a Delfshaven.-On the river Maas，or Meuse，2miles below Rotterdam.
THE PILGRIM FATHERS LEAVING PLYMOUTH.
a
4.They called at Southampton，to see some of their English friends.After leaving that port，the smaller ship，the Speedwell，began to leak，and finally at Plymouth she gave up the voyage.Then the Mayflower sailed alone，with one hundred persons on board-grave men，mothers，children，and even babies-and for sixty-three days was tossed on the waves of the Atlantic，until the crew found themselves underthe shelter of Cape Cod.
One of their number had died during the voyage.
5.In the cabin of their weather-beaten ship forty-one men signed a paper，binding themselves to obey and submit to all laws and rules that seemed to be for the benefit of the colony.And then they began to think of landing.It was almost winter，and some of them had to wade ashore through the freezing shallows.Then they found their little boat to be so frail，that it took seventeen days to make it water-tight.Through snow and wind a hardy band of them rowed ashore；and，as they pulled through the dark waves，the spray dashed upon their coats，and，being frozen in a moment，made the cloth as stiff as iron.
6.Their first exploring trip was ver y miserable.The men，plodding over snowy hills and wading through icy rivers，were tired almost to death；and，except a little maize，they found nothing to give them the smallest encouragement.
7.One morning，just after prayers，when they had renewed their search for a good harbour，a wild war-whoop was heard，and a shower of arrows came whizzing in among them.Then they took to their boat again，and were almost wrecked.Their rudder broke，and they had to steer with oars.Then the mast broke，and the sail fell overboard.But，just as they were beginning to despair，thetide drove the boat through the surf，and they found themselves safe in a harbour.
8.It was not long before the Mayflower came to anchor in this place ofbrefuge，which they named PlymouthBay，in grateful recognition of the
kindness shown to them in the last English sea-port at which they had called.
9.The toil of building wooden houses threw many of the men into bad health：disease of the lungs struck several of them down.John Carver，who hada Cape Cod.-The end of a peninsula in the east of Massachusetts.
b Plymouth.-Now a sea port town of Massachusetts；west of Cape Cod..
been appointed Governor before they left the cabin of the ship，soon sank and died；and Bradford succeeded to the post.
10.At last the warm winds of spring began to blow，and the birds to sing，which revived hope in their hearts；but even the sweet summer-and it is a very fair season there-was saddened with graves.In the autumn came some new emigrants，who brought no food with them；and so through all the next winter there was scarcely half enough for the colonists.
11.Fishermen gave them a little help，and some ships sold them provisions at a high rate.At one time they had only one pint of Indian corn，being an allowance of just three kernels a-piece；and that with a lobster and a cup of water formed the material of their feasts.They did not taste beef for four years after their landing.Yet amid all their privations and sorrows，that faith in God which had carried them across the ocean remained unshaken.
12.The best scholar and soldier of the band was Miles Standish，whodirected the defence of their little fortress.For a long time after the shower of arrows already mentioned，they saw nothing of the Indians，except the smoke from some distant wigwams，and perhaps a few dark figures moving on the skirts of the wood.One day a red man，with a cap of coloured feathers and a dress of deerskin，came into the camp and said，“Welcome，Englishmen！”He gave them to understand that they were quite free to keep the land they had settled on，because the Indian tribe which had formerly owned it had been swept away by a pestilence.
13.Then a treaty was made with the Indians，and a trade in furs began.At first one of the chiefs had intentions of war，and sent，as a sign of his defiance，a bundle of arrows rolled in the skin of a rattlesnake；but the red man grew very peaceful and friendly when Governor Bradford stuffed the skin with gunpowder and bullets and sent it back to him，as a slight hint of the reception he might expect if he went to war.
14.In spite of all that foes，famine，and fever could do，the colony lived and prospered，though at first somewhat slowly；and by-and-by the little colony formed by the Pilgrims of the Mayflower grew into a great State.b中文阅读1.詹姆士一世执政期间，清教徒受到严酷迫害，一些虔诚的农民只好离开亨伯河c，去荷兰寻找栖身之地。在那里安居之后，他们开始为谋生而从事各种行业，a Miles Standish.-The American poet Longfellow has written a poem of which he is the hero，and which bears his name.
b A great State.-Now the United States of America.
c 享伯河：位于英格兰中部东北。--译者注
比如这个人当了一名印刷工，另个人则成为丝绸染色工，所有人都表现得特别从容而诚实，以博取当地官员的好评。但是，他们仍然觉得像在流亡，渴望有个家；最终，他们决定前往美洲。
2.在得到弗吉尼亚公司批准并组织一些伦敦商人筹资保障在那片遥远的海洋从事渔业之后，他们为这次远航准备了两艘船。这两艘船所起的名字是两种美丽的英国花朵的名称，即“五月花”和“婆婆纳”，意为将这种蕴含着纯洁宗教信仰的白花带过大西洋，种植在美洲大陆上。
3.在德尔夏温a，这些英国清教徒开始了他们危险的航行。他们进行了斋戒和祈祷，然后唱着圣歌，在牧师家中设宴的告别宴会上由衷地流下许多热泪。现在，缆绳被松开，随着他们装备的三门小炮和所有步枪一齐开火，这帮信念坚定的人将船驶离海港。
4.他们将船停靠在南安普敦，去看望几位英国朋友。离开该港之后，较小的船“婆婆纳”号开始漏水，在普利茅斯港，这艘船最终无法再远行了。随后，“五月花”号独自航行，船上载有100个人（都是面色凝重的男人、母亲、孩子甚至婴儿）。他们在大西洋的海洋中颠簸了63天，直到全体人员发现自己已经处于科德角b 的庇护之下。航行途中，他们当中有一个人去世了。
5.在他们饱经风雨的小船的船舱里，41个人在一张纸上签名，保证遵守并服从旨在更好地殖民的所有法律规定。接着，他们开始考虑登陆。此时临近寒冬，一些人只好穿过冰冻的浅水向岸上跋涉。随后，他们发现小船已经弱不禁风，只好又花了17天时间解决它的防水问题。在大雪和寒风中，他们当中一些身体强壮的人将船划上岸；艰难地穿越浑浊的海浪时，浪花冲刷着他们的外衣，片刻的冻结之后，外衣便坚硬如铁。
6.他们的第一次探险之旅非常辛酸。人们步履沉重地走过白雪皑皑的小山，跋涉过覆以坚冰的河流，都累得要死；而除了一点点玉米之外，他们发现没有任何东西能给予自己哪怕一点点勇气。
7.一天上午，刚刚祈祷结束，当重新寻找一个良港时，他们突然听到一阵狂躁的喊叫声，随之箭像雨点一样呼啸着向他们射来。于是他们赶紧再次将船驶离，差一点船就被毁坏。他们的舵撞坏了，只好划桨掌握方向。接着桅杆也坏了，船帆落入水中。但是，正当开始绝望时，潮水推动着船只穿过海浪，他们发现自己安全地来到一个港口。
8.“五月花”号在这个他们称为“普利茅斯湾”c的避风港停泊后不久，这个他们停泊的最后一个英国海港便展示出令人感激的包容和善意。
