of one—­not wholly satisfactory—­had been prudently taken that day, it was both natural and politic that as early as possible in the following week he should make first inquiry of his fellow-merchants among the Adventurers, whether any of them had available such a ship as was requisite, seeking to find, if possible, one more nearly of the desired capacity than that of which he had “taken the refusal” on Saturday.  It appears altogether probable that, in reply to this inquiry, Thomas Goffe, Esq., a fellow Adventurer and shipping-merchant of London, offered the may-Flower, which, there is ample reason to believe, then and for ten years thereafter, belonged to him.

It is quite likely that Clarke, the newly engaged “pilot,” learning that his employers required a competent commander for their ship, brought to their notice the master of the ship (the Falcon) in which he had made his recent voyage to Virginia, Captain Jones, who, having powerful friends at his back in both Virginia Companies (as later appears), and large experience, was able to approve himself to the Adventurers.  It is also probable that Thomas Weston engaged him himself, on the recommendation of the Earl of Warwick, at the instance of Sir Ferdinando Gorges.

As several weeks would be required to fit the ship for her long voyage on such service, and as she sailed from London July 15, her charter-party must certainly have been signed by June 20, 1620.  The Speedwell, as appears from various sources (Bradford, Winslow et al.), sailed from Delfshaven, Saturday, July 22.  She is said to have been four days on the passage to Southampton, reaching there Wednesday, July 26.  Cushman, in his letter of Thursday, August 17, from Dartmouth to Edward Southworth, says, “We lay at Southampton seven days waiting for her” (the Speedwell), from which it is evident, both that Cushman came on the may-Flower from London, and that the may-Flower must have left London at least ten days before the 26th of July, the date of the SPEEDWELL’S arrival.  As given traditionally, it was on the 15th, or eleven days before the SPEEDWELL’S arrival at Southampton.

By whom the charter-party of the may-Flower was signed will probably remain matter of conjecture, though we are not without intimations of some value regarding it.  Captain John Smith tells us that the Merchant Adventurers (presumably one of the contracting parties) “were about seventy, . . . not a Corporation, but knit together by a voluntary combination in a Society without constraint or penalty.  They have a President and Treasurer every year newly chosen by the most voices, who ordereth the affairs of their Courts and meetings; and with the assent of most of them, undertaketh all the ordinary business, but in more weighty affairs, the assent of the whole Company is required.”  It would seem from the foregoing—­which, from so intelligent a source at a date so contemporaneous,