Captain John Smith writes about the Pilgrims

Captain John Smith wrote a little bit about the Pilgrims and the Plymouth Colony in his book, The General History of New England, Virginia, and the Summer Isles (London, 1624).  He also re-copies much of Mourt's Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth into his history.  Below are the original portions of his writings about the Pilgrims and Plymouth--the first account describing the Pilgrims leaving for America and the second account describing the colony and its finances as of 1624.

A Plantation in New-England

Upon these inducements some few well disposed Gentlemen, and Merchants of London and other places, provided two ships, the one of a hundred and three-score tons, the other of threescore and ten. They left the coast of England the two and twentieth of August, with about a hundred and twenty persons; but the next day the lesser ship sprung a leake, that forced their return to Plimoth: where discharging her and twenty passengers; with the greater ship and one hundred passengers besides Sailers, they set sail again the sixth of September, and the ninth of November fell with Cape James.

But being pestered nine weeks in this leaking unwholesome ship, lying wet in their cabins, most of them grew very weak and weary of the sea; then for want of experience, ranging two, and again six weeks, before they found a place they liked to dwell on; forced to lie on the bare ground without coverture: forty of them died, and threescore were left in very weak estate, at the ships coming away, about the fifth of April following, and arrived in England the sixth of May.

The Present [1624] Estate of New Plymouth

At New Plymouth there is about 180 persons, some cattle and goats, but many swine and poultry; 32 dwelling houses, whereof 7 were burnt the last winter, and the value of five hundred pounds in other goods; the town is impaled about half a mile compass.  In the town upon a high mount they have a fort well built with wood, loam, and stone, where is planted their ordinance:  also a fair watch tower, partly framed, for the sentinel.  The place it seems is healthful, for in these last three years, notwithstanding their great want of most necessaries, there hath not one died of the first planters.  They have made a saltwork, and with that salt preserve the fish they take; and this year hath froughted a ship of 180 tons.

The governor is one Master William Bradford; their Captain Miles Standish, a bred Soldier in Holland; the chief men for their assistance is Master Isaak Alderton, and divers others as occasion serveth; their preachers are Master William Bruster and Master John Layford.

The most of them live together as one family or household, yet every man followth his trade and profession both by sea and land, and all for a general stock: out of which they have all their maintenance, until there be a dividend betwixt the Planters and the Adventurers.  

Those Planters are not servants to the Adventurers here, but have only counsels of directions from them, but no injunctions or command; and all the masters of families are partners in land or whatsoever, setting their labors against the stock, till certain years be expired for the division: they having young men and boys for their apprentices and servants, and some of them special families, as ship-carpenters, salt-makers, fish-masters, yet as servants upon great wages.

The Adventurers which raised the stock to begin and supply this Plantation were about 70: some gentlemen, some merchants, some handy-crafts men, some adventuring great sums, some small, as their estates and affection served.  The general stock already employed is about £7000; by reason of which charge and many crosses, many of them would adventure no more: but others that know so great a design cannot be affected without both charge, loss and crosses, are resolved to go forward with it to their powers; which deserves no small commendations and encouragement.  These dwell mostly about London.  They are not a corporation, but knit together by a voluntary combination in a society without constraint or penalty, aiming to do good and to plant religion; they have a president and treasurer, every year newly chosen by the most voices, who ordereth the affairs of their courts and meetings, and with the assent of the most of them, undertaketh all ordinary businesses: but in more weighty affairs, the assent of the whole company is required.