Let us picture to ourselves the scene on that Monday morning, when, after the rest on Clark’s Island they came in their shallop to inspect the new country that they had providentially found. The wharves and buildings and every trace of civilization vanish. All is wild and unknown. Across the harbor comes the boat and every eye anxiously and keenly scanning the strange shore to discover the presence of human beings, who will be sure to be enemies. They coast along the shore by cliff and lowland, hand on weapon, every sense alert for the expected warwhoop and attack, a steep and sandy cliff, (Cole’s Hill) the base of which is washed by the water meets their eyes; at its foot a great boulder, brought from some far-away coast by a glacier, in some long-gone age. Oval in form, with a flat top, it seems the very place to bring the great clumsy boat up to, as from its crest they can spring to the shore, dry-shod, a matter which, after their previous wading in the ice-cold water at the Cape, is of no small moment. The shallop is steered to its side; the company steps upon the Rock, and the Landing of the Forefathers, now so reverently commemorated, is completed. Look along the shore at this day, north or south, and you may see cliffs as Cole’s Hill was then, with the mouth of Town Brook near by the Rock, which later made a safe little harbor for their boats in the rear of the dwellings which they erected on the south side of Leyden Street. Divested of romance thrown around it by time, it should be remembered that the “Landing,” Dec. 21, 1620, was that of the exploring party which had coasted around the bay, the “Mayflower” then being in Cape Cod Harbor.

This party was made up of “ten of their principal men,” according to Bradford, whose names, as given in “Mourt’s Relation,” were Captain Standish, Governor Carver, William Bradford, Edward Winslow, John Tilley, Edward Tilley, John Howland, from Leyden; with Richard Warren, Stephen Hopkins and Edward Dotey from London, and also two of the Pilgrim’s seamen, John Allerton and Thomas English. In addition to these, Captain Jones of the “Mayflower” sent three of his seamen, with his two mates and pilots named Clarke and Coppin. The master gunner of the ship by importunity also got leave to accompany them. Thus the shallop contained eighteen men, twelve of the “Mayflower” company and six of Jones’ men.

According to “Mourt’s Relation,” the exploring party, having landed from the Rock, “marched also into the land and found divers cornfields and little running brooks, a place very good for situation. So we returned to our Ship again with good news to the rest of the people, which did much comfort their hearts.”

The “Mayflower” weighs her anchor, Dec. 26, 1620, and spreading sail moves across the bay. Feeling carefully their way, they pass the Gurnet and navigate along the channel inside the beach, until in the wide bend towards the town just above the present Beach wharf, as is believed by those who have studied the situation, the anchor is dropped, not to be again disturbed until the following spring. But the location is not yet settled. Some, with the alarm of the recent encounters vividly impressed upon them, think the Island, surrounded by water and easily defended, would be a good place. Jones river, sending its unimpeded waters to meet the waves of the bay, attracts the attention of others. “So in the morning, after we had called on God for direction, we came to this resolution, to go presently ashore again, and to take a better view of two places which we thought most fitting for us; for we could not now take time for further search or consideration, our vituals being much spent, especially our beer, and it being now the 19th of December (old style). After our landing and visiting the places, so well as we could, we came to a conclusion, by most voices, to set on a high ground, where there is a great deal of land cleared, and hath been planted with corn three or four years ago; and there is a very sweet brook runs under the hillside, and many delicate springs of as good water as can be drunk, and where we may harbor our shallops and boats exceedingly well; and in this brook fish in their season; on the further side of the river also much corn ground cleared. In one field is a great hill on which we point to make a platform, and plant our ordance, which will command all around about. From thence we may see into the bay, and far into the sea; and we may see thence Cape Cod. Our greatest labor will be the fetching of our wood, which is half a quarter of an English mile; but there is enough so far off. What people inhabit here we yet know not, for as yet we have seen none. So there we made our rendezvous, and a place for some of our people, about twenty, resolving in the morning to come all ashore and to build houses.”