gold, would be a temptation, if not a curse, to weak members of the community. There was also the prospect of danger from the Spaniards. Virginia, the next place suggested, was considered unsafe. The English were there. It was doubtful whether the English would allow in their midst a large community the members of which held unauthorized religious opinions. No other place offered such advantages as Virginia. The settlers there were Englishmen and Protestants. It was decided that members of the community should go to London to ask leave of the Virginia Company. In September 1617, two of the Separatists (John Carver and Robert Cushman) laid before the Virginia Company in London a declaration in seven articles. This declaration was designed to show that the Separatists would not be rebellious nor dangerous colonists. It stated that they assented to the doctrines of the Church of England and acknowledged the King’s authority. The Virginia Company, accepting the declaration, was inclined to welcome the party as colonists; but a fear, suggested by the bishops, that they intended for Virginia, “to make a free popular state there,” caused delay. The patent was not granted till the 9th/19th of June, 1619.

When the patent had been obtained more delay was caused by the difficulty of obtaining money for the equipment of the expedition. The London merchants saw little prospect of rich returns. They were slow to invest in an undertaking so hazardous. It was one thing to subscribe money “for the glory of Christ and the advancement of the beaver trade,” another to equip a large party of religious enthusiasts for an experimental settling in a savage country. John Robinson, wearying of the delays, tried to persuade the Dutch to encourage the party to settle in the New Netherlands. His request led to nothing. Early in 1620, Thomas Weston, a London merchant, suggested that the settlement should be made in Northern Virginia. About seventy other merchants offered to subscribe. The business began to go forward. A Common Stock was formed. Ten pound shares in this Stock could be taken up either by money or by goods. John Carver went to Southampton to engage a ship. Robert Cushman, acting for the brethren, drew up an agreement with the merchant adventurers, or, as we should call them, the speculators. He agreed that all the labour of the colonists should be for the common benefit, and that, after seven years, the results of the labours (houses, tilled land and goods) should be divided equally between the planters and the adventurers.

Although some seventy merchants subscribed money, the Common Stock was not big enough to send all the brethren to America. The majority had to stay in Holland. Those who chose, or were chosen, to go, left Leyden for Delft Haven, where they went aboard the ship Speedwell, of 60 tons, which had been bought and equipped in Holland. On or about the 10th/20th of July, 1620, the Speedwell sailed for Southampton.

At Southampton, the emigrants found waiting for them the ship Mayflower, of 180 tons. She was a London ship, chartered for the occasion. In her were other emigrants, some of them labourers, some of them Separatists eager to leave England. With them was the chief adventurer, Mr. Thomas Weston, who had come to ask the leaders of the party to sign the contract approved by Cushman. As the leaders did not like the terms of the contract they refused to sign it. There was an angry dispute. In the end Mr. Weston went back to London, with the contract not signed.

It had been agreed that he was to advance them another sum of money before the ships set sail. As the contract was not signed, the pilgrims had to manage without this money. Without it, they found it difficult to pay the charges of the ships and crews. They were forced to sell sixty pounds’ worth of provisions to obtain money for the discharge of these claims. In those days, and, indeed, until within the memory of men now living, passengers across the Atlantic lived upon supplies of food laid in and prepared by themselves. The Western passage was seldom made in less than two months. The pilgrims could not hope for any fresh supply of food before the next year’s harvest in the New World. A considerable lessening of their stock of provisions might well lead to the ruin of the settlement.

About the 5th/15th of August the two ships put to sea in company, carrying in all about 120 emigrants. After eight days, the captain of the Speedwell complained that his ship had sprung a leak. The expedition put back into Dartmouth to refit. On setting sail again, the ships beat a hundred leagues to the west of