The reason why the shallop, of which I have just spoken, came toward our village of Plymouth, was that Master Weston's ship had brought over seven men who wished to join us, and, what was yet better, they had with them letters from our friends at home.
It was unfortunate that they had no food other than enough to serve until they should have come to our settlement, and thus it was that there were more mouths yet for us to feed from our scanty store.
A few weeks later we heard that a company of men from England had begun to build a village within five and twenty miles of our Plymouth town. There is little need for me to say that we rejoiced to learn of neighbors in this wilderness of a country; but were more than surprised because the ship which brought them over the seas had not come into our harbor.
VISITING THE NEIGHBORS
That another village was to be built, and so near at hand that in case the savages came against us in anger we might call upon the people for aid, was of so much importance in the eyes of Governor Bradford, that he at once sent Captain Standish and six men to visit our neighbors. This he did not only in order to appear friendly, but with the hope that from the new-comers we might be able to add to our store of food.
It was a great disappointment to all, and particularly to Sarah and me, when the captain came back with the report that the new settlers were glad to leave London streets. They were of Master Weston's company; among them were those who had come in the shallop from Damarins Cove, bringing to us letters from England, and the people who were eager to cast in their lot with us.
"They are a quarrelsome, worthless company, and have already fought with the Indians after having received favors from them," Captain Standish said to my father, when he had made his report to the governor. "One Thomas Weston is the leader, and if he continues as he has begun, there will soon be an end of the entire party."
Instead of getting food from them for our needs, it is more than likely, so the captain declares, that we may be called upon to save them from starvation. From the first they stole corn from the Indians, or took it by force, and it seemed certain they could not continue such a lawless course until harvest time.
WHY MORE FISH ARE NOT TAKEN
I can well fancy you are asking how it is we complain thus about the scarcity of food, when you know that the sea is filled with fish.