Tuckamore Bay

the beginning of Tuckamore Bay

Bill looked over at Nanny Dove, who had stopped knitting and was wiping her eyes with her shawl.

"Are you okay Nanny?"

"Of course Ise bes. Jest got somethin' in me eyes. Probably from you and Matty smokin' in me 'ouse, all da times."

She went back to knitting.

"Told youse Ise don't like peoples smokin' in me 'ouse. Makes me eyes all waterin'."

"Please continue Poppy Issac," Matty smiled.

"Well, we immediately sent the two youngest men of our group back to the others. We knew that if they took a direct route they could make it by nightfall. Myself and the other two men, can't rightly remember who they were, but we started collecting the bodies. 

Against our religious beliefs, we stripped the bodies down and we burned them. The clothing and boots they were wearing would provide more clothing at some point in time and we were not in a position to waste anything. Some still had their swords and weapons and these two were valued.

Burying so many bodies was out of the question. Fortunately for us, there was lots of deadwood on the shore and around the beach area. Along with unusable parts of the ship, we built a huge fire and burned the bodies."

"Were there many?"

"Nar on thirty that we found, William. The sea must have taken the others. We said prayers over them and hoped that the Lord would accept their souls.

By the time the first of the families reached us, three days later, there was little more than small pieces of bone and ash remaining. We dug a hole right in the west corner of the beach and buried what was left. 

Over the years, sea and tides have washed away most of the remains. Their souls probably still roam the open seas."

"Twas a sad start to da Bay fer sure," Nanny Dove added.

"But its shows youse young peoples why dis place is so special and why wes 'ave stuck 'round 'ere fer so long."

Issac continued.

"Within a week, all the families were gathered at our new home and the undoubting task of preparing for winter began. We had heard stories, back in England, of just how harsh the winters could be in the New Found Land, so we knew we would have to work quickly, if we were to survive."

"But what of Silas and Elizabeth?"

"Well young Matty, once again the good Lord was on our side. It were a few days later that Elizabeth, Silas and the other two boys returned."

Issac laughed.

"And it seemed that young Elizabeth had already made up her mind that Silas was to be her husband."

Issac looked directly at Bill.

"And it is lucky for you, William that she did."

"You know?"

Issac laughed.