who had served in the armies both of Elizabeth and
James; and William Bradford, Stephen Hopkins, and Edward Tilly, being
joined with him as "advisers and counsellors," the party debarked at
Stevens' Point, at the western extremity of the harbor, and marching in
single file, at the distance of about a mile, five savages were espied,
who, at their approach, hastily fled.

Compassing the head of East Harbor Creek the next day, and reaching a
deep valley, fed with numerous springs, the exhausted travellers, whose
provisions consisted but of "biscuit and Holland cheese, with a little
bottle of aqua vitae," eagerly halted by one of these springs, and "drank
their first draught of New England water with as much delight as ever
they drunk drink in all their lives." Passing thence to the shore, and
kindling a beacon-fire, they proceeded to another valley, in Truro, in
which was a pond, "a musket-shot broad and twice as long," near which
the Indians had planted corn. Further on graves were discovered; and at
another spot the ruins of a house, and heaps of sand filled with corn
stored in baskets. With hesitancy--so scrupulous were they of wilfully
wronging the natives--an old kettle, a waif from the ruins, was filled
with this corn, for which the next summer the owners were remunerated.
In the vicinity of the Pamet were the ruins of a fort, or palisade; and
encamping for the night near the pond in Truro, on the following day
they returned to the ship "weary and welcome" and their "Eschol" was
added for their diminishing stores.

Ten days after, another expedition was fitted out, in which twenty-five
of the colonists and nine or ten of the sailors, with Jones at their
head, were engaged; and visiting the mouth of the Pamet, called by them
"Cold Harbor," and obtaining fresh supplies from the aboriginal
granaries, after a brief absence, in which a few unimportant discoveries
were made, the party returned. Here a discussion ensued. Should they
settle at Cold Harbor or seek a more eligible site? In favor of the
former it was urged that the harbor was suitable for boats, if not for
ships; the corn land was good; it was convenient to their
fishing-grounds; the location was healthy; winter was approaching;
travelling was dangerous; their provisions were wasting; and the captain
of the Mayflower was anxious to return. On the other hand, it was
replied that a better place might be found; it would be a hinderance to
move a second time; goo