Diaries

A - William Bradford Having finally disembarked from that wretched ship, as I have come to think of it in the last few weeks of the journey, I found that we had come out of the frying pan and into the fire. With Winter's onset soon, I volunteered to go investigate the surrounding areas. When we had come about to the other end of the cape, we spotted six savages and a dog watching us from the trees. They ran as soon as we noticed them, and we decided immediately to give chase. They were elusive, these Indians, but we tracked them through the trees and onto the beach, where they took off at a run. After we camped the night, we followed the tracks until we found an insurmountable tangle of plants that ripped our clothes and skin. We had to turn in another direction; and we found where the Indians must have been recently, as the area showed signs of habitation. It pleased God for us to find, buried under the ground, baskets of corn, and we took many ears of corn back to the Mayflower and re-buried the rest. The others are grateful in the extreme, as we can now plant some corn for farming and eat the rest to avoid starvation. B - Anne Bradstreet To My Dear Husband, Now that our eight children have finally left their nest, and I am all alone. I've been waiting for you to come home. I do not wish to rush your return; I merely hope that it pleases God for you to have a swift and safe journey back to me. With love, Anne