of his fleet, were “still at Hampton [Southampton] and are not ready.”  Of these seven ships it is certain that Mr. Goffe owned at least two, as Governor Winthrop—­in writing, some days later, of the detention of his son Henry and his friend Mr. Pelham, who, going ashore, failed to return to the governor’s ship before she sailed from Cowes, and so went to the fleet at Southampton for passage—­says:  “So we have left them behind and suppose they will come after in one of Mr. Goffe’s ships.”  It is clear, therefore, that Mr. Goffe, who was an intimate friend and business associate of Governor Winthrop, as the latter’s correspondence amply attests, and was a charter deputy-governor of the Massachusetts Company, and at this time “an assistant,” was the owner of at least two (probably not more) of these seven belated ships of the governor’s fleet, riding at Southampton.  Bearing in mind that the may-Flower and the Whale were two of those ships, it becomes of much importance to find that these two ships, evidently sailing in company (as if of one owner), arrived together in the harbor of Charlestown, New England, on Thursday, July 1, having on board one of them the governor’s missing son, Henry Winthrop.  If he came—­as his father expected and as appears certain—­“in one of Mr. Goffe’s ships,” then evidently, either the may-Flower or the Whale, or both, belonged to Mr. Goffe.  That both were Goffe’s is rendered probable by the fact that Governor Winthrop—­writing of the vessels as if associated and a single interest—­states that “most of their cattle [on these ships] were dead, whereof a mare and horse of mine.”  This probability is increased, too, by the facts that the ships evidently kept close company across the Atlantic (as if under orders of a common owner, and as was the custom, for mutual defence and assistance, if occasion required), and that Winthrop who, as we above noted, had large dealings with Goffe, seems to have practically freighted both these ships for himself and friends, as his freight bills attest.  They would hence, so far as possible, naturally keep together and would discharge their cargoes and have their accountings to a single consignee, taken as nearly together as practicable.  Both these ships came to Charlestown,—­as only one other did,—­and both were freighted, as noted, by one party.

Sadly enough, the young man, Henry Winthrop, was drowned at Salem the very day after his arrival, and before that of either of the other vessels:  the Hopewell, or William and Francis (which arrived at Salem the 3d); or the trial or Charles (which arrived—­the first at Charlestown, of the last at Salem—­the 5th); or the success (which arrived the 6th); making it certain that he must have come in either the may-Flower or the Whale.  If, as appears, Goffe owned them both, then his ownership of the may-Flower