USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Chatham > History of Chatham, Massachusetts : formerly the Constablewick or Village of Monomoit ; with maps and illustrations and numerous genealogical notes > Part 2
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19. See Mass. Hist Coll. (1st Serles) VIII, 142 for account of Chatham in 1802.
20. For such maps see a collection of early maps in Boston Public Library ; De Laet's map in Winsor's Narr. and Critical Hist. of N. A. IV, 436 ; Memorial Hist. of Boston, I 37 et seq ; map In Wood's New England's Prospect. See also map in Neal's History of New England and In Boston Sunday Globe, Jan. 22, 1899.
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HISTORY OF CHATHAM.
town. At all events, the claim made by the late Amos Otis, Esq., based upon some vague expressions in the accounts of Gosnold's voyage, that Monomoy Beach must have extended east from the town at this time, and that the whole locality has seen great changes since this period, must fall to the ground.21
There have been many minor changes since Champlain's time. He could then sail or row from Stage Harbor directly up to Old Harbor, or North Chatham, through a passage between Morris Island and the mainland long since closed, though, I believe, partially opened again in recent years.2 Arriving there he found an island of about thirteen acres, now obliterated, lying between the beach and the mainland. It was covered with trees. Its Indian name was Cotchpini- cut or Scotchpenacot, and it was later called by the English Ram Island. It is shown on his map." Monomoy Beach extends now some distance further south than it did then, and there was more of a harbor along its westerly side than there is now. There was a good harbor, protected by the beach, along the easterly side of the town. Farther north there was an entrance through the beach directly into Pleasant Bay which has since been closed," while other entrances have been opened in the beach farther south.
21. N. E. Hist. and Gen. Register, XVIII, 37. Mr. Otis does not once mention Cham- plain's narrative or map in his article In the Register just cited, and as Champlain's writings were not then accessible in English, I doubt whether he knew of them at the time he wrote the article. It Is my Intention to treat this subject more fully in a snbse- (ment chapter, dealing with the changes wrought by the ocean along the shore of the town.
22. This passage was closed between 1752 and 1772. The tradition Is that the last vessel which attempted the passage was a " pinky." Mass. Harbor Commissioners' Report (1873), 103.
23. There was a small pond or swamp in the center of the island. which was of oblong shape, Its greatest length being north and south. When surveyed In 1847 it had a house upon it. The beach In front of this island was broken through in 1851 in the great storm which destroyed Minot's Light. Thereafter It was gradually washed away by the ocean waves. Parts of It remained for as much as ten years after. Mass. Harbor Com- missioners' Report (1873) .
24. This entrance was about east of Strong Island. It was closed about 1730. See map of J. F. W. Des Barres (1764) In the Atlantic Neptune.
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A NEW ERA.
Several miles southeast from Stage Harbor was an island, later called Webb's Island, now obliterated by the waves,25 and north of the town, off what is now Orleans, was another small island called Slut's Bush by the English, which has met the same fate. 2% Early maps also show two or three small islands lying off east of the town and called "Seale Isles," which do not now exist, but whose sites are danger- ous shoals to-day.27
The mainland is described by Champlain as very hilly. It was well wooded, although in places the natives had made considerable clearings, where they cultivated corn and other cereals. There were many walnut trees,28 oaks and cedars, but few pines. Wild grape vines were common," and beach plum bushes furnished an abundance of fruit. "All the harbors, bays and coasts," writes Champlain, "are filled with every variety of fish. There are also many shellfish of various sorts, principally oysters. Game birds are very plenty." ** )
According to Lescarbot, the French did not fail to take advantage of the abundance around them. As they were not supplied with fishing tackle, they confined their efforts
25. "When the English first settled upon the Cape, there was an island off Chatham, three leagues distant, called Webb's Island, containing twenty acres, covered with red cedar or savin. The inhabitants of Nantucket used to carry wood from It. This island has been wholly washed away for almost a century. A large rock that was upon the island and which settled as the earth washed away, now marks the place; it rises as much above the bottom of the sea as it used to rise above the surface of the ground. The water is six fathoms deep on this spot." Mass. Magazine, Dec. 1790. The existence of this island Is also established by well defined local tradition.
26. Traces of this island, which was called the Isle of Nauset by Capt. John Smith, the famous navigator, remained as late as 1810. See further note Chapter ill, note 4.
27. See map in English Coast PIlot (1707) .
28. That there were walnut trees scattered through the forest which formerly cov- ered Chatham is well established. In a deed dated April, 1677, from William Nickerson to Nathaniel Covell, of a parcel of woodland on the east side of Great Illli, one of the corner bounds is described as a " walnutt tree that is marked on four sydes." I believe that such trees may now be found on Morris Island. They are now usually called hickories.
29. Sleur de Pontrincourt Intended to take away some of these vines with him, but his orders were forgotten.
30. Voyages of Samuel de Champlain (Prince Soc. Ed.) 11, 125.
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HISTORY OF CHATHAM.
to shellfish of various kinds. A shore bird which he calls a sea lark, was so plenty that Sieur de Poutrincourt killed twenty-eight at one shot.31
"It would be an excellent place," declares Champlain, " to erect buildings and lay the foundations of a State, if the harbor were somewhat deeper and the entrance safer." He found but one fathom of water in the harbor at low tide and two at full tide. In another place he adds : "The coast though low is fine and good, yet difficult of access, there being no harbors, many reefs and shallow waters for the distance of nearly two leagues from land."
"We saw in this place," he reports, "some five to six hundred savages, all naked except their loins, which they cover with doe or seal skin. They wear their hair carefully combed and twisted in various ways, both men and women, after the manner of the savages of Chouacoet.32 Their bodies are well proportioned and their skin olive colored. They adorn themselves with feathers, beads of shell and other gewgaws, which they arrange very neatly in embroid- ery work. As weapons they have bows, arrows and clubs. They are not so much great hunters as good fishermen and tillers of the soil."
" All the inhabitants of the place are very fond of agri- culture and provide themselves with Indian corn for the winter which they store in the following manner: They make trenches in the sand on the slope of the hills, some five to six feet deep more or less. Putting their corn and other grains into large grain saeks, they throw them into these trenches and cover them with sand three or four feet above the surface of the earth, taking it out as their needs require. In this way it is preserved as well as it would be possible to do in our granaries."33
31. Lescarbot, Histoire de la Nouvelle France (1609) 606.
32. A place on the coast of Maine.
33. Voyages of Samuel de Champlain (Prince Soc. Ed. ) II, 121, 122. From this practice the English may have derived the custom, which existed till far into the last century, of
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A NEW ERA.
The Indian method of agriculture, as described by Cham- plain, was first to dig up the ground with wooden spades and then to plant corn and beans together in hills about three feet apart. As the crop grew, the beans interlaced with the corn, which was five or six feet high at maturity. They also raised squashes and pumpkins. Tobacco was considerably cultivated; it was prepared for smoking by being dried and then reduced to powder. Their corn they prepared by boiling or reduced it to flour in wooden mortars and made it into cakes.
Of their habitations, belief, etc., Champlain reports as follows: "Their dwellings are separate from each other, according to the land which each one occupies. They are large, of a circular shape, and covered with thatch made of grasses or the husks of Indian corn. They are furnished only with a bed or two, raised a foot from the ground, made of a number of little pieces of wood pressed against each other, on which they arrange a rude mat, after the Spanish style, which is a kind of matting two or three fingers thick ; on these they sleep. They have a great many fleas in sum- mer, even in the fields."
"In regard to their police, government and belief, we have been unable to form a judgment; but I suppose that they are not different in this respect from our savages the Souriquois and Canadians, who worship neither the moon nor the sun, nor anything else, and pray no more than the beasts. There are, however, among them some persons who, as they say, are in concert with the devil, in whom they have great faith.34 They tell them all that is to happen to them, but in so doing lie for the most part. Sometimes
preserving potatoes and other vegetables in "potatoe holes." These were dug In the autumn and fliled with potatoes, etc., up to within two or three feet of the surface of the ground. Boards were laid across the top of the hole and the soil which had been dug ont was heaped upon them, making a large mound, through which the frosts could not penetrate.
34. These were the powows or medicine men of the tribe. -(3)-
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HISTORY OF CHATHAM.
they succeed in hitting the mark very well and tell them things similar to those which actually happen to them. For this reason they have faith in them, as if they were prophets, while they are only impostors who delude them, as the Egyptians and Bohemians do the simple villagers." 35
"They have chiefs, whom they obey in matters of war but not otherwise, and who engage in labor and hold no higher rank than their companions. Each one has only so much land as he needs for his support."#
They had no notions of the rights of property as the Europeans understood them. Champlain, therefore, thought little of them. Of the Nausets, whom he found at Nauset Harbor the preceding year, he wrote : "It would seem from their appearance that they have a good disposition, better than those of the north, but they are all in fact of no great worth. Even a slight intercourse with them gives you at once a knowledge of them. They are great thieves, and if they can not lay hold of anything with their hands, they try to do so with their feet."37 With Champlain entertaining these opinions, it is not strange that when the Monomovieks who now confronted the French, began their thieving tactics, retaliation was sure to come.
35. The villagers of France are referred to.
36. Voyages of Samuel de Champlain (Prince Soc Ed. ) 11, 124.
37. Voyages of Samuel de Champlain (Prince Soc Ed ) 11, 85.
CHAPTER II.
FRENCH AND INDIAN ENCOUNTERS AT MONOMOIT.
NO sooner had Sicur de Poutrincourt and his party fixed upon a suitable place for anchorage near the shore at Stage Harbor, than they began preparations for repairing their broken rudder, in order to continue their voyage. With the appliances which they had, how- ever, repairing was slow work. They set up a forge on shore for welding the CHAMPLAIN iron and hastened matters as much as possible. They also constructed an oven on shore in order to prepare a supply of bread for the subsequent voyage.
The Indians at the outset seemed friendly. They came to the bark bringing tobacco, chains, collars, bracelets of shell, corn, beans, bows, arrows, quivers, and various nicknacks, to exchange for wares of the strangers. At other times they brought fish and raisins. A profitable trade subsisted for a time between them. Moreover, when Sieur de Poutrincourt wished to find a safer route for his departure than that by which he had entered the harbor, the Indians sent one of their number to accompany the men detailed by Sicur de Poutrincourt for this duty. The Indian piloted them out of the harbor in the shallop or boat belonging to the ship, but when they had gone five or six leagues and were near the land, he made his escape, being afraid of be- ing taken to other savages farther south, the enemies of his tribe, as he gave those in the boat to understand. After the
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HISTORY OF CHATHAM.
party had returned and reported no shoals or reefs to the westward, the Frenchmen hastened to finish the repairs on the bark and to make a supply of bread for fifteen days. The Indians now appearing near the shore in very large numbers, Sieur de Poutrincourt thought best to overawe them by sending one of his men among them, brandishing and flourishing a couple of swords. This astonished them, but they were more amazed to see the guns of the French shoot bullets through wood on which their own arrows could scarcely make an impression. 1
So numerous did the natives appear to be that Champlain reports, as already stated, some five or six hundred inhab- itants of the place. It is likely, however, that some of these were members of neighboring tribes, who were attracted to the place by the prolonged visit of the strangers.
When they had been in the harbor nearly a week, Sieur de Poutrincourt took ten or twelve of his men and explored the adjacent country, where he saw here and there a large number of wigwams. From Champlain's map it appears that on this inland excursion they followed the west side of Mill Pond River or Mitchell's River, thence crossed in a westerly or northwesterly direction to the head of the Oyster Pond, passed around the north side of the pond, and along Oyster Pond River till they came to the head of Harding's Beach, where they took their shallop and rowed down the river to their vessel, which lay a little west of the present wharves.
After about ten days' labor the rudder was again made staunch and strong and their supply of bread was nearly all prepared. The harbor, Morris Island, and the mainland had been well explored. Then suddenly trouble began to brew. The Indians on one of their visits had made off with an axe belonging to the voyagers and they in their anger had fired
1. Lescarbot, IIIstoire de la Nouvelle France, 607.
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ENCOUNTERS WITH NATIVES.
a couple of shots after them.2 Not long after, as Sieur de Poutrincourt was walking out, as he had previously done, he observed the Indians taking down their wigwams and sending their women, children, provisions and other neces- saries into the woods. The subsequent events are related by Champlain as follows :
"This [action of the Indians] made us suspect some evil intention, and that they purposed to attack those of our company who were working on shore, where they stayed at night in order to guard that which could not be embarked at evening, except with much trouble. This proved to be true, for they determined among themselves, after all their effects had been put in a place of security, to come and surprise those on land, taking advantage of them as much as possible, and to carry off all they had. But if, by chance, they should find them on their guard, they resolved to come with signs of friendship, as they were wont to do, leaving behind their bows and arrows.
"Now, in view of what Sieur de Poutrincourt had seen, and the order which it had been told him they observed when they wished to play some bad trick, when we passed by some cabins, where there was a large number of women, we gave them some bracelets and rings to keep them quiet and free from fear, and to most of the old and distinguished men, hatchets, knives and other things which they desired. This pleased them greatly, and they repaid it all in dances, gambols, and harangues which we did not understand at all. We went wherever we chose without their having the assur- ance to say anything to us. It pleased us greatly to see them show themselves so simple in appearance.
"We returned very quietly to our bark, accompanied by some of the savages. On the way we met several small troops of them, who gradually gathered together with their
2. Lescarbot, Histoire de la Nouvelle France, 609.
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HISTORY OF CHATHAM.
arms and were greatly astonished to see us so far in the in- terior, and did not suppose that we had just made a circuit of nearly four or five leagues about their territory. Passing near us they trembled with fear, lest harm should be done them, as it was in our power to do. But we did them none, although we knew their evil intentions. Having arrived where our men were working, Sieur de Poutrincourt in- quired if everything was in readiness to resist the designs of this rabble.
"He ordered everything on shore to be embarked. This was done, except that he who was making the bread stayed to finish a baking and two others with him. They were told that the savages had some evil intent and that they should make haste to embark the coming evening, since they car- ried their plans into execution only at night or at daybreak, which in their plots is generally the hour for making a sur- prise.
"Evening having come, Sieur de Poutrincourt gave orders that the shallop should be sent ashore to get the men who remained. This was done as soon as the tide would permit, and those on shore were told that they must embark for the reason assigned. This they refused in spite of the remon- strances that were made, setting forth the risks they ran and the disobedience of their chief. They paid no attention to it, with the exception of a servant of Sieur de Poutrin- court, who embarked. Two others disembarked from the shallop and went to the three on shore, who had stayed to eat some cakes made at the same time with the bread. But, as they were unwilling to do as they were told, the shallop returned to the vessel. It was not mentioned to Sieur de Poutrincourt, who had retired, thinking that all were on board.
"The next day in the morning, the 15th day of October, the savages did not fail to come and see in what condition
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ENCOUNTERS WITH NATIVES.
our men were, whom they found asleep, except one who was near the fire. When they saw them in this condition, they came to the number of four hundred, softly over a hill and sent them such a volley of arrows that to rise up was death. Fleeing the best they could towards our bark, shouting 'Help ! they are killing us !' a part fell dead in the water; the others were all pierced with arrows and one died in con- sequence a short time after. The savages made a desperate noise with roarings which it was terrible to hear.
"Upon the occurrence of this noise and that of our men, the sentinel on our vessel exclaimed, 'To arms ! they are killing our men !' Consequently each one immediately seized his arms and we embarked in the shallop, some fifteen or sixteen of us, in order to go ashore.3 But, being unable to get there, on account of a sand bank between us and the land, we threw ourselves into the water and waded from this bank to the shore, the distance of a musket shot. As soon as we were there, the savages seeing us within arrow range fled into the interior. To pursue them was fruitless, for they are marvellously swift. All that we could do was to carry away the dead bodies and bury them near a cross, which had been set up the day before, 4 and then to go here and there to see if we could get sight of any of them. But it was time wasted, therefore we came back. Three hours afterwards, they returned to us on the seashore. We discharged at them several shots from our little brass can- non, and when they heard the noise, they crouched down on the ground to avoid the fire. In mockery of us they beat down the cross and disinterred the dead, which dis- pleased us greatly, and caused us to go for them a second time ; but they fled as they had done before. We set up
3. - de Champdoré remained on the vessel to guard it, with a few others. Among those who rushed upon the Indians were de Poutrinconrt, Champlain, Danlel Hay, Robert Gravé, the younger de l'outrincourt, the surgeon. the trumpeter and Loys llebert, the apothecary. Lescarbot, Histoire de la Nouvelle France, 609.
4. While they chanted their orisons over the dead, the Indians at a safe distance kept up a derisive and provoking noise and commotion.
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HISTORY OF CHATHAM.
again the cross and re-interred the dead, whom they had thrown here and there amid the heath, where they had kindled a fire to burn them. We returned without any result, as we had done before, well aware that there was scarcely hope of avenging ourselves this time, and that we should have to renew the undertaking when it should please God." 5
In the foregoing account Champlain does not state ex- actly how many of the French fell victims to the Indians, but Lescarbot 6 states that two were killed outright and that a third died very soon after. A fourth was so badly wounded that he died from his injuries at Port Royal the following winter on their return thither. Only one of the five escaped and recovered from his wounds. How many of the Indians fell is not known. They were fired upon not only by the party which went ashore, but by Champdore and those with him in the bark, and not a few must have fallen.7
Everything being now in readiness for their departure, Sieur de Poutrincourt and his party set sail on October 16 from the harbor, which they named Port Fortune, on account of the misfortunes which had befallen them there. After having gone some six or seven leagues and sighted an island, Martha's Vineyard, which they named La Soup- conneuse, the Doubtful, because in the distance they had several times thought it was not an island, the wind became contrary, and they were forced to put back to Port Fortune, 8 where they remained two or three days, no savages during this time appearing. On the 20th they set out again and coasted along west nearly twelve leagues, passing a river, which they called Champlain's River, and which is probably
5. Voyages of Samuel de Champlain (Prince Soc. Ed. ) I1, 127-130
6. Histoire de la Nouvelle France, 609 et seq.
7. The Indians nimbly carried away those who fell so that the French could not tell the extent of their losses.
8. The latitude of Port Fortuné Is given by Champlain as 41 degrees 20 minutes.
1
S
A
H
M
Indian Fight at Port Fortune
Champlain's Explanation of the Accompanying Map.
TIIE ATTACK AT PORT FORTUNE. The Figures Indicate Fathoms of Water.
A. Place where the French were making bread. B. The savages surprising the French and shooting their arrows at them. C. The French burned by the savages. D. The French fleeing to the bark completely covered with arrows. E. Troops of savages burning the French, whom they had killed. F. Mountain bordering the harbor. G. Cabins of the savages. H. The French on the shore charging upon the savages. I. Savages routed by the French. L. Shallop in which were the French. M. Sav- ages around our shallop who were surprised by our men. N. Bark of Sieur de Pout- rincourt. O. The harbor. P. Small brook. Q. French who fell dead in the water as they were trying to flee to the bark. R. Brook coming from certalu marshes. S. Woods under cover of which the savages came.
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ENCOUNTERS WITH NATIVES.
Hadley River in Falmouth. The wind again grew contrary and very strong, so that they could not advance and were compelled to return again to their starting point. Soon after reaching the harbor, Robert, the son of Pont Grave, lost his hand by the bursting of a musket which he at- tempted to fire. Angered by their former troubles, they now resolved to take revenge, if possible, for the killing of their comrades by the savages. The plan which they adopted for this purpose is described by Champlain as fol- lows :
"Seeing now the wind continuing contrary and being unable to put to sea, we resolved meanwhile to get possession of some savages of this place, and, taking them to our settlement, put them to grinding corn at the hand- mill, as punishment for the deadly assault which they had committed on five or six of our company. But it was very difficult to do this when we were armed, since, if we went to them prepared to fight, they would turn and flee into the woods, where they were not to be caught. It was necessary, accordingly, to have recourse to artifice, and this is what we planned : When they should come to seek friendship with us, to coax them by showing them beads and other gewgaws, and assure them repeatedly of our good faith ; then to take the shallop well armed and conduct on shore the most robust and strong men we had, each one having a chain of beads and a fathom of match on his arm; 9 and there, while pretending to smoke with them, (each one having an end of his match lighted so as not to excite suspicion, it being cus- tomary to have fire at the end of a cord in order to light the tobacco), coax them with pleasing words so as to draw them into the shallop. And if they should be unwilling to enter, each one approaching should choose his man, and, putting 9. The fathom of match was a rope, made of the tow of hemp or flax, loosely twisted, and prepared to retain the fire, so that, when once;lighted, it would burn till the whole was consumed. It was employed; In [firing the matchlock. the arm then In common use, Voyages of Samuel de Champlain (Prince Soc. Ed.) 11, 133 note.
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