It also brought a patent, dated June 1, 1621, from the Council for New England, made out to John Pierce, by whom the original patent from the London Company had been obtained.

The patent did not define the territorial limits, but allowed one hundred acres for every emigrant and fifteen hundred acres for public buildings, in the same proportion of one hundred acres to every workman.[3] The ship tarried only fourteen days, and returned with a large cargo of clapboard and beaver skins of the value of L500, which was, however, captured on the way to England by a French cruiser.

After the departure the governor distributed the new-comers among the different families, and because of the necessity of sharing with them, put everybody on half allowance.

The prospect for the winter was not hopeful, for to the danger from starvation was added danger from the Indians.
West of the Pokanokets were the Narragansetts, a tribe of two thousand warriors, whose chief, Canonicus, sent to Plymouth in January, 1622, a bundle of arrows tied with a snake's skin, signifying a challenge of war.

Bradford knew that it was fatal to hesitate or show fear, and he promptly stuffed the snake's skin with bullets and returned it to the sender with some threatening words.