Tag: Saga of the Pilgrims New England Takes Root

"Crossing over the north branch they came upon the deposit of corn made in their former expedition, and named the place Cornhill. By turning up the crusted snow with their cutlasses and short swords they found other deposits, including beans, one of the products of Indian farming. They took about ten bushels of the shelled corn, besides some good specimens, upon the ears, of the various colors, and a quantity of beans, in all enough, with that obtained before, for the spring planting. They rejoiced greatly at this timely supply, and at the divine guiding which had directed the land party here before the snow had fallen, which now hid every mark of the deposits. In view of this hand of God they devoutly exclaimed, 'The Lord is never wanting unto his in their greatest needs; let his holy name have all the praise.'"

"By morning the explorers decided the land was too hilly and the harbor too shallow for a settlement, and they went looking for the place where they had cached the rest of the corn. This was on a hill near the shore overlooking Cold Harbour. They named it 'Corn Hill,' still its name. They had to dig with cutlasses and short swords a foot in the frozen ground; and they thanked God that they had made the first exploratory trip, for the ground was now hidden by snow and hard-frozen."