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Relatives
Barrie Payne
05/SEPT/1969
My great grandpa came over on the Mayflower - or should I say [[underlined]]with[[/underlined]] the Mayflower.  As a matter of fact he swam ahead of the boat to watch out for icebergs till they were half way across.  Then the wind died down and the sails of course wouldn't work, so they tossed a rope to old Gramps and he towed the boat the rest of the way to Plymouth.  He held the rope in his teeth, of course, so his hands would be free to belt the sharks.  Darned near wrecked the boat, tough.  It wasn't built to go eighty miles an hour.....He later said, and I quote:  "I could have done it an easier way, of course.  I could have sat on the deck and blowed my breath on the sails.  Had a cold, though, so I didn't do it.  Afraid it might sneeze and turn the boat upside down and maybe start a hurricane and tidal wave."