large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb_67
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb
English
8677
In spite of the fact that this cargo was promptly stolen by a French cruiser off the English coast, it nevertheless marks the foundation of the fur and lumber trade in New England. Although this first visitor brought with her a patent of their lands (a document still preserved in Pilgrim Hall, with the signatures and seals of the Duke of Lenox, the Marquis of Hamilton, the Earl of Warwick, and Sir Ferdinando Gorges), yet to us, reading history in the perspective of three hundred years, the disagreeable impression of Weston's letter outweighs the satisfaction for the patent. IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THIS CARGO WAS PROMPTLY STOLEN BY A FRENCH CRUISER OFF THE ENGLISH COAST IT NEVERTHELESS MARKS THE FOUNDATION OF THE FUR AND LUMBER TRADE IN NEW ENGLAND ALTHOUGH THIS FIRST VISITOR BROUGHT WITH HER A PATENT OF THEIR LANDS A DOCUMENT STILL PRESERVED IN PILGRIM HALL WITH THE SIGNATURES AND SEALS OF THE DUKE OF LENNOX THE MARQUIS OF HAMILTON THE EARL OF WARWICK AND SIR FERDINANDO GEORGE'S YET TO US READING HISTORY IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF THREE HUNDRED YEARS THE DISAGREEABLE IMPRESSION OF WESTON'S LETTER OUTWEIGHS THE SATISFACTION FOR THE PATENT
table cargo back to England, he complained, an omission which was "wonderful and worthily distasted." While he admitted that they had labored under adverse circumstances, he unkindly added that a quarter of the time they had spent in discoursing and arguing and consulting could have profitably been spent in other ways. That the first official word from home should be one of such cruel reprimand struck the colonists--who had so wistfully waited for a cheering message--very hard. Half frozen, half starved, sick, depressed, they had been forced to struggle so desperately to maintain even a foothold on the ladder of existence, that it had not been humanly possible for them to fulfill their pledge to the Company. Bradford's letter back to Weston--dignified, touching--is sufficient vindication. When the Fortune returned she "was laden with good clapboards, as full as she could stowe, and two hogsheads of beaver and other skins," besides sassafras--a cargo valued at about five hundred pounds. YFLOWER HAD BROUGHT NO PROFITABLE CARGO BACK TO ENGLAND HE COMPLAINED AN A MISSION WHICH WAS WONDERFUL AND WORTHILY DISTASTED WHILE HE ADMITTED THAT THEY HAD LABORED UNDER ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES HE UNKINDLY ADDED THAT A QUARTER OF THE TIME THEY HAD SPENT IN DISCOURSING AND ARGUING AND CONSULTING COULD HAVE PROFITABLY BEEN SPENT IN OTHER WAYS THAT THE FIRST OFFICIAL WORD FROM HOME SHOULD BE ONE OF SUCH CRUEL REPRIMAND STRUCK THE COLONISTS WHO HAD SO WISTFULLY WAITED FOR A CHEERING MESSAGE VERY HARD HALF FROZEN HALF STARVED SICK DEPRESSED THEY HAD BEEN FORCED TO STRUGGLE SO DESPERATELY TO MAINTAIN EVEN A FOOTHOLD ON THE LADDER OF EXISTENCE THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN HUMANLY POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO FULFIL THEIR PLEDGE TO THE COMPANY BRADFORD'S LETTER BACK TO WESTON DIGNIFIED TOUCHING IS SUFFICIENT VINDICATION WHEN THE FORTUNE RETURNED SHE WAS LADEN WITH GOOD CLAPBOARDS AS FULL AS SHE COULD STOW AND TWO HOGSHEADS OF BEAVER AND OTHER SKINS BESIDES SASSAFRAS A CARGO VALUED AT ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb
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