BEGINNING OF A 100 MILLION NATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 October 1920, Page 4

BEGINNING OF A 100 MILLION NATION.

(By Walter Hr “Jjbhin ■£taf>insqh,i:Ea'stor of tlui; I^ijyrini, |'ntjio}'s; , ’}v 5 ' ! It was on July 22, 1620—throe hundred years ago, according to Wil liani Bradford, the historian of Plymouth Plantation, that the Pilgrim Fathers left Deltfshaven to join the Mayflower, waiting for them at Southampton. . We have an account of the parting i scones. The whole e\reut was wi Ijugfipn. The littlecqmpaiiy of I|n|lislj a;cligi;|us Leydeij, I uncjpFthe pii§|ora] eq|e of |phn jtubityi spn, divide,p. Npt quite ■ half pi tiilem set out upon this great venture, i “It was promised,” says Bradford, ! “to those that went first, by the body of j the rest, ||iat if the life. j any nicanq r ipjdfppp_prtunity they .wqphj' I come to tjienp qj \qon as they could.” , I While the Mayflower was hired for the Atlantic voyage, the Speedwell was ' bought in Holland with the intention of , using it for fishing and trading in the new Plantation, it was a little vessel of sixty tons, and unhappily it was not in fit trim for so long a voyage. The description of their departure from Leyden- gives us the picture of these earnest folk as “pilgrims,” and is the source of their classic title —Pilgrim Fathers.

“The time being come that they must depart, they vypre ■ accompanied with most of their brethren put of the city (Leyden) unto a town sundry miles off, called Dclftshaven, where tiie ship lay ready to reeeiye-.them. . .left that goodly and pleasant pityi.'fiduoh had been their resting-place .npar twelve years, but they knew they were pilgrims and looked not much in these things, but lifted npTljeir eyes to heaven, their: dearest country, and quieted their spirits.”' The journey from Leyden to the port by quiet waterways in full summer'time; with the countryside then, as now, (Jotted with windmills, would give a pleasing last impression of the land which had given them asylum. At last the time of parting had come. Some members of the English Separatist Church at Amsterdam iiacl travelled all the • way from that city to bid them farewell. “The tide which stays for.no man,” says'one of their company, “calling them away that were thus loth to depart, their reverend pastor falling down on his knees and they all with him, with watery cheeks, commended them with most fervent prayers, to the Lord and his blessing. And then with mutual embraces and many tears, they tookstheir leave one of another, which proved to be the last leave to many o; them.” *■ As the Speedwell drew away from the quay the Pilgrims (with the Englishman’s invincible love of a noise on cere-, monial occasions) fired • ■* a volley of small shot and three pieces of ordnance.” It expressed their feeling when words were inadequate. With a favouring breeze the Speedwell made a good passage, and as she came up Southampton Water on the tide the eyes of the Pilgrims were gladdened by the sight of the Mayflower, with the, their company from England waiting for them at the West Quay. The difficulties and dangers of the first stage in their long pilgrimage were thus happily surmounted.