h their boat
grounded was entirely exposed to the billows of the ocean. With
difficulty they drew their boat high upon the sand, that it might not
be broken by the waves, and prepared to make themselves as comfortable
as possible. It was, indeed, a cheerless encampment for a cold, windy
December night. Fortunately there was wood in abundance with which to
build a fire, and they also piled up for themselves a slight
protection against the wind and against a midnight attack. Then,
having commended themselves to God in prayer, they established a
watch, and sought such repose as fatigue and their cold, hard couch
could furnish.

The night passed away without any alarm. In the morning they divided
their numbers, one half taking the boat, and the others following
along upon foot on the shore. Thus they continued their explorations
another day, but could find no suitable place for a settlement. During
the day they saw many traces of inhabitants, but did not obtain sight
of a single native.

They found two houses, from which the occupants had evidently but
recently escaped. The following is the description which the
adventurers gave of these wigwams, in the quaint English of two
hundred years ago:

"Whilest we were thus ranging and searching, two of the
Saylers which were newly come on the shore by chance espied
two houses which had beene lately dwelt in, but the people
were gone. They having their peeces and hearing no body
entred the houses and tooke out some things, and durst not
stay but came again and told vs; so some seaven or eight of
vs went with them, and found how we had gone within a slight
shot of them before. The houses were made with long yong
Sapling trees bended and both ends stucke into the ground;
they were made round like unto an Arbour and covered down to
the ground with thicke and well wrought matts, and the doors
were not over a yard high made of a matt to open; the
chimney was a wide open hole in the top, for which they had
a matt to cover it close when they pleased. One might stand
and go upright in them; in the midst of them were four
little trunches knockt into the ground, and small stickes
laid over on which they hung their Pots, and what they had
to seeth. Round about the fire they lay on matts which are
their beds. The houses were double matted, for as they were
matted without so were they withi