tain Smith told me were the West Indies, and the seaman who stood at
the helm when I came on deck to get water for my master, said we were
steering a northerly course, which would soon bring us to the land of
Virginia.

THE TEMPEST

On that very night, however, such a tempest of wind and of rain came
upon us that I was not the only one who believed the Susan Constant must
be crushed like an eggshell under the great mountains of water which
at times rolled completely over her, so flooding the decks that but few
could venture out to do whatsoever of work was needed to keep the ship
afloat. After this fierce tempest, when the Lord permitted that even our
pinnace should ride in safety, it was believed that we were come near
to the new world, and by day and by night the seamen stood at the rail,
throwing the lead every few minutes in order to discover if we were
venturing into shoal water.

Nathaniel and I used to stand by watching them, and wishing that we
might be allowed to throw the line, but never quite getting up our
courage to say so, knowing full well we should probably make a tangle of
it.

THE NEW COUNTRY SIGHTED

As Master George Percy has set down in the writings which I have copied
for him since we came to Virginia, it was on the twenty-sixth day
of April, in the year of our Lord 1607, at about four o'clock in the
morning, when we were come within sight of that land where were to be
built homes, not only for our company of one hundred and five, counting
the boys, but for all who should come after us.

It was while the ship lay off the land, her decks crowded with our
company who fain would get the first clear view of that country in which
they were to live, if the savages permitted, that I asked my master who
among the gentlemen of the cabin was the leader in this adventure.

To my surprise, he told me that it was not yet known. The London Company
had made an election of those among the gentlemen who should form
the new government, and had written down the names, together with
instructions as to what should be done; but this writing was enclosed
in a box which was not to be opened until we had come to the end of our
voyage.

THE LEADER NOT KNOWN

There could be no doubt but that Captain Kendall and Captain Martin both
believed that when the will of the London Company was made known, it
would be found they stood in high command; but there was in my heart
a great hope that my ma