But they lent it on such harsh conditions that the Pilgrims' early life in America was nearly as hard as their life had been in Holland.

They had a dreadful voyage across the Atlantic in the _Mayflower_.

At one time it seemed as if the ship would surely go down.

But the Pilgrims helped the sailors to place a heavy piece of wood under one of the deck beams and saved the vessel from going to pieces.

On November 19, 1620, they sighted land off the coast of Cape Cod.