Page "William Bradford (Plymouth governor)" Paragraph 18

Up to this time, Bradford, aged 30, had yet to assume any significant leadership role in the colony.

When the Mayflower anchored in present-day Provincetown Harbor and the time came to search for a place for settlement, Bradford volunteered to be a member of the exploration parties.

In November and December, these parties made three separate ventures from the Mayflower on foot and by boat, finally locating what is now Plymouth harbor in mid December and selecting that site for settlement.

During the first expedition on foot, Bradford was caught up in a deer trap made by Native Americans and hauled nearly upside down.

During the third exploration, which departed from the Mayflower on December 6, 1620, a group of men including Bradford located present day Plymouth Bay.

A winter storm nearly sunk their boat as they approached the bay, but the explorers, suffering from severe exposure to the cold and waves, managed to successfully land on Clark's Island.