ON THE BROAD OCEAN
IT was decided that my parents, and, of course,
myself, should sail in the same ship with Master
Winthrop, and the name of that vessel was the Arabella, she
having been so called in honor of Lady Arabella
Johnson, who journeyed with us.
My mother was sadly grieved because of Mistress
Winthrop's deciding not to go on the voyage with her
husband, but to join him in the New World later, and
this decision was a disappointment to very many of
the company. I am in doubt as to whether the Lady
Arabella would have gone with us on this ship, had
she not believed Mistress Winthrop also was to go.
It was on the twenty-second day of March, in that
year which I have previously set down, that, having
already journeyed from London to Southampton,
we went aboard the Arabella, counting that the
voyage would be begun without delay, and yet,
because of unfriendly winds and cruel storms, our ship,
with three others of the company, lay at anchor until
the eighth day of April.
Then it was, after the captain of the ship had shot
off three guns as a farewell, that we sailed out on the
[12] broad ocean, where we
were tossed by the waves
and buffeted by the
winds for nine long,
dreary weeks.
Had it not been for
Master Winthrop's discourses day after day,
we should have been
more gloomy than we
were; but with such a
devout man to remind
us of the mercy and
goodness of God, it
would have been little short of a sin had we repined
because of not being carried more speedily to that land
where was to be our home.
There was one day during the voyage, when it seemed
verily as if the Lord was not minded we should journey
away from England.
We had not been out from the port many days, when
on a certain morning eight ships were seen behind us,
coming up as if counting to learn what we were like;
and then it was that all the men of the company
believed these were Spanish vessels bent on taking us
prisoners, for, as you know, at that time England was
at war with Spain.
[13] It was most fearsome to all the children, but very
much so to Susan, a girl very nearly my own age, with
whom I made friends after coming aboard, and myself.
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