History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts - Chapter III, 1890 | 34KB | Ray Sears - LRSears@CapeCod.net ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************ _______________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER III. DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATIONS. [p. 20] Early Discovery of the Cape.-Explorations by Gosnold and Dermer.-The Pilgrims.- The Mayflower in Cape Cod Harbor.-Explorations by the Pilgrims. -Compact Signed.- Plymouth,-The Lost Boy.- Post at Manomet.-Great Storm.-Declaration of Rights.- First Settlement of the Cape by the Whites.-Sandwich, Barnstable, Yarmouth and Nauset.-Erection of County. THE history of Barnstable county, if made complete, is of more interest than any other in the Bay state; for Cape Cod was first discovered and first explored, and has sustained its prominence from that early period to the present time. From public records and the most authentic documents, with the carefulness that the import- ance of the work demands, have been compiled the facts of the dis- covery, exploration and settlement of Cape Cod. The discovery of the Western Continent in 1492 was the most important event of modern times, and to Columbus and others who followed him the historical monuments already erected will endure as long as the earth itself. Traditions have credited Madoc, a prince of Wales, with a prior discovery, in the Twelfth century: and several historians have discussed the Norwegian claim to its discovery. Eric emigrated from Iceland to Greenland. where he formed a set- tlement in 986. In the year 1000, Lief, a son of Eric, with a crew of men, sailed to the southwest, discovered land, explored the coast southward, entered a bay where he remained during the winter, and called it Vinland. In 1007 Thorfinn sailed from Greenland to Vin- land, and the account of his voyage is still extant. From the evidence of this voyage and others that followed, antiquarians have no hesi- tancy in pronouncing this Vinland as the head of Narragansett bay. This is the first tangible evidence of the coasting of the white man along the shores of Cape Cod. The first discovery by a European of which history can be given, was by Bartholomew Gosnold, an intrepid mariner of the west of England, who, on the 26th of March, 1602, sailed from Falmouth, in Cornwall. in a small bark, with thirty-two men, for a coast called at that time North Virginia. On the 14th of May he made land on the eastern coast of Massachusetts, north of Cape Cod, and sailing south ___________________________________________________________________ DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATIONS. 21 on the 15th, soon found himself "embayed with a mighty headland," which appeared "like an island by reason of the large sound that lay between it and the main." This sound he called Shoal Hope, and near this cape, within a league of land, he came to anchor in fifteen fathoms, and his crew took a great quantity of cod fish, from which circumstance he named the land Cape Cod. The captain with four others went on shore here, where they were met in a friendly way by Indians. This, Bancroft confidently asserts, was the first spot in New England ever trod by Englishmen. May 16, 1602, Gosnold and his crew coasted southerly until he came to a point where, in attempting to double, he found the water very shoal. To this point he gave the name of Point Care; it is now called Sandy point, and is the extreme southeastern part of Barnstable county. Breakers were seen off Point Gammon, the southern point of Yarmouth. On the 19th of May, Gosnold sailed along the coast westward, sight- ing the high lands of Barnstable and Yarmouth, and discovered and named Martha's Vineyard. From off this island he sailed about the 24th of May. and spent some three weeks in cruising about Buzzards bay. It has been believed that he and his men took up their abode on Cuttyhunk, traded and held friendly relations with Indians; but it must have been very brief, for on the 18th of June he sailed from Buzzards bay by the passage through which he entered, and arrived at Exmouth, England, July 23, 1602. In 1603 De Monts prepared for a voyage, and in 1604 arrived on these western shores, exploring from the St. Lawrence river to Cape Cod and southward. In 1607, a settlement was attempted at Kennebeck by the Plymouth Company, but the winter of 1607-8 being severe, and many dis- couragements interposing, the survivors returned to England in the following spring. In 1614 Captain John Smith, the celebrated navigator, quitted the colony of South Virginia and sailed along the coast, exploring between Cape Cod and Kennebeck. He made a fine map * of the country, which, upon his return to England, he presented to King Charles, who was so well pleased with the resemblance to his own England that he at once named it "New England." At this time the new possessions were supposed to be an island. The same year Cap- tain Smith returned to London, leaving a ship for Thomas Hunt to command and load with fish for Spain. In 1619 Sir Fernando Gorges sent Mr. Thomas Dermer to New England. He found a pestilence had swept over the Indian popula- *The celebrated Varazano map of 1518 is sufficiently noticed in the chapter on Provincetown where its author mentions other early navigators. - Ed. ___________________________________________________________________ 22 HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY tion, and some villages were utterly depopulated. At Monomoyick (Chatham) Dermer was recognized by an Indian who had been abducted by Hunt, only escaping after receiving fourteen wounds at the hands of the Indians, and after nearly all his boat's crew had been killed-the result of the perfidy of Hunt and others. While Walter Raleigh and his people made at Jamestown the first permanent settlement in Virginia, and while the Dutch, following Hudson's discovery of 1609, gained a foothold at New Amsterdam, it seemed to be reserved to the religious exiles at Leyden to establish the first permanent settlement in New England and lay the foundations on which should be built the greatest nation of modern times. In 1608 they fled from England to Amsterdam, and thence to Leyden, whence they finally embarked for the Western world. In 1617 they meditated what was afterward accomplished, but not until two years later were necessary preparations completed, and not until July, 1620, was the first company of these 120 resolute emi- grants in waiting to embark, August sixth, in the two small ships-the Mayflower and Speedwell -at Southampton. The Speedwell proved unseaworthy and was abandoned, thus reducing the number to 101 on board the Mayflower, which, after many delays, left Plymouth, England, September 6, 1620. They intended to go to what was known as Virginia, at or near the Hudson river, of which, and the surrounding country, Henry Hudson had given a glowing description. After many boisterous storms, on November ninth they reached Cape Cod and as their record said, "The which being made, and certainly known to be it, we were not a little joyful." They bore south, but encounter- ing the same shoals that had turned Gosnold, they returned north- ward and doubled the Cape where now is Provincetown. On the 11th of November 1620, after a voyage of sixty-six days, they found that neither their compass nor bible had failed them, and they anchored within the kindly shelter of New England's great right arm, where many storm-tossed mariners have since sought refuge. There, within the very palm of the hand, they recognized the hand of Providence and kept as pilgrim Christians their first Sabbath in the New World. The day they anchored, sixteen men, headed by Captain Miles Standish, all well armed, went on shore to procure wood and re- connoitre; and repairs upon their shallop were at once commenced, that other and more extensive explorations might be made. The store of fowl in the harbor was very great, and almost daily they saw whales. "The bay is so round and circling, that before we could come to anchor, we went round all the points of the compass." Their nar- rative continues: "We could not come near the shore by three-quarters of an English mile, because of shallow water, which was a great preju- dice to us; for our people were forced to wade * * for it was many times freezing weather." ___________________________________________________________________ DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATIONS. 23 After solemnly thanking God, it was proposed that the forty-one males who were of age should subscribe a compact, which was to be the basis of their government. Had all the company been members of the Leyden congregation they could have relied on each other without imposing restraint; but there were many servants, and insub- ordination had manifested itself the day before the Mayflower anchored in the harbor. Hon. Francis Baylies, in his history of New Plymouth, says that this compact adopted in the cabin of Mayflower "established a most important principle, a principle which is the foundation of all the democratic institutions of America, and is the basis of the republic." At that dark day of despotism no pen dare write, or tongue assert, that the majority should govern; but these primitive, discarded Christians, relying upon their Maker for strength and guid- ance, discovered a truth in the science of government which had been dormant for ages; and the principles given and implied in the com- pact unanimously adopted by this little band of Christians-on a bleak shore, in the midst of desolation and wintry blasts-to-day, in all the complications and ramifications of our many branches of fed- eral and state governments, are the happiest and leading character- istics. The following is an exact copy of the compact: "In the name of God, amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland king, defender of the faith &c., having undertaken for the glory of God, and advance- ment of the christian faith, and honor of our king and country, a voy- age to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do, by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation, and further- ance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof, do enact, constitute and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and con- venient for the general good of the colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. "In witness whereof, we have hereunder subscribed our names, at Cape Cod, the 11th day of November, in the year of the reign of our sovereign lord, King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, anno Domini 1620." This compact was signed in the following order. We adopt the idea of Mr. Prince, in his New England Chronology, Vol. I, p. 86, Ed. 1736, in giving the number of each family; also, in placing the * to each who brought his wife, and italicizing every one who died before the first of April, 1621: ___________________________________________________________________ 24 HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY 1.Mr. John Carver,* 8; 2. Mr. William Bradford,* 2; 3. Mr. Ed- ward Winslow,*5; 4. Mr. William Brewster,* 6; 5. Mr. Isaac Aller- ton,* 6; 6. Capt. Miles Standish,*2; 7. John Alden, 1; 8. Mr. Samuel Fuller, 2; 9. Mr. Christopher Martin. * 4; 10. Mr. William Mullens,*5; 11. Mr. William White,*5; 12. Mr. Richard Warren, 1; 13. John How- land; 14. Mr. Stephen Hopkins,*8; 15. Edward Tilley,*4; 16. John Tilley,* 3; 17. Francis Cooke, 2; 18. Thomas Rogers, 2; 19. Thomas Tinker, *3; 20. John Ridgedale, 2; 21. Edward Fuller, *3; 22. John Tur- ner, *3; 23. Francis Eaton, *3; 24. James Chilton, * 3; 25. John Crackston, 2; 26. John Billington,* 4; 27. Moses Fletcher, 1; 28. John Goodman, 1; 29. Degory Priest, 1; 30. Thomas Williams. 1; 31. Gilbert Winslow, 1; 32. Edmund Margeson, 1; 33. Peter Brown, 1; 34. Richard Butteridge,1; 35. George Soule; 36. Richard Clarke, 1; 37. Richard Gardiner, 1; 38. John Allerton, 1; 39. Thomas English, 1; 40. Edward Dotey; 41. Edward Leister. The same day John Carver was chosen governor for one year, and government was thus regularly established. The legislative and judicial power was in the whole body, and the governer became the executive. On the 15th of November sixteen men, well armed, went on shore to explore while the shallop was being repaired; Captain Miles Standish was leader. They found Indians, who fled at their approach. They set sentinels and remained on the Cape over night-supposed from the description to be near Stout's creek. They traveled south from Dyer's swamp to the pond, in Truro. From the Great Hollow they went south to the hill which terminates in Hopkin's cliff, north side of Pamet river in Truro. On the 27 th of November, the shallop being ready, twenty-four men went forth to explore: Captain Jones, of the Mayflower and a few sea- men joined the party, making thirty-four in all. They landed at Old Tom's hill, went up the Pamet river, and after three days returned to the ship, carrying corn from the storehouses of the natives. December sixth another company set sail to explore the Cape, for much anxiety was manifested as to where they should abide. They first landed at Billingsgate point: the next day a portion went by boat and others on shore southward through Eastham. They sailed along the north coast of Cape Cod until Saturday evening, December ninth, when they found a safe harbor under the lee of a small island, called Clark's island from the master's mate, who was the first to land, in Plymouth harbor. Sunday was duly observed with praise and thanks- giving, and on Monday the 11th the harbor was sounded, the land explored, and was deemed the best place for a habitation, and one which the season and their present necessities should make them glad to accept. That day they returned to the ship in Cape Cod harbor with the report of their explorations. ___________________________________________________________________ DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATIONS. 25 The question touching the place of settlement had been a vital one, and some even yet thought it best to explore northward from Plymouth before deciding; but upon the return of the second party from Plymouth it was decided to fix their abode there; December 15th the ship sailed for this haven, which, owing to bead winds, was not entered till the 16th. Here a history of Barnstable county must necessarily sever connection with them, only so far as their visits and the settlement of a portion of them pertains to the Cape. In the month of July, 1621, John Billington, a boy from the Ply- mouth colony, was lost, for whom the governor caused inquiry to be made among the Indians. He was found at Nauset (Eastham), where he had been carried and kindly sheltered by the natives, who found him wandering in the woods of Sandwich. A boat was dispatched to bring the boy, but was compelled to anchor over night at Cummaquid (Barnstable harbor). Here, Iyanough, the sachem of this part of the Cape, displayed a friendship that could well be denominated a reproof for the acts of Hunt and others who had so unceremoniously taken unbecoming liberties among the tribes of the Cape. He assisted in the recovery of the boy, and promised his friendly adhesion to the colony. On the 13th of September, 1621, nine sachems subscribed an instru- ment of submission to King James, and among them several of the known Cape sachems; and for years before Barnstable county was settled constant intercourse was kept up with the Cape by the Ply- mouth colony. It became a necessity to often visit the Indian gran- aries in times of dearth. In this intercourse with the tribes of the Cape more or less jealousies and bickerings arose, in which, perhaps, the whites were as much at fault as their Indian neighbors. One instance: In March, 1623, Captain Standish entered Scusset harbor for corn, and conceived the idea that a native of Pamet intended to kill him, but he thwarted any plot, if one had been planned, by a faithful watch. About this time a plot against the colony was sus- pected, which was really an outgrowth of Captain Standish's former suspicion, and resulted in the slaughter by the English of four prom- inent sachems, the head of one of whom was borne to Plymouth and set up on a pole over the fort. The news of such unwonted massacre spread among the natives of the Cape, causing them to feel that no confidence could be placed in those they had befriended, and that any and every one was liable at any moment to become a victim of false accusation, to swell the list of those who had fallen by such a spirit of extermination. Several of the Cape tribes left their abodes, took to the woods and swamps, contracted diseases, and many of the most friendly sachems, including the venerable Iyanough, miserably died. As soon as the transaction mentioned in this paragraph was communi- ___________________________________________________________________ 26 HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY cated to Rev. Mr. Robinson, the leader and founder of the Ply- mouth church, at Leyden, he wrote to the governor at Plymouth, beg- ging them "to consider the disposition of their captain, who was a man of warm temper;" also "he trusted the Lord had sent him among them for good, but feared he was wanting in that tenderness of the rife of man, made after God's image, which was meet; and it would have been better if they had converted some before they had killed any." The Cape was important to Plymouth, as touching ground for trading vessels and additional pilgrims. In December, 1626, a ship bound for Virginia was compelled to put in at the nearest point, and ran into Monomoyick (Chatham) bay; here the vessel was wrecked, and the beach was called thenceforward Old Ship. The Indians con- veyed the intelligence of the disaster to Plymouth. in the meantime caring for the unfortunates, and the governor hastened to dispatch a boat with supplies, which were landed at the south side of the bay, at Namskaket creek, whence it was not much over two miles across the Cape to where the ship lay. The Indians carried the supplies across to the sufferers, and the goods from the broken-up vessel were subse- quently transported to Namskaket and the crew conducted to Plymouth. In 1627 the colonists established a trading house at Manomet (Bourne), on the south side of Monument river, to facilitate their intercourse with the Narragansett country. New Amsterdam, and the shores of Long Island sound. The trading post was not far from Monument Bridge-the Indian Manomet being corrupted to Monu- ment. By transporting their goods up the creek from Scusset harbor and transferring them a short distance by land they reached the boata- ble waters the other side of the Cape. Governor Bradford says; "For our greater convenience of trade, to discharge our engagements, and to maintain ourselves, we have built a small pinnace, at Manomet, a place on the sea, twenty miles to the south, to which, by another creek on this side, we transport our goods by water within four or five miles, and then carry them over land to the vessel: thereby avoiding the compassing of Cape Cod, with those dangerous shoals, and make our voyage to the southward with far less time and hazard. For the safety of our vessel and goods we there also built a house and keep some servants, who plant corn, raise swine, and are always ready to go out with the bark-which takes good effect and turns to advantage." This proved, as the governor said, an advantage. The first communi- cation between the Plymouth colony and the Dutch at Fort Amster- dam was through this channel. De Razier, the noted merchant, arrived at Manomet in September, 1627, with a ship load of sugar, linen and stuffs; and Governor Bradford sent a boat to Scusset harbor ___________________________________________________________________ DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATIONS. 27 to convey him to Plymouth. As this trading post was temporary, we do not date the settlement of Sandwich at this time. Still, with additions to their numbers, the sickness and exposures, famine stared the Plymouth colony in the face often, and many instances of calm resignation are recorded in its early annals. One who came to the governor's house with his tales of suffering, "found his lordship's last batch in the oven." A good man who asked a neighbor to partake of a dish of clams, after dinner returned "thanks to God, who had given them to suck of the abundance of the seas and of the treasures hid in the sands." Their first election of executive officers under their first charter was in 1630, at which time the total population of the colony did not exceed three hundred. There was no scramble for office, and in 1631 it was found necessary to enact that "if, now, or hereafter any person chosen to the office of governor refuse, he shall be fined twenty pounds; and that if a councillor, or magistrate, chosen refuse, he shall be fined ten pounds; and in case this be not paid on demand, it shall be levied out of said person's goods or chattels." We must except this one peculiarity from the many sterling principles implanted in our government customs, but not censure our Puritan ancestors for the departure taken by the present-day politicians in their unjust scramble for office. Governor Bradford thus describes a great storm, in the annals of the colony: August 15, 1635 - "A mighty storm of wind and rain as none living in these parts, either English or Indians, ever saw. It began in the morning a little before day, and came with great violence, causing the sea to swell above twenty feet right up, and made many in- habitants climb into the trees. It took off the roof of a house belong- ing to the plantation at Manomet, and put it in another place. Had the storm continued without shifting of the wind, it would have drowned some parts of the country. It blew down many thousands of trees, turning up the stronger by the roots, breaking the higher pines in the middle, and winding small oaks and walnuts of good size as withes. It began southeast, and parted towards the south and east, and veered sundry ways. The wrecks of it will remain a hun- dred years. The moon suffered a great eclipse the second night after it." The destruction on the Cape was even greater than on the main land. Since the simple compact of 1620 no constitution or other instru- ment for the government of the colony had been made. The code of Moses seemed to be paramount to any code of England. The power of the church was superior. As trade expanded it was evident that civil authority, and not church censure, must extend its strong power ___________________________________________________________________ 28 HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY over the colony to check the often recurring conflictions of trade and growing selfishness of man's nature; therefore on the 15th of November, 1636, the court of associates first set forth the following declaration of rights--the first real one of the New World: "We, the Associates of New Plymouth, coming hither as free-born subjects of the state of England, and endowed with all and singular the privileges belonging to such, being assembled, do ordain that no act, imposition, law, or ordinance, be made or imposed on us, at the present or to come, but shall be made or imposed by consent of the body of Associates, or their representatives, legally assembled.- which is according to the liberties of the state of England." Thus was established out present form of representation: and as all rights of parliament to legislate for them were renounced, they proceeded to provide for the emergency. it was enacted: "That on the first Tuesday in June, annually, an election shall be held for the choice of Governor, and assistants, to rule and govern the plantation." The franchise was confined to those admitted as freemen, to whom a stringent oath was prescribed. And they must be "Orthodox in the fundamentals of religion" and "possessed of a ratable estate of twenty pounds." The votes were to be given by person or by proxy at Plymouth, and no person was to live, or inhabit, within the govern- ment of New Plymouth "without the leave and liking of the Gov- ernor and Assistants." A constable was to be elected who had power to serve "according to that measure of wisdom, understanding, and discretion as God has given you," and had power to arrest, without precept, "all suspicious persons." Capital offenses were treason, murder, diabolical converse, arson and rape. At this date (1636) the only towns settled were Plymouth, Duxbury and Scituate. The Cape was still the home of the same Indian tribes who had been ruled, ostensibly, by the colony, and had maintained a very friendly trade and seeming allegiance. But the year 1637 was to see the first settlement by the whites upon the Cape. April 3, 1637, a settlement was commenced at Sandwich, although the plantation was not recognized as a town until two years later. These persons were chiefly from Lynn (Saugus), with a few from Duxbury and Plymouth. The permit, or grant, must be given by the general court, and the record was made that they "shall have liberty to view a place to sit down, and have sufficient lands for three-score families, upon the conditions propounded to them by the Governor and Mr. Winslow." These freemen had undergone the most rigid oaths and examinations to obtain this permission, and very early Mr. John Alden and Captain Miles Standish were sent to "set forth the bounds of the lands granted there." They were to see that the qual- ifications of "housekeeping" were strictly conformed to: and singu- ___________________________________________________________________ DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATIONS. 29 larly enough it was found that Joseph Winsor and Anthony Besse, at Sandwich, were disorderly keeping house-alone-and were pre- sented to the court. While the growing settlements of the Cape were under Plymouth government we find no flagrant transgressions of their stringent laws-the whole code-from that forbidding, by heavy punishment, "the inveigling of men's daughter, etc.," down to that of "allowing no swine to go at large without ringing them." As early as August 1638, liberty was given Mr. Stephen Hopkins to erect a house at Mattacheese and cut hay there to winter his cattle -provided it do not withdraw him from Plymouth. Again permission granted, September third, to Gabriel Weldon and Gregory Armstrong to go and dwell at Yarmouth; and then it is said, "the people of Lynn having established a settlement at Sandwich, an attempt was made from the same quarter to establish another at Yarmouth." First in the work was Rev. Stephen Batchelor, aged 76 years, who trav- eled the distance from Lynn to the east part of Barnstable on foot. The records show that this attempt failed from the difficulties that attended it, and the next year other parties had the honor of first erecting their cabins in the wilderness of the present Barnstable and Yarmouth. The Indian Mattacheese extended quite a distance within the present limits of Barnstable, and among the many settlers of the sum- mer of 1639 the territory of Barnstable, Yarmouth and Dennis became settled. The northeastern part was called Hockanom, yet another part of the ancient settlement was called Sesuet-since East Dennis. The names of these grantees of Mattacheese are found in the chapters of Barnstable and Yarmouth. In this year, 1639, so many had migrated to the towns of Barnsta- ble, Yarmouth and Sandwich, that they were invested with the rights of towns and were each entitled to two delegates to an assembly for legislation. In October of the same year the authorities at Plymouth ordered a pound to be erected at Yarmouth, and established there a pair of stocks. The stocks of that day, in which the petty offenders were compelled to sit, were one of the mediums through which the Plymouth court would impress a notion of its dignity upon any who disregarded its authority. In 1641 the active ministers of Barnstable, Sandwich and Yarmouth were John Laythorpe [Lothrop], John Mayo, William Leverich, John Miller and Marmaduke Matthews. These each bore the title of Mister, that insignia of Puritan importance which at that time was only applied to the learned and the wealthy. The first assessment for the expenses of the general court was levied in June, 1641, upon the eight towns then constituting the col- ony. To produce £25, Plymouth was assessed £5, Duxbury £3, 10, ___________________________________________________________________ 30 HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY Scituate £4, Sandwich £3, Yarmouth. Barnstable and Taunton each £2,10 and Marshfield £2. In 1644 the project of removing the Plymouth government to Nauset on the Cape was again agitated, and Governor Bradford and others were sent to locate a site. They purchased lands of the sachems of Nauset and Monomoyick, and permission was given to the Ply- mouth church for a new location. A part of the church only removed, and in April the new settlement was commenced at Nauset. Secre- tary Morton said of it, "divers of the considerablest of the church and town removed." The prominent men who removed are noticed in the history of Eastham. In 1646 the Cape furnished two of the governor's assistants-Mr. Thomas Prince of Nauset and Edmund Freeman of Sandwich-and the towns were ordered by the general court to have a clerk to keep a register of births, marriages and burials. In 1647 progress was made in extending the Nauset and other set- tlements, both on the territory between Eastham and Dennis and toward Provincetown. Prior to the settlement at Nauset, three years before, all of the territory below Dennis was occupied by Indians; but during the year 1653 Brewster was settled. It would also seem that the Cape had at least one mill at Sandwich, and that the miller was presented, in 1648, for not having a toll-dish sealed "according to order." In 1651 quite a number of the best citizens of Sandwich," for not frequenting the public worship of God," were presented, and in 1652 Ralph Allen, sr., and Richard Kerby of Sandwich were presented "for speaking deridingly against God's word and ordinances." It would seem by the fining of the citizens that already the Cape people had commenced a move in the right direction, and would be worship- ping God properly by not heeding such rules and tenets as had been made by the rulers. The most convenient road from Sandwich to Plymouth was laid out in 1652, by order of the court to Mr. Prince and Captain Standish to empanel a jury. This was done, and the highway began "at Sandwich, leaving Goodman Black's house on the right hand, running across the swamp, over the river, and so on, in a nor-north-west line falling upon Eel River." April 3, 1653, delegates were sent from Barnstable, Eastham, Yarmouth and Sandwich to meet the court "to conclude on military affairs." Sandwich furnished six men, Yarmouth six, Barnstable six and Eastham three, for military purposes. In 1653 the first coined money of the New World was put into circu- lation, and the historical pine-tree shilling was the veritable money mentioned; it was coined by Massachusetts and was in circulation on the Cape. ___________________________________________________________________ DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATIONS. 31 These four towns, frequently mentioned, and being then the only Cape towns incorporated, remained under the Plymouth government until 1685, when that colony was divided into three counties-Ply- mouth, Bristol and Barnstable. The growth in settlement was rapid, as the Cape possessed its own local and peculiar advantages. Thus the white man's presence, the white man's enterprise and the social life which they implied gradually but surely took their permanent place on the Cape, and the elimination of the red man as a factor in human affairs here was rapidly accomplished.