wife desireing his returne and conversion; his second his destruccon for his foule abuse, and for robbinge

her of her estate of a part whereof shee sent an Inventory hether compriseinge therein many rich jewells, much plate and costly lynnen. This man had in his family (and yett hath) a gentlewoman whom hee called his kinswoman and whom one of his wiues in her letter names Mary Grove affirming her to be a knoune harlott, whose sending back into Old England shee allso desired togeather with her husband. Shortly after this intelligence wee sent to the house of the said Gardiner (which was 7 miles from us) to apprehend him and his woman with a purpose to send them both to London to his wiues there, but the man, who haueing heard some rumour from some who came in the shipp that I'res were come to the Governour requireing justice against him, was readily prepared for flight soe soone as hee should see any crossinge the river likely to apprehend him which hee accordingly perfourmed; for hee dwelling aloone easily descerned such who were sent to take him, halfe a mile before they approached his house, and with his peece on his neck went his way as most men think northwards, hopeing to find some English there like to himselfe but likely enough it is which way so ever hee went, hee will loose himselfe in the woods and be stopped with some rivers in his passing, notwithstanding his compass in his pockett, and soe with hunger and cold will perish, before hee find the place hee seekes. His woman was brought vnto vs and confessed hir name, and that hir mother dwells 8 miles from Boirdly in Salopshire, and that Gardiner's father dwells in or neare Gloucester and was (as shee said) brother to Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester,* and did disinherit his sonne for his 26 years absence in his travailes in Ffrance, Italy, Germany, and Turkey, that hee had (as hee told hir) marryed a wife in his travailes, from whom hee was devorced and the woman long since dead,-that both herselfe and Gardiner were both Catholiques, till of late, but were now Protestants, that shee takes him to bee a knight but never heard where he was knighted. The woman was impenitent and close, confessing noe more than was wrested from her by her oune contradictions, soe wee haue taken order to send her to the 2 wiues in Old England to search her farther

Vpon the 8 of March, from after it was faire day light untill about 8 of the clock in the forenoone, there flew over all the tounes in our plantacons soe many flocks of doues, each flock conteyning many thousands and some soe many that they obscured the lighte, that it passeth credit, if but the truth should bee

This story was probably of the knight's invention, to raise him in the eyes of his paramour. The Bishop of Winchester was born 147 years before this examination, and has been dead seventy-five years.

written, and the thing was the more strange, because I scarce remember to haue seene tenne doues since I came into the country. They were all turtles as appeared by diverse of them wee killed flying somewhat bigger than those of Europe, and they flew from the north east to the south west; but what it portends I know not.

The shipp now waites but for wind, which when it blowes there are ready to goe aboard therein for England Sr. Richard Saltonstall, Mr. Sharpe, Mr. Coddington and many others, the most whereof purpose to returne to vs againe, if God will. In the meane time wee are left a people poore and contemptible yet such as trust in God, and are contented with our condition, beeinge well assured that hee will not faile vs nor forsake vs.

I had allmost forgotten to add this, that the wheate wee received by this last shipp standes us in 13 or 14 shillinges a strike, and the pease about 11s. a strike besides the adventure, which is worth 3 or 4 shillinges a strike which is an higher price than I ever tasted bread of before.

Thus Madam, I haue as I canne, told your Honr. all our matters, knowinge your wisedome canne make good vse thereof. If I liue not to perfourme the like office of my dutye hereafter, likely it is some other will doe it better.

Before the depparture of the shipp (w'ch yet was wind bound) there came vnto vs Sagamore John and one of his subiects requireinge sattisfaction for the burning of two wigwams by some of the English which wiggwams were not inhabitted but stood in a place convenient for their shelter, when vppon occasion they should travaile that wayes. By examination wee found that some English fowlers haueing retired into that which belonged to the subiect and leaueing a fire therein carelessly which they had kindled to warm them were the cause of burninge thereof; ffor that which was the Sagamores wee could find noe certaine proofe how it was fired, yet least hee should thinke vs not scedulous enough to find it out and soe should depart discontentedly from vs, wee gave both him and his subiects sattisfaction for them both.

The like accident of fire also befell Mr. Sharpe and Mr. Colborne vppon the 17 of this March both whose howses, which were as good, and as well furnished as the most in the plantacon were in 2 houres space burned to the ground together with much of their house hould stuff, apparell and other thinges as allsoe some goods of others who soiourned with them in their howses; God so pleaseinge to exercise vs with corrections of this kind, as he hath done with others, for the prevention whereof in our new toune intended this somer to bee builded, wee haue ordered

that noe man there shall build his chimney with wood, nor cover his house with thatch, which was readily assented vnto, for that diverse other howses haue beene burned since our arrivall (the fire allwaies beginninge in the woodden chimneyes) and some English wigwams which haue taken fire in the roofes covered with thatch or boughs.

And that this shipp might returne into Old England with heavy newes, vppon the 18 day of March, came one from Salem and told us that vppon the 15 thereof, there dyed Mrs. Skelton, the wife of the other minister there, who about 18 or 20 dayes before handling cold things in a sharpe morninge, put herself into a most violent fitt of the wind colleck and of vomitting, which continuinge, shee at length fell into a feaver & so dyed as before. Shee was a godly & an helpfull woman, & indeed the maine piller of her family, haueing left behinde hir an husband & 4 children weake and helpeles, who canne scarce till how to live without her. Shee lieued desired and dyed lamented and well deserves to bee honourably remembred.

Vppon the 25 of this March, one of Waterton haueing lost a calfe, and about 10 of the clock at night heareinge the howlinge of some wolues not farr off, raised many of his neighbours out of their bedds, that by discharginge their muskeets neere about the place, where hee heard the wolues, hee might soe putt the wolues to flight, and saue his calfe: the wind serveing fitt to cary the report of the musketts to Rocksbury, 3 miles of at such a time, the inhabitants there tooke an alarme beate vpp their drume, armed themselves and sent in post to vs to Boston to raise vs allsoe. Soe in the morninge the calfe beeinge found safe, the wolues affrighted, and our danger past, wee went merrily to breakefast.

I thought to haue ended before, but the stay of the shipp, and my desire to informe your ho" of all I canne, hath caused this addition; and every one haueinge warninge to prepare for the shipps departure to morrow, I am now this 28 of March 1631, sealinge my l'res.