"What New Doctrine is This?" 
 
 CMark 1, 27.) 
 
 (From Vox POPULI, Lowell, Mass., Dec. 30, 18S1.) 
 Years ago, Sydney H. Gay of New York, was moved to publish a history of 
 this country, which book is now hawlied in this vicinity as "Bryant's History of 
 the U. S." The work was well written, but it showed many misapprehensions 
 as to the early colonial history of the present Massachusetts. Recently, the 
 same author has felt called upon to attempt, in the Atlantic Ilonthly, the con- 
 struction of a new history .of the Landing of the Pilgrims — a history based on Igno- 
 rance of the locality described, on the misapprehension of one very plain rec- 
 ord, the total overlooking of a second, and the suppression of a vital portion of 
 a third. The Atlantic having found room for this efl'usion, declines to find room 
 for a correction of its errors, saying that the subject has already been discuss- 
 ed in the Boston Advertiser. That is, the Atlantic having been made the vehi- 
 cle of false history, refuses to admit a correction, but prescribes the Advertiser 
 as an antidote. For such Atlantic readers as may not have the excellent remedy 
 in question, we give below the article which was not allowed to follow 
 Mr. Gay's misconceptions, or whatever else they may be called in view of his 
 treatment of Bradford's record ot Dec. 25, O, S., as described below. 
 
 " When Did the Pilgriin FatJiers 
 Jband at I*lyinouth?" 
 
 Under this head, in November's At- 
 laittic, Mr. S. H. Gay seeks to confute 
 the common idea that the "Lauding" com- 
 memorated on " Forefathers' Day," was 
 on Dec. lllh, 1620, O. S., or the 21st, N. 
 S. (The dates in this article will all be 
 in Old Style, when not otherwise defined). 
 
 It is agreed on all bauds that the Pil- 
 grim explorers in their shallop, on Dec. 
 10th, 1620, spent iheir Sunday at Clark's 
 Island in the outer harbor of Plymouth, 
 and that on the 11th they examined some 
 pari of the inner harbor. The antiqua- 
 ries of the Old Colony say that these ex- 
 plorers then sounded the especial harbor 
 of Plymouth, that they landed upon Plym- 
 outh Kock, and decided the adjacent ter- 
 ritory with its brooks and corn-fields, to 
 be "the best they could find" for their 
 new home. 
 
 Mr. Gay dissents from all this. He 
 claims that the explorers confined their 
 soundings to the waters near Clark's Isl- 
 and, and that their inspection of land 
 was limited to the neighboring shores 
 where now are Kingston and Duxbury. 
 He therefore decides that on the day in 
 question " nobody " landed on Plymouth 
 Rock. He however alleges that on the 
 
 25th of that month, there was at the Rock 
 a "final disembarkation of the whole 
 company," "when for the first time the 
 women seem to have left the ship at 
 Plymouth"; he also says that they all 
 then " landed to stay." This he setsforth 
 as the true Landing of the Pilgrims. He 
 therefore would persuade us to celebrate 
 the event, if at all, on Jan. 4th, N. S. 
 
 Now this matter is not one of theory. 
 Mourt's Relation contains a daily record, 
 evidently kept by William Bradford, who 
 was among the chief of the explorers ; 
 and in this the facts are set forth with 
 admirable clearness. Bradford records of 
 this Dec. 11th:— 
 
 "On Monday we sounded the harbor, 
 and found it a very good harbor for our 
 shipping- We marched also into tha 
 land, and found divers corn-fields and lit- 
 tle running brooks; a place very good 
 for situation." 
 
 In his large history he uses much the 
 same language, with an addition, term- 
 ing the spot " a place (as they supposed) 
 fit for situation ; at least, it was the best 
 they could find." \ 
 
 The explorers then returning to Cape 
 Cod, came back on the 16th, bringing 
 their associates and their famous ship. 
 The latter they took more than a quarter 
 
" WIIA7' JVUW DOCTRINE IS THIS?' 
 
 G>=1 
 
 of a mile within that natural breakwatei' 
 known as "The Beach," mooring her as 
 near Plymouth Rock as they safely could, 
 although nearly a mile and a half away. 
 No ship would even now be likely to find 
 her way to that spot, unless the channel 
 had been carefully sounded in advance. 
 During the two days spent by the explor- 
 ers on Clark's Island, low-water came 
 near mid-day, and it revealed to even 
 a casual glance, the vast flats along 
 the opposite Kingston and Duxbury 
 shores, and the unlitness for shipping of 
 the whole vicinity of the Island. There 
 was no need of sounding thereabouts. 
 Moreover, Bradford says they did not go 
 to "discover" in the Kingston region un- 
 til eight days after. The fact of the May 
 flower's entrance' and anchorage, is pret- 
 ty good evidence as to the direction of 
 the sounding. 
 
 What laud was examined at this first 
 exploration? Not Kingston, for that 
 was not visited until eight days later, 
 and notwithstanding what Mr. Gay says 
 of its nearness to Clark's Island, it was 
 as far away as Plymouth ; not Duxbury, 
 for that was presumably covered with 
 woods, and had none of the "little run- 
 ning brooks" mentioned. The spot was 
 pronounced "./Ji for situation," and '■'the 
 l)est they could find." What these ex- 
 plorers considered essential in a place for 
 situation, is clearly shown by their jour- 
 nal. A few days later, when some favored 
 Kingston, it was rejected because so 
 wooded that the ground could not be 
 cleared in time for the spring planting, 
 and was indefensible from the Indians; 
 when Clark's Island was advocated by 
 some on account of its security, it was 
 objected to because covered with woods 
 and sparsely supplied with fresh water. 
 Pamet had already been voted down 
 chiefly because of its lack of fresh water, 
 although it had good corn-fields and was 
 ii^nnttvp :\nd defensible." 
 
 I whole circuit of Plymouth bay, 
 i~ liiit one place which combined 
 ■ sentials they had just been 
 ':iu)et. The land adjacent to 
 .yiiiuuui iiock comprised the broad 
 iru-fleMs of the then defunct Patuxets; 
 11/ was watered by a remarkable series of 
 "little ninuiug brooks" of fine water, 
 while Kingston and'Duxbury had noth- 
 ing of the sort; it was defended in front 
 by a tidal harbor, on the south by the 
 strong barrier of Town Brook, on the 
 west by Burial Hill, 165 ft. high ; the re- 
 maining side was an open plain through 
 which a line of palisade might easily be 
 built so that the guns on the hill would 
 cover it. For men seeking cleare J land, 
 fine fresh water, and natural defenses, 
 combined, Plymouth was an excellent 
 site, and the onlv one there ! Bradford 
 
 might have said in fewer words that this 
 was the place selected by the explorers 
 on December 11th, but he could hardly 
 have said so more certainly. 
 
 A week later, the verdict of the twelve 
 explorers was to be acted upon by the 28 
 of the brethren who had returned with 
 them in the Mayflower. The pioneers 
 would now be sure to take their associ- 
 ates, first of all, to the place already ap- 
 proved as "the best they could find." In 
 fact, all of the first day of the view by 
 fie whole company (Dec. 18thj, was de- 
 voted to a region where they found an- 
 cient corn-fields, " four or five small 
 brooks of very sweet fresh water that 
 all ran into the sea," and " the best wa- 
 ter that ever we drank "; fish began to 
 throng the brooks. The deposits of clay 
 were worked, the sand and gravel beds 
 found of good quality, eleven species of 
 useful plants ex-' mined, the neighboring 
 woods traversed and ten kinds of trees 
 noticed. Why this minute investigation, 
 when there were over twenty miles of 
 harbor-shore yet unexamined? Evidently 
 some very strong influence was holding 
 the company to that place, and endeavor- 
 ing to convince the doubters that it was 
 " the best they could And." This again 
 is a good description of the tract around 
 Plymouth Rock, and of no other possible 
 place ! Going northerly from that land- 
 mark (which is close by a fine rivulet), 
 the traveller finds five " littles running 
 brooks," filtering from the diluvial* back- 
 ground, and they "all run into the sea," 
 except where recently diverted ; (one of 
 them now finds its way thither through a 
 pipe of 20 in. diameter). As before said, 
 no such group of brooks as the Pilgrims' 
 journal specifies, nor any such brooks, 
 can be found at any other point around 
 that bay. Mr. Gay asserts the contrary, 
 but his map deceives him. The descrip- 
 tion of the 11th means Plymouth; this 
 description of the 18th means Plymouth. 
 We have yet another description. 
 
 On the 20th, it was voted to settle at 
 Plymouth Rock. The journal says the 
 settlement was to be "on the first place," 
 where was much cleared land formerly in 
 corn, and " many delicate springs of as 
 good water as can be drank " ; the small 
 craft could be kept in " a very sweet 
 brook " under the hill-side, where would 
 be " much good fish in their seasons." 
 Nobody doubts this means Plymouth, or 
 that the "delicate springs " include " five 
 little running brooks." The three de- 
 scriptions have so much in common, that 
 any one accustomed to compare evidence, 
 will be sure to decide that all relate to 
 the same place. Aside from that, the 
 fact IS positively proved by the " little 
 running brooks "; they have washed the 
 ground from under Mr. Gay's feet. 
 
 G"! 
 
WHA T NEW DOCTRINE IS THIS ?' 
 
 Now as to that "tinal disembarkation," 
 that "true Forefathers' Day." On Dec. 
 20th, after Plymouth had been definitely 
 selected, " about 20 " remained on shore, 
 and thenceforth the place was permanently 
 inhabited. After a two-days' storm, so 
 many as could, went on shore to work on 
 the 23d, but at night they returned to the 
 ship, leaving only the guard on land. 
 Our critic makes the hold assertion, that 
 on the next working-day the entire com- 
 pany landed and remained ; and in sup- 
 port of this statement, the sole evidence 
 he produces is this extract from their 
 journal : 
 
 "Monday, the 25th day, we went on 
 shore, some to fell timber, some to saw, 
 some to rive, and some to carry ; so no 
 man rested all that day." 
 
 The reader will see that this in no wise 
 sustains the idea of a " final disembarka- 
 tion " ; but he will be not a liftle surpris- 
 ed to learn that the above quotation is 
 only a part of the entry in the journal, 
 and that the suppressed portion contra- 
 dicts Mr. Gay in direct language. Here 
 is the full entry : 
 
 " Monday, the 25th day, we went on 
 shore, some fo fell timber, some to saw, 
 some to rive, and some to carry ; so no 
 man rested all that day. But towards 
 night, some as they were at work, heard 
 a noise of some Indians, which caused us 
 all to go to our muskets ; but we heard 
 no farther So we came aboard again, 
 and left some 20 to keep the court of 
 guard." 
 
 This restored record leaves room for 
 no further talk about that " final disem- 
 barkation." Even without such positive 
 evidence, it would have been absurd to 
 suppose that the men of the company 
 broucfht from the Mayflower's warm cab- 
 in, 55 women and children with at least 
 three infants, to live on shore in raid- 
 winter before their first house had been 
 begun, and when the toilers kept their 
 muskets by them in constant dread of an 
 Indian a'itack; when, too, the shelter of 
 the ship was at their disposal, and not a 
 few of both sexes were beginning to be 
 disabled by a sickness already proving 
 mortal. 
 
 The journal mentions that the working 
 men were in part still lodging in the ship 
 January 1st; on the 9th their first build- 
 ing had not received its roof; on the 14th 
 those on board, being now the fewer, 
 joined those on shore at worship, but on 
 the loth a storm kept them from going 
 on shore to work ; on the 26th their 
 " common STOods " were landed ; finally, 
 on March 21st, three months after Mr. 
 Gay's alleged "final" lauding of "the 
 •vhole company," their jourual says : 
 
 " This day, with much ado, we got our 
 
 carpenter that had long been sick of the 
 scurvy, to fit our shallop and fktch all 
 from on board." 
 
 So there was no general landing. Dec. 
 20th " about 20 " began to live on shore; 
 at the close of the 25th, the number had 
 not increased ; January 14th, the shore 
 party was only somewhat the larger; as 
 houses were ready, more came from the 
 ship; and on March 21st, the last of the 
 community was brought to land. 
 
 Nearly a century and a half afterward, 
 one of the great events involved was to 
 be selected for perpetual commemora- 
 tion. The initial landing at Plymouth 
 seemed fittest for the purpose. In 1741, 
 the good Elder Eaunce had solemnly 
 identified Plymouth Rock, and had there 
 in a peculiarly aflecting manner, repeated 
 to the assembly what the Forefathers 
 themselves had told him concerning the 
 landing upon it. The last of that explor- 
 ing party was John Howland, who did 
 not die till Faunce was 27 years old; 
 and at least twelve of the Mayflower's 
 passengers survived Howland. Many of 
 Elder Faunce's audience were active in 
 1769, and in the light of what he had giv- 
 en them so directly, they found it true 
 that the first landing of the Pilgrims at 
 Plymouth was during their exploration 
 of Dec. 11th, and was on Plymouth Rock. 
 Mourt's Relation would have given them 
 the same fact as a matter of record when 
 interpreted by their knowlege of the local 
 topography, but it is not probable that a 
 copy of the book was then to be found in 
 all the Old Colony. 
 
 But how is it to be inferred from the 
 record, that the tradition is true as to the 
 use made of that particular rock? The 
 harbor-front of Plymouth has no ledges, 
 and it is so shelving by nature that the 
 Pilgrims must have found their heavy 
 shallop unable, at most points, to ap- 
 proach near enough for them to land 
 without wading in the wintry sea. In a 
 space of several miles, there was just one 
 large rock in sight, and that was a boul- 
 der brought from afar by some ancient 
 iceberg; it weisihed near half-a-dozen 
 tons, and as it lay at the water's edge, 
 its flattish surface, perhaps three yards 
 square, invited them to pass over it 
 dry-shod to the adjacent corn-fields, 
 whose treeless expanse must have been 
 noticeable even from Clark's Island. The 
 record practically says that they then 
 visited that spot; direct tradition says 
 that they used this rock as a landing- 
 place, and topography joins common- 
 sense in confirming the tradition. 
 
 The article under review contains sev- 
 eral errors of detail, which are here un- 
 noticed because not essentially connected 
 with Mr. Gay's great question — "Who, 
 then, landed at Plymouth Rock on the 
 
WHAT NEW DOC THINE IS THIS? 
 
 21st of December, 1620" (N. S.)? He 
 answers — " Nobody." But history, tra- 
 dition and geography, combine in reply- 
 ing that then and there, the geological 
 pilgrim iu question, became a " stepping- 
 stone " for Myles Standish, John Carver, 
 William Bradford, Edward Winslow, 
 John Tilley, Edward Tilley, John How- 
 land, Richard Warren, Stephen Hopkins, 
 Edward Dotey, John Allerton and Thom- 
 as English, twelve signers of the Pilgrim 
 Compact; and that with them were John 
 Clark and Robert Coppin, niaster's-mates 
 of the Mayflower, with four of their 
 crew. This great fact is not to be shaken 
 by any skilful manufacturer of " historic 
 doubts " ; it is founded on a Rock in more 
 senses than one. 
 
 John A. Goodwin. 
 
 P. S. — As to the error of dating "Fore- 
 fathers' Day'^ Dec. 22d, N. S., instead of 
 21st, the explanation is simple; but per- 
 haps the matter is of enough interest to 
 justify a preliminary examination. In A. 
 D. 325, the calendar was set right. The 
 world then went on allowing 365 1-4 
 days to each year, which was an over-al- 
 lowance of 11 rain. 10 1-4 sec. This 
 small error became so large by constant 
 growth, that in 725, the calendar was be- 
 tween three and four days behind the 
 true recKoniug as shown by the sun. At 
 the Norman invasion the difl'erence had 
 Increased to six days ; at the discovery 
 of America by Columbus, it was nine 
 days. In 1582, the pope finding his fixed 
 observances then falling ten days behind 
 their seasons, called upon his philoso- 
 phers for a remedy. By their advice ten 
 d ys were added to the calendar, and fu- 
 ture errors guarded against by this rule : 
 " Years ending with two ciphers are not 
 to be leap years, except when the number 
 is an exact multiple of 400." The new 
 system was soon adopted by the nations 
 of continental Europe, save Russia and 
 Turkey. It has, however, been found 
 that even by this method, the calendar 
 
 would be a day behind at about the year 
 5500; and the imminent disaster has 
 been relegated to an exceedingly remote 
 future, by this addition to the above rule : 
 " When a year is an exact multiple of 
 4000, it is not to be a leap-year." 
 
 The English are reputed formerly to 
 have been a people strongly inclined to 
 their own ways, a trait which may ac- 
 count for their retaining their erroneous 
 calendar iu preference to countenancing 
 an innovation. Hence, when the Pilgrim 
 explorers first landed on Plymouth Rock, 
 their English reckoning made the day 
 December 11th, 1620; but the sun then 
 reaching his winter solstice, showed it to 
 really be the 21st. By making a leap- 
 year of 1700, this national miscount was 
 increased to eleven days. At length, in 
 1752, by order of parliament, the new 
 calendar was adopted for Great Britain 
 and her colonies, by calling the day next 
 after September 2d the 14th. 
 
 Matters of that sort were rarely stud- 
 ied in those days, even by educated men. 
 It is altogether probable that in 1761), not 
 a person in the Old Colony knew much 
 more of the case than that the old style 
 had been turned into the European new 
 style, by the addition of eleven days. So 
 they most easily fell into the error of sup- 
 posing this allowance of eleven days to 
 be what the mathematicians call a " con- 
 stant quantity," which would bring all old 
 dates to the new reckoning prescribed by 
 law. Is it impertinent to ask if the edu- 
 cated men of to-day have a much clearer 
 idea of the subject? The day which by 
 the old calendars appears as December 
 11th, would by the corrected reckoning 
 be as follows for the successive centu- 
 
 A. D. 325 - 
 
 11th 
 
 A. D. 1220 - - 
 
 - 18th 
 
 4-20 - - 
 
 - - 12th 
 
 1320 - . 
 
 - 19th 
 
 520 
 
 - -)3th 
 
 1420 - - 
 
 - 20th 
 
 620 - • 
 
 - .14th 
 
 1520 . . 
 
 . 21st 
 
 720 - - 
 
 - .15th 
 
 1620 . . 
 
 - 2l8t 
 
 820 - - 
 
 . - ]5th 
 
 1720 - - 
 
 . 22d 
 
 920 - - 
 
 . - 16th 
 
 1820 - - 
 
 - 23d 
 
 1020 - . 
 
 - -ITth 
 
 1920 . . 
 
 - 24th 
 
 1120 - - 
 
 . . 18th 
 
 2020 - . 
 
 . 24th 
 
 stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been 
 taught, whether by woru or our epistle." — {Thessalonians 2, 15.)