Show iii ii i iii It Seems To Me MeUy e Hy Uy Joseph It Roberts 1111 1111 1 1 11 i i ii First Thanksgiving COPYRIGHT 1977 Contemporary Features Syndicate Inc The true story of the first Thanksgiving is told by William Bradford in his remarkable history of Plymouth Plantation I think we might appreciate the great national holiday a bit more if we reviewed some of the events that led up to that Thanksgiving Day in 1621 as they were reported by Brad Brad- ford rord After suffering grave danger and many hardships during thelong the thelong long sea voyage they landed at al Plymouth in November Bradford said Being they arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of leaven Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereby again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth their proper element Their relief was short-lived short however for it was winter and they had now no friends to welcome them nor inns to entertain entertain en en- or refresh their bodies no houses or much less towns to repair to to seek succor They faced a bleak hostile wilder wilder- ness Full Frill of wild beasts and wild men in a country whose winters were Sharp and violent and subject to cruel and fierce storms dangerous to travel to known places much more to search an unknown coast And disease and the weather took look their toll loll for in two or three months' months time half of their theil company died especially in January and February being in inthe inthe inthe the depth of winter and wanting wanting wanting wan wan- ting houses and other comforts being infected with the scurvy and other diseases which their long voyage and their inac inac- condition had brought upon them The Indians came skulking about but when approached they ran away Miraculously J however on about the of March a certain Indian came boldly them and spoke to them In broken English He lie said his name was Samoset that he was not of these parts part but belonged to the eastern parts where some English ships shim came to fish and he had learned English from the sailors Samoset was provided with friendly entertainment and some gifts and he promised to return with another Indian whose hose name was Squanto a native of this place who had been to England and could speak English better than himself He lie also agreed to bring the chief of the local tribe so they could parley He lie kept his word and Bradford was able to draw up a peace agreement with the chief that lasted over 20 years Squanto proved to he be a godsend to the Pilgrims lie He served as their interpreter and taught them how to plant Indian corn maize where to take fish and to procure other commodities com com- commodities and was also their pilot to bring them to unknown places for their profit and never left them till he died With Squanto's help the scarce fifty Pilgrims left alive after the winter recovered in health and strength and had all alI things in good plenty They caught many fish and game besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys of which they took many besides venison etc Besides Resides they had about a apeck apeck apeck peck of meal a week to a person or now since harvest Indiancorn Indiancorn Indian Indiancorn corn to that tha t proportion So out of thankfulness to God for the harvest of plenty after the severe trials of their first year ear in America they prepared a feast and invited their friends the he Indians By comparison with their plight the previous November they had much to be thankful for By comparison with the hard life they lived we certainly have much to be thankful for today Think about it |