The
Testimony Of Captain John Smith, "The Navigator," As To The Passengers Of
The MAY-FLOWER "Lying Wet In Their
Cabins," and that of Bradford as to
Billington's "cabin between decks," already quoted, is conclusive as to
the fact that
She had small cabins (the "staterooms" of to-day), intended
chiefly, no doubt, for women and children. The advice of Edward Winslow
to his friend George Morton, when the latter was about to come to New
England in the ANNE, "build your cabins as open as possible,"
is suggestive of close cabins and their discomforts endured upon the
MAY-FLOWER. It also suggests that the chartering-party was expected in
those days to control, if not to do, the "fitting up" of the ship for her
voyage. In view of the usual "breadth of beam" of ships of her class and
tonnage, aft, and the fore and aft length of the poop, it is not
unreasonable to suppose that there were not less than four small cabins
on either side of the common (open) cabin or saloon (often depicted as
the signing-place of the Compact), under the high poop deck. Constructed
on the general plan of such rooms or cabins to-day (with four single
berths, in tiers of two on either hand), there would be - if the women and
girls were conveniently distributed among them - space for all except the
Billingtons, who we know had a cabin (as had also doubtless several of
the principal men) built between decks.
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