THE MAYFLOWER PILGRIMS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9919, 6 August 1910, Page 6

THE MAYFLOWER PILGRIMS.

MEMORIAL DEDICATED BY PRESIDENT TAFT. United, Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received August G, 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, August 5. President Taft has formally dedicated a monument 347 feet high, costing £I6OO, in memory of the Mayflower pilgrims, at Princetown.

The congregation of John Robinson, of Leyden, having, in 1620, after long efforts, procured from the London Company for Virginia a patent or;grant of land which proved useless to them, and having closed a hard bargain with certain merchants of London who supplied to some limited extent the means necessary for their emigration and settlement, were prepared in the summer of that year to send forth from their community the first pilgrims across the ocean to seek freedom of worship. A small ship—the Speedwell—was bought and fitted out in Holland, and early in July those who were ready for the formidable voyage left Leyden for embarkation at Delf-Haven, and the vessel sailed for Southampton. On their arrival there they found the ' Mayflower, a ship of 180 tons burden, awaiting them with their fellow passengers. The ships put to sea in August, with hopes of the colony being well settled before winter, but the Speedwell was soon pronounced to be leaky, and both ships were compelled to put in at Dartmouth for repairs.* Another start was made a week later, but when the vessels reached a point about a hundred leagues from Lands' End, the commander of the Speedwell declared that his ship was in imminent danger of sinking, and it was found necessary to put about once more. At length, early in September, the Mayflower, unaccompanied, left Plymouth, and nine weeks later sighted the eastern coast of Cape Cod. She took from Plymouth 102 passengers besides the master and crew. After searching up and down the coast for some time, the Mayflower found shelter in the quiet harbour of Princetown, on November 21, 1620. Tradition divides the honour of the first to step on Plymouth Rock between John Alden and Mary Chilton.