could not recouer their former estate (which was not very
well) in a fortnight after.
The sixe and twentieth, three more desire that they also
might goe out to try their fortunes: but they returned worse
disabled, and euen almost stifled with the cold.
This Euening, the Moone rose in a very long Ovale alongst
the Horizon.
By the last of this moneth, the Carpenter had set vp 17.
ground timbers: and 34. Staddles; and (poore man) hee
proceedeth the best he can, though he be faine to be led vnto
his labour.
In briefe, all this moneth hath beene very cold. The wind
about the N. W. The snow as deepe as it hath beene all this
winter; But to answer an obiection that may be made, You
were in a wood (may some men say vnto vs) and therefore
you might make fire enough to keepe you from the cold. It
is true, we were in a wood; and vnder a South-banke too:
or otherwise, we had all starued. But I must tell you with∣all;
how difficult it was to haue wood in a wood: And
first, I will make a muster of the tooles we had: The Car∣penter
in his Chest had 2. Axes indeed: but one of them was
spoyl'd in cutting downe wood to pile about our house be∣fore
Christmas; When we came first a land, we had but two
whole hatchets, which in a few dayes broke 2. inches be∣low
the Sockets. I cald for 3. of the Coopers hatchets: The
Carpenters axe and the Coopers best hatchet I caused to be
lockt vp: The other 2. hatchets to be new helu'd, and the
blades of the 2. broken hatchets, to be put into a cleft piece
of wood, and then to be bound about with rope yame as
fast as might be: which must be repaired euery day. And
these were all the cutting tooles we had: moreouer the 6. of
February the Carpenter had out his best axe about something,
and one of the company in his absence, by his vndiscreete
handling of it, brake that too, two inches below the Socket:
we must henceforth order these pieces of tooles the best we
could: wherefore I gaue order, that the Carpenter should
haue one of the Coopers hatchets: they that lookt for tim∣ber