The Constitution

   The constitution of the United States was drafted by the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia, between May 25^th and September 17^th 1787.

    This document is the oldest written constitution of any state in the union.  Its underlying principle center on the underlying principle of the democratic concept that all forms of government be confined by the rule of law.

    The constitution is a reflection of the principles of the age of enlightenment. It was influenced by Masonic thought, also by both American and European philosophers, Voltaire, John Locke, Montesquieu and Thomas Paine.

   All of them attacked ruling tyrannical governments, they suggested that democratic rule be  imposed from below and not be imposed from above, it sounds like the 2012 Democratic platform in the United States of America!

   In 1340, the king of the Scots received his authority from the consent of his people through the Declaration of Arbroath. The American Constitution states that its government can only receive its powers from the consent of its governed.

 It was based on the principle that all free men have certain natural and inalienable rights and that these must be respected by any form of government.

   Central to the theme that all men were created equal and should be treated as equal before the law. The framework of the articles of Confederation were based on the colonists hatred for the British crown and for any nationalistic form of government. 

Because of this the Constitution was structured in such a way that virtually all effective power was kept at the local level. The constitution was based on the thought that it was both smart and possible to divide the balance of powers between different arms of the government. 

 (1)Giving defined special authority to the local government; (2) permit the state governments to self rule with a certain independence from both local and national governments; (3) with general powers given to the national government.

   By giving the national, in this case the Federal government, only those powers which were specifically dedicated to it, was performed in such a manner, to make it clear, that all residual powers remained with the government of the states.

   The powers and responsibilities of the president were clearly defined.  Monesquieu's concept of the separation and balance of power was placed as a central theme.  As a result, John Adams stated that the eight balancing mechanisms within the constitution are prime examples of the document's republican virtue.

  The check's and balances were;

     The states and the central government.

     The House of Representatives and the Senate.

     The President and Congress.

     The courts and Congress.

     The Senate and president.

     The people and their Representatives.

     The state legislature's and the state Senate.

      The electoral college and the people.

The American Constitution has many imperfections.  However it had been framed with such wisdom that it has been possible to amend and develop it into a pledge to protect human rights, to be governed under the law, that we have today.

Despite the concept that “all men were created equal and entitled to equal treatment before the law.” There were two groups of people who without regard evidently were not considered “men”!

   The slave population of the southern states and the indigenous population which had treated the pilgrims and Prince Henry Sinclair so well!

   It is a black mark on American history the way the human regard for these people were disregarded, Quite frankly it shows the hypocrisy in which a small group of people can manipulate the work of the majority for their own sick cause!

  

  

Admiral John Paul Jones

The American's and French have a different view of John Paul Jones than the British do. Sir Winston Churchill called him a privateer, Rudyard Kipling called him a pirate when discussing his exploits.

Theodore Roosevelt however refereed to him as a “daring corsair.” When John Paul Jones was attacking British shipping at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, the British considered him a pirate, but America considered him the commanding Admiral of the Continental Navy, which of course Britain didn't recognize.

After a certain point in the war, the British no longer considered him a pirate but a Admiral in the Russian Navy!

There are those that question his credibility based on the number of girl friends he had. A girl in every port so to speak. He was very arrogant, some historians feel this kept him from advancing in both the Russian and American Navies, although he was very accomplished.

For generations midshipmen were required to read his publications on the professional standards and protocol for naval officers;

“none other than a Gentleman, as well as a seaman, both in theory and practice, is qualified to support the character of a commissioned officer in the Navy, nor is any man fit to command a ship of war who is not also capable of communicating his ideas on paper in language that becomes his rank.” 

John Paul Jones to marine committee, 21 January 1777. “As you know the credit of the service depends not only on dealing fairly with men employed in it, but on their belief that they are and will be dealt with fairly.” John Paul Jones in correspondence to Joseph Hewes, 30 October, 1777.

The French masonic General Marquis de Lafayette, the “hero of two worlds”. Played a prominent role in both the American Revolution and the French Revolution.

He snubbed his nose at the French government when in 1777 he departed for America to offer his assistance to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

General Lafayette was a mason, although he was never an American citizen, however there is a whole chapter dedicated to him in Brother Ronald Heaton's book “Masonic membership of the Founding Fathers”.

He was a friend of George Washington who became his mentor.

General Lafayette served under General Washington at both the Battle of Brandywine and Valley forge. In 1779 he departed for France to organize the French Force for departure to Newport Rhode Island.

General Washington helped to diverted General Clinton's British Army away from Newport. General Lafayette army was able to greatly help the Colonial Army to defeat the British and win Independence for the Colonies.

In 1781 General Lafayette and his French Force were at the Battle of Yorktown where they served with distinction. General Lafayette was very popular in America and was a great help to presenting the liberal thinking of the colonists, and winning support throughout Europe. 

 The French were becoming frustrated with the rule of Louis XVI, General Lafayette was instrumental in promoting a representative monarchy.

In 1789, General Lafayette proposed a Declaration of Rights. He was elected commander of the French National Guard in 1789. 

 In 1790 he appeared with his Guard at the Festival of Federation, to welcome in the United Communities of France. General Lafayette was despised by the courts who considered him a rebel and unable to protect the Royal Family. He was inspired by the American Revolution, however he didn't have a realistic plan of his own to implement change.

He fell out of favor with the populace because of his suppression of demonstrators of change in 1791. In 1792 France engaged in war with Austria, and General Lafayette was made commander of the army but was captured by the Austrians and turned over to the Prussians who imprisoned him. He was released in 1797 and returned to France in 1799. He died in Paris in 1834.

The Masons and the Colonial Army

The first four years of the war was a learning curve for the British /colonial army. In April 1755 the colonial / British army under the command of General Edward Braddock was ambushed by the French and their Indian allies close to Fort Duquesne.

The colonial Army was wiped out, General Braddock was fatally wounded and his Aide- de- Camp a young Captain George Washington barely escaped with his life.

The British / Colonials started on a trend of one disaster after another. British forts from what is now upstate New York were lost and a massive assault to recapture Fort Ticonderoga was repulsed with massive casualties.

The commander of the assault General James Abercrombie and General Lord George Howe were both killed in this engagement. The British army started changing their tactics from European style large scale head on engagements to guerrilla style warfare.

Small units who gave up their Red Coat's for buckskin clothing and leather leggings to protect from the briar bramble. They got rid of shoe polish and brass shining polish and replaced it with 30lbs of food for (LRRP) long range reconnaissance patrols.

They learned techniques of camouflage from the Indians, they learned to travel swift, Silent and deadly. Which is the motto of current 1st Force Reconnaissance company, USMC.

Major General Jeffrey Amherst, First Baron of Amherst, was appointed commander in Chief of British Forces in America. General Amherst was rapidly advanced in rank because of his ability to learn to adapt to the environment, a great student of “Special Warfare Techniques”. 

How to step outside of the very regimented mindset of the traditional British / European fighting style which was poorly adapted to warfare in the forests, rivers and swamps of North America.

He introduced sharpshooter recon teams. They performed scouting, light infantry and intelligence gathering missions. They were able to deploy quickly, dressed in green clothing, with light armament without all the pomp and spender involved in deploying a full infantry Battalion.

Many of the Colonial officers learned these techniques from General Amherst, Colonial officers who would go on to be leaders in the American Revolution.

In 1758 General Amherst using his newly formed special warfare teams recaptured Louisbourg. Three month's later he razed Fort Duquesne, burnt it to the ground and then rebuilt it and changed it's name to Fort Pitt, now its called Pittsburgh.

The following year General Amherst entered upstate New York, capturing several Forts which were lost previously including Fort Ticonderoga.

In 1759 General Wolfe led one of the most revered operations in military history. His command, with General Howe, led four thousand soldiers up the St Lawrence River by ship, then scaling the sheer cliffs of the Heights of Abraham.

In this battle both General Wolfe and the French commander, General Marquis de Montcalm, died. The tide of the war had now changed. These operations continued for another year; then in 1760 General Amherst had laid siege to Montreal and the French surrendered unconditionally to General Howe.

 France turned over her North American colonies to Britain.

This influx of British soldiers into North America brought an influx of Freemasonry. Especially the higher degree's of Freemasonry associated with Irish Grand Lodge.

Of the nineteen regiments under General Amherst command thirteen had practicing Field Lodges. Lieutenant Colonel John Young, who commanded the 60^th Infantry battalion under General Amherst command, at both Quebec and Louisbourg, had been appointed Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland by Sir William Sinclair of Roslyn.

In 1757 he had become Provincial Grand Master of all Scottish Lodges in America and the West Indies. In 1761 Lieutenant Colonel Young was succeeded in the 60^th Infantry by Lieutenant Colonel Augustine Prevost.

In the same year 1757, Lieutenant Colonel Prevost later to be Major General was named Grand Master of all Lodges in the British Army.

In 1756 Colonel Richard Gridley was authorized to gather all Freemasons that were involved in the assault against Crown Point under the command of General Amherst and formed a single lodge.

When Louisbourg fell in 1758 Colonel Gridley formed another lodge. In November 1759 when Quebec was captured by General Wolfe the six Field lodges of the Citadel held a meeting.

They decided that there were so many Field Lodges in the Quebec garrison that they should merge into one Grand Lodge and elect a Grand Master.

Lieutenant John Guinet of the 47^th Infantry (Lancashire Regiment) was elected Grand Master of the Providence of Quebec. A year later he was succeeded by Colonel Simon Frazier of the 78^th Infantry Regiment the “Frazier Highlander”. 

 In 1761 Colonel Frazier was replaced by Major Thomas Payne of the 47^th Infantry Regiment as the Provincial Grand Master of the Quebec providence.

In 1762 Major Span was replaced by Captain Milborne West of the 47^th Infantry Regiment . Captain West in 1764 became the Provincial Grand Master of all of Canada.

Its interesting to note the relatively junior rank of these leaders to have such a prestigious position, none of whom were from aristocratic ancestry, none of them went on to public office or to become General grade officers.

These were ordinary soldiers, voted by other ordinary soldiers, who came from the entire spectrum of the chain of command. This is evidence why the lodges were so popular in the military establishment.

A junior rank officer like a Lieutenant, who associated with the rank and file soldiers, but in the lodge they could deal with each other as equals.

The Provincial Grand Master would frequently deal with officers who greatly out ranked him in the army. The Field Lodges therefore created a frame work of communication, which was very unique for that time.

 This form of Freemasonry was conveyed to the colonial army. They jumped at this opportunity to not only be comrades in arms with their British counterparts but also Freemasons as well.

Fraternal comradeship were formed between the British and Colonial Freemasons. The lodges grew in number and also in strength of membership. They handed out awards similar to medals or promotions in the army.

The values of Freemasonry spilled over into the colonies not just in the army but also into the townships, by this spreading the whole culture of the colonies had democratic thought, creative expression, taxation by vote and a certain level of religious freedom. I say that with a certain amount of tongue in cheek!

Our Founding Masons

Historians believe 80% of the founding Fathers were Masons. There were 42 representatives and 39 of them signed the Declaration of Independence.

If 80% of them were Masons that would mean 31 of the signatures were from  the Masons.

Just for the purpose of crunching numbers lets say only fifteen were Masons that would be at least a third of the Founding Fathers being Masons and instilled with esoteric thought.

The War of Independence was not so much a war against King George as it was a war to build a Templar/Masonic land of the brothers who would be free of any control from a monarchy or other corrupt form of rule.

There was a inner corps of Freemasons of the Scottish Rite that had infiltrated King Georges court, the Freemasons were the command and control center for the creation of the United States of America and the defeat of the British Royal Crown.

The esoteric ancient societies allowed King George to conduct war against the colonies, knowing he would be defeated. General George Washington was a Mason. His Mason brothers in the army of King George used a “Spy Ring” to communicate the logistics of the British Army. 

George Washington would also communicate his plans to his brother Masons, frequently the British Army would hold off on an attack to let the Colonial Army escape and regroup. 

 The Masons were heavily involved in the military, frequently a higher ranking officer in the army would seek council with a superior brother Mason, who would be of lesser rank in the army.

The Masons had a inner council, who had a master plan for creating countries free from the Vatican’s rule and their Inquisition.

Lands of religious freedom, democratic rule, where individuals could express their individual creativeness without fear of monarchs.

In 1778 General Sir Henry Clinton of the British Army controlled most of New York City. General George Washington’s army was also scattered through out the city and surrounding areas.

It was the second year of the war and the colonies were not doing well. General Washington was badly in need of intelligence on the movement of King Georges army.

Brother Mason, Abraham Woodhull, code named Samuel Culver, was recruited to provide intelligence to General Washington revolutionary army.

Samuel Culver recruited fellow Mason Robert Towson, who along with his wife and her brother formed the “Culver Spy Ring”.

They provided intelligence on General Sir Henry Clinton’s troop movements. General George Washington instructed Culver to write information on pocket books common at that time. 

These books were then delivered to General Washington, who did not know the identities of the Culver spy ring, he did not have the need to know. This method of compartmental information and identities has become standard practice of intelligence operatives over the years.

The worlds first Intelligence Organization was the Dominican Inquisitors, which has attempted to clean up its reputation, by changing its name from time to time. 

In 1965 the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office was established to carry on the work of the Dominican Inquisiton,to continue the Dominicans mission, of sequestering any and all evidence that would question the Divinity of Jesus Christ.

General Washington did not know the identities of the Culver Spy Ring, but he knew they were brother Masons. He wanted them to mix with the British and the Tories. He wanted them to visit their coffee houses and taverns.

Abraham Townsend was a journalist of the time, a gossip columnist for a Tory Newspaper. This also let him overhear other information that the reporters for the newspaper were working on, a very good source of intelligence.

One of Townsend sources was Major John Andre who later would turn Benedict Arnold over to the British Army. Townsend would turn his reports over to a Tavern keeper named Austin Roe.

Austin Roe would in turn forward the messages in the pocket book on to Woodhull’s (Sam Culvers) farm. The information was in turn sent by one of Woodhull (Culvers) Masonic couriers to General Washington.

The messages gave General Washington the day to day movements of General Clinton’s army, allowing General Washington to stay one step ahead of General Clinton’s Army.

This allowed General Washington to avoid direct frontal confrontation with the much better trained, equipped and larger British Army.

General Washington knew exactly where General Clinton’s army was and what their plans were.

In 1780 the French Marines arrived in Newport Rhode Island, these marines were the result of Benjamin Franklin efforts to gain support for the colonies.

General Clinton’s British Red Coats had a substantial sized army close by and General Clinton, after he was made aware of the French landing in Newport, was going to send them to intercept the French.

General Washington was expecting the arrival of the French Marines in Newport and when the signal was received of their arrival a plan was executed to confuse General Clinton and draw his army away from Newport.

General Washington planned an attack on Manhattan! This was a classic assault of disinformation, the British also had their spy’s, and General Washington made sure they were made aware of this misinformation, so it could be conveyed to General Clinton
.

General Washington knew that General Clinton would divert his army from Newport to defend Manhattan, a area of much more strategic importance. General Clinton did cancel his attack on Newport.

General Washington would not have been able to divert the English army if not for the “Culver” spy ring. The French and the colonists did meet, this was the turning point of the war. The French and the colonists defeated the British and the colonists won their independence from Britain!

With the creation of the United States of America, a new era of politics, taxation, science, religious freedom and multicultural acceptance came into effect.

 America became the melting pot of the world. In America the best of all societies, races, creeds and philosophies came in search of the new world order! The new world order which the ancient scripts had always predicted, The United States of America, is the new World Order.

Freemasonry, in the form of the Grand Lodge of England, was spreading throughout the colonies, in the mid 1700's. Since the 1730's Freemasonry was spreading throughout the British Army in the form of regimental field lodges.

These lodges were mobile and went with the regiment where ever they went, frequently bringing all their ceremonial items along with them.

Frequently the regimental commanding colonel would serve as the Master of the lodge, being replaced by other colonels as they vacated the command.

These lodges served as a back channel means of communication, and a means of grievance address. Just as the civilian lodges brought together men of different social, economic and cultural backgrounds, the military lodges brought officers and men together of various rank and divisions of artillery and infantry.

One of the benefits of this was a soldier who showed leadership potential, but was from a lower caste, could come to the attention of a senior officer, a brother mason as it were. He could make career advances through this social network of the time.

Freemasonry had established itself in the upper echelon of the military establishment with many of the Royal families associating with the officer corps.

Between 1700 and 1750 there had been many skirmishes between French and English colonists around the Canadian border and Arcadia, which is Nova Scotia today.

Large contingents of the British Army and American Freemasons were associating with each other where the British were teaching the colonist military tactics during the French Indian war.

In 1756 the seven year war broke out in Europe, which was spread between India and America, this involved large scale military operations on both land and sea.

The British once again were in conflict on American soil. This time there were sizable well trained and experienced European armies and America was to become Britain’s primary area of operations.

Between 1745 and 1753 the British population had a surge that swelled the settlements of America. As early as 1754 Benjamin Franklin proposed uniting all the colonies, which the British crown turned down.

The need for expansion of the colonies to the west became ever more important. When the colonists began moving into western Pennsylvania and the Ohio River Valley they began to encroach on the French territories.

This threatened the passage from the St Lawrence into the Mississippi River Valley. General George Washington as a young officer, was sent into the area with a contingent of British / colonial regulars to build a fort and full scale fighting broke out.

to be continued

Masonic Lodges Freemasons Part VII

The vail of secrecy that covered the first three centuries after the death of Grand Master William Sinclair, makes it difficult to access all of the combination of esoteric thought which made up the Masonic Lodges.

  The histories of Clan Sinclair of Roslyn makes it clear that it was the preservation of the Templar tradition that lay behind the merging of the craft guilds of Scotland into the fraternal lodges in America!

  Under the guidance of the Sinclair Grand masters, there became an ability to transfer sacred knowledge, through rituals, and this would lead to higher degree's of responsibility.

 These rituals were very complex and sophisticated and these in turn led to the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry and the Royal Arch Degrees.

  The ancient knowledge passed through the Scottish Rite can be verified by the word “Roslyn” which means “ancient knowledge passed down through the generations” as translated from ancient Gaelic.

  The Sinclair's and other members of the Rex Deus are descended from the High Priests of Solomons Temple. Who were then descended from a close knit group of priests who could trace their lineage, knowledge, and teachings to ancient Egypt.

  A select group of priests were given this sacred knowledge which certain Egyptian and Hebrew intellectuals could rise above the general population with information counter to the churches teachings.

  This is why certain mid- evil groups developed with an anticlerical and anti Catholic bias. These groups kept very close ties with their center of knowledge in Scotland.

Like the Scottish Rite in Scotland, the French lodges tried to maintain the tradition beliefs that had been passed down over the centuries.

  This control of sacred knowledge has been closely guarded for three centuries after the death of Sir William Sinclair, the builder of Roslyn Chapel.

  The formation and long term goal of Freemasonry was to spread the teachings of Rex Deus beyond the previous closed circle of families that made up the Rex Deus.

  This could not be rushed, appropriate members would have to be found and taught this information. They would in turn find other appropriate members to train for the next several generations. Only then could the members gain full control of the fraternity of Masons.

  William Sinclair was master of the hard and soft guilds of Scotland. He was the Supreme Judge of the courts at Kilwinning in 15^th century.

  The Sinclair's of Roslyn were the hereditary Grand masters of the guilds and of freemasonry until the early 18^th century.

  On St. Andrews day in 1736, a William Sinclair who was a descendant of the builder of Roslyn Chapel resigned his reins of the hereditary guardianship of the Masonic craft.

 This was the creation of the “Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland.” At that point Sir William Sinclair, of Roslyn Esq. Was proclaimed as Grand Master Mason of all of Scotland.

The world wide fraternity of Freemasonry put their knowledge into effect and became the center of social change in the seventeenth and eighteenth century.

The concepts of science, freedom and democracy from the Rex Deus tradition, which was central to the teachings of the Masonic fraternity, were becoming the central tenants of the creation of America.

Many of the students of Masonic thought, who maintained a network with other scholars, formed a society known as the “Third Force.”

  The Third Force was a was a movement of moderation against the excesses of the protestant movement and also that of Catholicism In the times of reformation.

  The Third Force combined with a Masonic movement in Holland known as the “Family of Love.” The family of Love became known as the “Invisible College” which was a network of scholars working for change.

   This movement went public in England and became known as the “Royal Society” which was granted a charter by King Charles II in 1662.

  The Royal Society was made up of scientists who were primarily Freemasons. This included Robert Boyle and Isaac Newton, who were far more gifted with knowledge that went far beyond the science of the day.

  The Invisible College developed into the “Correspondence Society”. The Correspondence Society was instrumental in conveying democratic ideals of the fraternity of liberty that inspired the French Revolution.

  Freemasonry was from the beginning a political organization very closely aligned with the Stuart dynasty of Scotland.

When the Stuart Monarch was exiled in 1691, French Freemasonry experienced a massive induction of members, who spurred the spread of Masonic thought throughout Europe.

  With the spread of Free masonic liberal thought and influence the Vatican became alarmed. Pope Clement XII issued a papal bull  (Eminenti Apostolatus Specula) was the first of a series of declarations which dispatched the Dominican Inquisition into action.

  Any catholic who joined the Masonic Lodge would be excommunicated. In Catholic countries all Freemasons were persecuted arrested tortured and expelled from the country. In Papal states any membership in a Masonic Lodge was punishable by death.

  The Masonic Lodges played an instrumental role in Russia and other European states wherever Russian revolutionaries needed refuge.

  The Italian leaders of the Risorgimento, Garibaldi and Massini were both Freemasons. General Marquis de Lafayette was also a Freemason who at this time was gaining prominence in Colonial America and continued with his membership when he returned to France.

  Other prominent Freemasons of this era were, Danton, Camille Desmoulins, and Abbe Sieyes. The Abbe Augustine de Barruel claimed that the French Revolution was simply the bloody aftermath of a Free masonic plot to over throw the royal authority. 

   While Freemasons were active in revolutionary movements, other member of the craft were active in supporting right wing regimes in Prussia, Austria and Great Briton.

Scottish Rite of the Freemasons

For centuries the remnants of the lost Templar Fleet roamed the oceans, preying on the ship's loyal to the Vatican.

As the lands across the sea began to be discovered the Templar’s were there also, in their new form, The Scottish Rite of the Freemasons.

If nothing else they were central to the formation of the United States of America! The Templar’s began their transformation at Roslyn Chapel.

Prince Henry Sinclair's grandson William Sinclair was the last Earl of the Orkney Islands. After William the “Earldom of Orkney” transferred to the Scottish Crown as part of the dowry of Queen Margret of Denmark. She married King James III of Scotland.

Sir William was also known as the Knight of Cockle and the Golden Fleece. Sir William Sinclair was a member of a secret group that preserved knowledge concerning the Holy Grail, the Holy Blood and the Merovingian Kings.

They preserved knowledge of the destiny of the new land across the Atlantic. By the middle ages the builder of Solomon's Temple had become significant in the formation of craft guilds.

In 1410, a manuscript was found mentioning King Solomon son Tyre “Hiram”. This manuscript associates Tyre with ancient science that survived the flood. This knowledge has been reported by Pythagoras and Hermes.

A manuscript dated 1583 states Hiram is the Son of the king of Tyre and a “Master”. These manuscripts are evidence of widespread ancient knowledge. The knights Templar's consider themselves as inheritors of this ancient knowledge. They struggled for hundred's of years struggling against the Vatican and their reign of terror known as the inquisition.

The Templar’s considered the “True Church” one that taught reincarnation, good works and mysticism as being suppressed by a dark cloud that called itself the one true faith.

Oppression against these other faiths was accomplished by torture, terror and extermination. Prince Henry Sinclair risked his reputation of a family that traces its origins to the High Priests of the Temple of Solomon, by his pursuits across the Atlantic.

It is said that he brought part of the Holy Grail to the new lands. Had these relics been used in the creation of America? The United States was formed on principles of Templar/Masonic beliefs.

Nine and perhaps as many as thirteen of the founding fathers were Masons. The Templar Masons believed in religious freedom and a free-trade banking system.

The Templar’s had helped to create a free and independent Scotland, then a “New Scotland”, then a independent United States.

The Templar’s were engineering the future in a way that they wanted the future to go. Their goal was to create new countries free of religious persecution and false doctrines that held "Kings as divine”.

Their goal was to create an independent country, free from the rule of Kings and the Vatican. This would mean a revolution, an American Revolution!

Mayflower Part V

Two hours into the search the weather turned foul with winds gusting and snow squalls settled in. Visibility was greatly reduced, the winds were blowing against the current creating a rogue seaway with large and choppy waves.

The severe action of the schallop against the sea's broke the rudder, thankfully there were oars aboard and the vessel was propelled under oar power.

As the evening darkness approached, they sighted Plymouth Harbor, but the weather wasn't cooperating with them. As the schallop turned into the wind to make for Plymouth Harbor, the mast snapped into three pieces.

Under the expert seamanship of coxswain John Clark, a helmsman of the Mayflower's crew, they were able to fetch Plymouth Harbor under the cloak of darkness.

Because of the darkness they beached themselves on a sandy beach on a island in the harbors entrance. They named this location Clark Island, after their Coxswain John Clark under whose masterful seamanship was able to save the Pilgrims from the squall.

The following morning found the Pilgrims exhausted, hungry and cold, however they proceeded to explore the island, thinking it might be a good spot for a settlement.

Part of the crew stayed behind to conduct repairs on the schallop as the rest of the Pilgrims explored the island. The following day was the sabbath, and the Pilgrims rested and showed respect for their lord.

With calmer weather on Monday they explored the harbor which they had entered and they were quite impressed! The harbor was available to Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic ocean for the giant cod to be sent back to their investors in England.

The harbor was deep enough for large ships to enter and anchor. There were many creeks coming down to the bay from the surrounding hills.

The land was well suited for farming with it's meadows that were barren of tree's so little ground prep would be needed before planting.

They returned to the Mayflower in Providence Harbour with the delightful new's. They were all in agreement on this new location for their settlement. One of the Pilgrims wrote in his diary “did much comfort their hearts”!

The following day the Mayflower raised their anchor and set a course to cross Cape Cod Bay to Plymouth Harbor, their new home !

Square rigged ships don't sail well into the wind like modern sloop rigged sail boats. They are designed to go “down wind”, which was usually the trade wind routes during the age of discovery.

The winds were against the Mayflower on the first day, they attempted to make landfall by going into the wind. This was to no avail, they hove to out in Cape Cod Bay and by early morning the winds had diminished and they were able to enter Plymouth Harbor.

Mayflower Part IV

On Monday November 13^th the entire ships company went ashore in shifts. They brought a 30' auxiliary sail boat called a shallop, they intended to use it for coastal exploration and perhaps trading with the Indians.

The shallop had been severely damaged on the trip and was brought ashore to commence repairs. They spent the day working on the shallop and exploring the new land.

The pilgrims were anxious to establish a settlement so their explorations became quite intense and the men were divided into several search parties, to survey the entire peninsula of Cape Cod.

Myles Standish, William Bradford, Steven Hopkins, Edward Tilley and twelve other men departed as a search party. They went to explore a river they observed while entering the harbor.

While exploring the area of what is now Providence Point they encountered a group of six Indians and their dog. As soon as the Indians saw the sixteen men they ran into the woods.

The exploratory party wanted to make contact with the Indians, so they began tracking them until darkness over came them. They made camp on the trail and established a perimeter which they posted guards on shifts.

The next day their search didn't turn up any results. The underbrush was heavy and the pilgrims lost there trail but they did find a fresh water spring and some corn fields that had been abandoned.

On the side of a hill they found some old ship planks,  a kettle. There was evidence of a burial site which they excavated and found a basket with 36 ears of Indian corn. This was corn that the Indians would use for seed in the upcoming planting season.

This site became known to history as Corn Hill. They explored further and found the Pamet River and then returned to the fresh water spring to set camp.

The next morning on November 17^th they broke camp and set out  to return to the Mayflower, however they became bewildered in the woods, and lost their way.

They then came upon a Indian trap set for deer. However all that was caught in the trap was William Bradford, who stepped on it during a moment of inattention.

They were able to make it back to the ship by sunset and signaled the ship which sent out a long boat to retrieve the shore party.

Stormy weather set in on the Pilgrims with snow squalls. They decided to wait for the schallop to be repaired which was ten days later and a party of twenty four under the command of Captain Christopher Jones set out in the schallop and a long boat to explore the Pamet River.

 But were held up for another day,due to sea conditions and heavy rain.

This is where the name Cold Harbor came from. They hiked several miles over the rough terrain along the Pamet River. It had snowed heavily the night before leaving 6 inches on the ground for the Pilgrims to contend with.

The Pilgrims spent the next week discussing their exploration in search for an acceptable site for a settlement so far corn hill was winning. It was elevated above the rest of the surrounding area with view of the Ocean and Cape Cod Bay however they were concerned about a fresh water source.

A decision was made to make one more exploratory trip this time circumnavigating the shores of Cape Cod Bay.

Sixteen men left in two boats late the following day. As a sailor myself I question the motivation of some of these decisions.

It was below freezing, spray from the motion of the boats were freezing on their clothing, they were going into the wind but weren't making any headway and they left late in the day.

The sun sets early in December in Massachusetts, therefore it must have been almost dusk when they left. They were looking for rivers, bays, and inlets and any cove's that would give protection from the sea and have an approachable shore line.

Most of the creeks and rivers were frozen over they eventually came to what is now called Wellfleet Harbor. Dusk was upon them so they made a landing and set camp in what is modern Eastham Massachusetts.

As they arrived they saw a group of Indians on shore who were cleaning a catch of fish, when the Indians saw the Pilgrims they ran off into the woods.

Because of the late hour they gathered firewood and set a perimeter and guards on shifts. In the darkness they could smell smoke from the Indian camp which they estimated to be five miles away. They were sure the Indians could smell and see their fire also. Most likely they had a team of warriors observing them also.

In the morning they divided up into two groups of eight. One group would continue to explore the area by shallop and the other group to explore by land.

They didn't find any significant waterways leading into the bay. The group of pilgrims on land however had much better luck.

They found Indian footprints on the beach and followed them until they entered the woods, they continued to follow the foot prints past a pond and then continued into a cornfield that looked abandoned.

They continued past another pond and some more corn fields. They continued on and encountered a burial ground. They are seeing signs of Indians all around them but no Indians so far.

They then came upon what appeared to be a group of five Indian houses that were abandoned. As evening was close they traced their trail back to the shore where they met with the group on the shallop and once again set camp, established a perimeter and established a sentry rotation schedule.

Around midnight the pilgrims awoke to the repeated yells from from the sentry “arm-arm”. Then they heard a high pitched noise that they haven't heard before.

There were reports from other explorers from when they were in New Newfoundland, they heard similar noises which they thought were from wolves or foxes.

 They shot their muskets into the air and the screeching noise stopped.

They went back to sleep and arose around five in the morning and began preparations for the day.

Then the hideous screeching started again and then the sentry's came running into the camp yelling those are men! Then the whistling of many arrows began pelting the camp.

The pilgrims began firing their muskets into the air then one of the pilgrims spotted a Indian in the predawn light by a tree, he shot at him three times before he responded, and ran off into the woods, yelling for his companions to follow.

Hostilities were exchanged on both sides but there weren't any injuries or death. The pilgrims named this place “First Encounter Beach”.

The pilgrims continued with their explorations continuing on the coast of the Cape Cod Bay searching for harbors, rivers and creeks which would be well situated for a settlement.

Mayflower Part III

      The Mayflower departed with three pregnant women one of whom was in labor and gave birth shortly after departure.

   The first six weeks of the trip were with good winds and fair seas, even so there was quite a problem with seasickness, these were the days of limited medical remedies.

   The insults and harassment from the vulgar bos'n to the passengers and crew was a constant dark cloud that hung over the group. He would often ridicule the sea sickness of the passengers, threatening to throw them overboard and take their possessions for himself.  

    Poetic justice being what it is, the bos'n was the first to experience a severe and painful sickness, which he died from. He was indeed the first person to be thrown overboard to the delight of the pilgrims.

  Half way through the trip the Mayflower started experiencing a string of severe storms and constant strong winds on her nose.

    The ship started experiencing many leaks and started taking on water not just through the hull but also deck seams which made it extremely difficult to stay dry.

    It was significantly wet and dripping water on to the sleeping areas on the tween deck.  The winds were so strong on many occasions the sails had to be dropped and the ship was at the mercy of the winds and currents which frequently ran against each other.

    During one of the storms one of the beams cracked and had to be reinforced and secured with a large screw through the beam.  This event was extremely stressful and many of the crew were concerned that the ship wouldn't be able to survive the voyage.

   During one of the storms a pilgrim went on deck John Howland. He was secured by a rope, he was washed overboard but was spotted by the deck watch and was able to be retrieved but with great difficulty.

   John Howland descendants include Franklin D Roosevelt, President Bush, Humphrey Bogart and Mormon faith founder Joseph Smith.

   The pilgrims were praying for a landfall soon and their prayers were answered.  Three day's before arriving in the New World a young boy by name of William Button who was brought on the voyage by ship's Surgeon Dr Samuel Fulton, died.

   William Button was the first and only passenger to die on the Mayflower while at sea.  After 2750 miles and three months after leaving Leidham Holland and sixty six days on the high seas land was spotted.

     November 9^th 1620 they spotted Cape Cod which was 250 miles north of their destination. In Colonial America, Long Island and what is now New York City. was part of Virginia.

     The destination of the Mayflower was by the mouth of the Hudson, some accounts say Long Island, however the mouth of the Hudson River is west of Long Island on the other side of Manhattan Island.

 

  As the Mayflower turned south to head for Long Island it soon encountered a shoal leading to a reef, at this time in history the worlds oceans were two hundred and fifty feet lower than it is today!

   It wasn't so long ago that a Grand Banks fishing trawler pulled up human skeletal remains that were carbon dated to 12,000 BC.

   After encountering the reef the Mayflower turned around and traveled fifty miles up the eastern coast of Cape Cod and searched for a sheltered cove to anchor in.

   They followed the coast of Cape Cod as it turned west and into Cape Cod Bay, there they found a secure anchorage in what is now Provence Town Harbor, and on November 11, 1620 they set their anchor in the harbor.

   When leaving England they had received permission in the form of a patent from the King of England to start a settlement at the mouth of the Hudson River.

 However it wasn't applicable any other place in the New World therefore they were now trespassing.

    After considerable discussion a decision was made to establish a government and impose self rule and issued themselves a patent for a settlement. This became known to history as the Mayflower Compact.

   They had entered Providence Harbor early in the morning of November 11^th before the sun had risen. As the sun rose they were able to see the great diversity of vegetation on shore. There were pine trees, oak and most of all the juniper tree.

    If you have ever entered a dairy barn it would help you understand the odor that one encountered from the interior of the Mayflower. After three months of travel with someplace between eighty-three and one hundred and thirty people on board, the passengers were for the most part below decks for their safety.

   The juniper tree emitted a perfume when burnt which acted as an air freshener deodorizer. They had been completely out of wood and it was cold now, the hardwood from the oak trees was an excellent source of heat, because November on the Coast of New England was at best frigid!!

    By midmorning a landing party of 16 armed men departed for an exploration of the immediate area and also to collect juniper wood.

    The landing party made their way to a high point and were able to survey the area, they were able to see across the peninsula and see the Atlantic, on the opposite side of the island.

   They returned to the ship with the juniper wood and spent the next day aboard ship celebrating the Sabbath and giving thanks to the lord for their successful journey.