The Mayflower and Her Log, v6 by Azel Ames - A complete eBook in pages (32 / 79)

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The Mayflower and Her Log, v6 by Azel Ames
Book, page 32 / 79

                               [Plymouth Rock].

      [The "Rock" seems to have become the established landing place of
      the Pilgrims, from the time of the first visit of the third
      exploring party on December 11/21. The absurdity of the claims of
      the partisans of Mary Chilton, in the foolish contention which
      existed for many years as to whether she or John Alden was the first
      person to set foot upon the "Rock," is shown by the fact that, of
      course, no women were with the third exploring party which first
      landed there, while it is also certain that Alden was not of that
      exploring party. That Mary Chilton may have been the first woman to
      land at Cape Cod harbor is entirely possible, as it is that she or
      John Alden may have been the first person to land on the "Rock"
      after the ship arrived in Plymouth harbor. It was a vexatious
      travesty upon history (though perpetuated by parties who ought to
      have been correct) that the Association for building the Pilgrim
      Monument at Plymouth should issue a pamphlet giving a picture of the
      "Landing of the Pilgrims, December 21, 1620," in which women are
      pictured, and in which the shallop is shown with a large fore-and-
      aft mainsail, while on the same page is another picture entitled,
      "The Shallop of the MAY-FLOWER," having a large yard and square-
      sail, and a "Cuddy" (which last the MAY-FLOWER'S shallop we know did
      not have). The printed description of the picture, however, says:
      "The cut is copied from a picture by Van der Veldt, a Dutch painter
      of the seventeenth century, representing a shallop," etc. It is
      matter of regret to find that a book like Colonel T. W. Higginson's
      'Book of American Explorers', intended for a text-book, and bearing
      the imprint of a house like Longmans, Green & Co. should actually
      print a "cut" showing Mary Chilton landing from a boat full of men
      (in which she is the only woman) upon a rock, presumably Plymouth
      Rock.]

THURSDAY, Dec. 21/31
                               At anchor, Plymouth harbor. Wet and
                               stormy, so the Planters could not go ashore
                               as planned, having blown hard and rained
                               extremely all night. Very uncomfortable
                               for the party on shore. So tempestuous
                               that the shallop could not go to land as
                               soon as was meet, for they had no victuals

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