“Then Manuel must have put this book in the drawer,” declared Patsy. “Well, let’s find out what an English passenger on ‘His Majesty’s Ship Dragon’ had to do with the Feredas.”
Her companions having drawn up chairs and seated themselves in a half circle, Patsy picked up the little sheepskin book and eagerly turned to the second page.
“‘August the fifth,’” she began, then gave a little amazed gasp. “Girls,” she said in awed tones, “this date is ‘sixteen hundred and eighteen!’”
A murmur of surprise ascended at this announcement.
“Go on, Patsy,” urged Bee. “What happened on August the fifth, sixteen hundred and eighteen?”
“‘One hour after sunrise,’” Patsy resumed, “‘we weighed anchor and blessed by a fair wind we set sail from the port of Southampton, bound for Virginia, His Most Gracious Majesty’s colony in the New World, which, by the aid and mercy of God, we hope to reach in safety and before many weeks have elapsed. It is now evening and the good wind still continues to fill the Dragon’s sails. I shall retire at once as the events of the day have been somewhat fatiguing.’”
“That’s all for August the fifth,” she said. “The next is August the tenth, so it’s really a journal instead of a diary.”
“This John Holden probably intended to keep a diary and then didn’t,” surmised Bee.
“How funny!” ejaculated Patsy. “That’s almost exactly what he’s written. Listen:
“‘My original intention consisted in the resolve to chronicle faithfully the events of each day. I am deeply regretful that divers matters have completely engaged my attention which have thus caused it to be impossible for me to perform this duty which I laid upon myself. Thus far the Almighty hath indeed favored us. We were for a day becalmed, but since that time we have encountered exceptionally favoring winds, which have steadily furthered us on our course. If Providence wills a continuation of this remarkably fine weather we shall accomplish the voyage sooner, perhaps, than we had the temerity to hope.’”