USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Bremen > A history of the towns of Bristol and Bremen in the state of Maine : including the Pemaquid Settlement > Part 3
USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Bristol > A history of the towns of Bristol and Bremen in the state of Maine : including the Pemaquid Settlement > Part 3
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Ten years later, in 1534, James Cartier,' a native of St. Malo, France, was commissioned by Francis I, to make discoveries in America, and sailed with two ships, on the 20th of April. May 10th, he made Newfoundland, the coast of which he partially explored, and also the adjacent coast of Nova Scotia. Directing his course northward, he discovered the shores of Labrador, and returned to St. Malo, in September. In subsequent years, Car- tier made two other voyages to North America, and in one of them sailed up the St. Lawrence as far as Montreal, then called Hochelega. ITis discoveries were limited to this region of the continent.
1 History of Maine, p. 45.
" It is said that the king of France, when he heard of the agreement of the kings of Spain and Portugal, pleasantly remarked, " I should be glad to see the clause in Adam's will, which makes that continent their inheritance exclusively."
: Belknap's Am. Biog., 1, 230, Harper's ed.
" Belknap's Am. Biog., 1, 231, Harper's ed.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
Roberral, another Frenchman, who was in some way connected with Cartier in one of his voyages, about this time, undertook to found a settlement near the present site of Quebec, but the enterprise was soon abandoned.
These enterprises of the French were not attended by any immediate results of importance, but they laid the foundation, for a claim to the country, on the part of France, which was afterwards asserted with no little pertinacity, for two centuries or more, and was finally relinquished only after the fall of Quebec in 1759.
Even before the time of Cartier's first voyage, it is probable that many fishermen of France were accustomed to ply their busi- ness annually on the coasts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and perhaps those of Maine; but the French government seems not to have taken any steps, formally to assert its jurisdiction until the year 1603: Nov. 4th of this year, Henry IV granted a charter of Acadie, a country said to extend from the 40th to the 46th degree of N. latitude, to De Monts, a Frenchman, who was appointed lieutenant general of the new territory, and the next year, in company with Poutrincourt and Champlain,1 fitted out an expedition for the northern Atlantic coast of the continent. A settlement was made by them at the mouth of the river St. Croix, but the company spent only one winter there, when the enterprise was relinquished, and another settlement begun at Port Royal, now Annapolis. Forts were immediately erected in this and other places in the vicinity, one as far west as the mouth of the Penobscot. Jesuit missionaries were introduced, and a foundation seemed to be laid for establishing the ascend- aney of the French ? in these parts. The colony prospered only for a little time, as it was destroyed, in 1613, by Capt. Argall, who was sent from Virginia for the purpose.
Probably, in no place on the surface of this globe, in any pe- riod of its history, has the fishery business been carried on so prosperously, or become so largely developed, as on the north Atlantic coast of this continent.
. These fisheries commenced in all probability soon after the voyage of the Cabots, in 1497, but their early history is lost.
. 1 The same who afterwards gave his name to one of the most beautiful of our lakes.
2 Hist. of Portland, pp. 10, 11, 2d ed.
1
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
They formed almost the only source of profit to the early navi- gators, and we may not pass them unnoticed. "
Vessels of Spain were engaged in the fisheries as early as 1517;1 in 1527, twelve French vessels were employed in the same business, but in 1744 their number had increased to 264, employing 27,500 men. About the year 1577, the number of Spanish vessels employed about Newfoundland was estimated at 100, but in 1593 there were only eight.2 Not long after this, the Spanish flag ceased to appear on these fishing grounds; but France and England, especially the latter, greatly increased their vigor in prosecuting the business.
About the year 1600, itis estimated that England sent annually 100 fishing ships to the North American coast, and that they employed in the different branches of the business no less than 10,000 men and boys. As may well be supposed, the moral character of many of these men, was not above par; and on the coast of Newfoundland, and perhaps further west, numerous atrocities were committed by them upon the poor natives and others, which could not fail to excite in their minds a violent hatred of the white race.
But while these fishermen were so earnestly prosecuting their business, on the extreme northeastern parts of the continent, few, if any of them, ventured so far as the coast of Maine. It was near the close of the 16th century, when their voyages began to be extended to the fishing grounds of this vicinity.
The early navigators in sailing for America, instead of mak- ing their course directly across the Atlantic, were accustomed to take a circuitous route by way of the Canary islands and the Azores; and Capt. Gosnold was the first man of eminence who ventured to censure the prevailing practice ; and, to prove the truthfulness of his views, undertook to make the passage by the most direct course. But how was it with the hundreds of fish- ermen who, before Gosnold's time, were accustomed to make their annual visit to these shores ? Were they too accustomed to sail by way of the Canary isles, and the West Indies ?
Capt. Bartholomew Gosnold was a distinguished seaman of the west of England, who had previous to this time (1600), under the auspices of Sir Walter Raleigh, made one or more voyages to America, but in a subordinate position. His
1 Subine, Rep. on Fisheries, p. 209.
2 Sabine, Rep. on Fisheries, pp. 209, 215, 216.
-------
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
advocacy of the direct passage, by which he claimed that at least 100 leagnes would be saved, compared with the circuit- ous route alluded to, had attracted much attention. He was fitted out with a small bark, manned with thirty-two men, of whom only eight were experienced seamen, and sailed from Falmouth, March 16, 1602. He made land May 13, but at what point has not been satisfactorily determined, though he himself made the latitude to be about 42 degrees. Coursing southward, he discovered Cape Cod, to which he gave this nine, because of the great abundance of this fish found by them in the neighboring waters. Passing around Cape Cod to the south, they discovered Martha's vineyard and other neighboring islands, on one of which they made some preparation to leave a part of their company, as the begining of a permanent settle- ment; but, finding upon examination that their supply of pro- visions was not sufficient, the plan was relinquished, and all returned again to England.
An interesting circumstance, connected with this voyage of Gosnold, was the discovery of a boat of European make, in use among the savage natives, some of whom were also dressed in European clothes. From this, they inferred that " some unfor- tunate fisherman of Biscay or Brittany had been wrecked on the coast." The remark of the writer that they supposed the fisher- man to have been from " Biscay or Brittany," indicates that they recognized the boat or clothing, or both, as not of British make.1
Capt. Gosnold's passage to the American continent was made in seven weeks, lacking a day, and his return passage in five weeks; both of which at that time were considered highly satis- factory. The account of the voyage attracted much attention, especially in the city of Bristol, and, in the course of the au- tin and winter, preparation was made for fitting out another expedition the following spring, one thousand pounds sterling being raised for the purpose.
Among those who especially interested themselves in the en- terprise, were Mr. Richard Hackluyt, prebendary of St. Augus- tine Church, Bristol, Robert Aldsworth, a young but leading merchant, whose father, Thomas Aldsworth, had formerly been mayor of the same city, and others. Mr. Hackluyt afterwards
' Purchase v., p. 1647 ; Belknap's Biog., II., 206, Harp. ed. ; Williamson's Hist. of Mine, 1, 181,
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
became celebrated, not only as a Christian gentleman, of more than usual enterprise, and large and liberal views, but as the compiler of a most important work, known as Hacklugt's Voyages, which has long been a standard authority in all matters pertain- ing to the early voyages on these shores.
April 10th, 1603, two vessels, the Speedwell of 50 tons, and the Discoverer, of 26 tons, the two manned with 43 men, were ready to sail, and actually departed on a voyage of discovery to the coasts of North Virginia. They were placed under the command of Capt Martin Pring ; 1 and two important characters, who had been with Gosnold the year before, were induced to join the expedition ; they were John Angell, and Robert Saltern. Why Capt. Gosnold, who had given so much satisfaction the year before, was not again placed in command, does not appear. Four years later, we find him with Capt. John Smith, in South Virginia, where he died, Aug. 22, 1607.
Capt. Pring first made land among the Fox Islands, on the coast of Maine, giving them this name because of the multitude of these animals seen on them. This was early in the month of June. After spending a little time here, taking fish, they pro- ceeded westward, noticing the bays and inlets as they passed ; but, in general, uot describing places with sufficient accuracy to enable us, at this time, to identify them. It is a remarkable
fact that in this voyage along the coast they saw none of the na- tives, though the remains of their camp fires were frequent. Dr. Belknap, to account for it, suggests that the natives at this sea- son (June), were probably at their fishing places on the streams, a little inland ; but this hardly seems sufficient, when we con- sider that our voyagers, in several instances, passed up a con- siderable distance into the bays and inlets, where these fishing places were situated.
At every place where they stopped they made diligent search for sassafras (laurus benzoin), which was then much used for its supposed medicinal properties. Finding none at their first landing places, they pursued their voyage westward, and at length, came to anchor at a place now very well ascertained to be the harbor of Edgartown, Mass. Here they remained some time, busily engaged in gathering sassafras, which they found in great abundance. Having secured so much of this as to make
! Written also Prin, Pryn, and Prynne.
-
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
their voyage a profitable one, and gotten into a quarrel with the natives, they departed for home, carrying with them as a curiosity a [birch] canoe, of native manufacture.
CHAPTER IV.
Important voyage of Capt. George Weymouth, Pentecost Harbor.
Though the results of Gosnold's voyage, in 1602, and more especially that of Pring, in 1603, were considered very satisfac- tory, there seems to have been little done the succeeding year (1004) by the English, but the French, (ante, p. 18) were espe- cially active; and De Monts made his exploration of the coast of Newfoundland, and sailed up the St Lawrence. The effect of this was to excite the English to new exertions ; and in the year 1605 occurred the memorable voyage of Capt. George Weymouth, an account of which wasprepared and published, the same year, by James Rosier, a French gentleman, who was employed for this purpose to accompany him on the voyage. The professed object of the voyage was to discover the supposed north-west passage, that is, a passage to the great Western Ocean, and so to the east Indies, north of the American continent; but the real object was to anticipate the French in making discoveries on this coast.
Weymouth sailed March 31st, and made land near Cape Cod, May 11th; but immediately put his ship about and went out to sea again, being alarmed by the shoals and quick sands, with which his ship was nearly surrounded. On the 17th, they made land again, but it being near night " and the sea very high" they put out to sea again, and in the morning of the next day returned, and by 12 o'clock came to anchor about a league north of " an island some six miles in compass," which they called St. George's Island, but which is now known by its Indian name Monhegan.1
1 This is the received orthography of the name at the present time, but by early writers it is often spelled Monhiggon, Munhiggon, Monahiggen, etc .; and the au-
-
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
The language of the narrative is as follows, viz : "Friday the 17th of May, about 6 o'clock at night, we discovered the land which bare from us N. N. E .; but, because it blew a great gale of wind, the sea very high, and near night, not fit to come upon an unknown coast, we stood off till two o'clock in the morning being Saturday; then standing in again, we discovered it by eight o'clock in the morning bearing north-east from us. It appeared a mean high land, as we after found it, being an island of some six miles in compass, but I hope the most fortunate ever yet discovered. About 12 o'clock that day, we came to anchor, on the north side of this island, about a league from the shore. This island is woody, grown with fir, birch, oak and beech, as far as we saw along the shore; and so, likely, within. On the verge grow gooseberries, strawberries, wild peas, and wild rose bushes. The water issued forth down the rocky cliff in many places, and much fowl of different kinds breed upon the shore and rocks."
" While we went ashore, our men aboard, with a few hooks, got about thirty great cods and haddocks, which gave us a taste of the great plenty of fish, which we found afterward whereso- ever we went upon the coast. From hence, we might discern the main land from the west south-west to the east north-east, a great way (as it then seemed, and we after found it) up in the main we might discern very high mountains, though the main seemed but low land ; which gave us a hope it would please God to direct us to the discovery of some good; although we were driven by winds far from that place, whither (both by our direction and desire) we ever intended to shape the course of our voyage."
" The next day, being Whitsunday, because we rode too much open to the sea and winds, we weighed anchor about 12 o'clock, and came along to the other islands more adjoining to the main, and in the road directly with the mountains, about three leagues from the first island where we had anchored."
" When we came near unto them (sounding all along in a good depth) our captain manned his ship boat and sent her before with Thomas Cam, one of his mates, whom he knew to be of good experience, to sound and search between the islands for a place safe for our ship to ride in; in the meanwhile, we
thors of the recent map of Lincoln County, not satisfied with any of the old methods of spelling the word, invented a new one, and call it Manheigin.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
kept aloof at sea, having given them in the boat a token to weffe in the ship, if he found a convenient harbor; which it pleased God to send us, far beyond our expectation, in a most safe berth, defended from all winds, in an excellent depth of water for ships of any burthen, in six, seven, eight, nine, and ten fathoms, upon a clay ooze, very tough."
"We all, with great joy praised God for his unspeakable goodness, who had from an apparent danger delivered us, and directed us upon this day into so secure a harbor, in remem- brance whereof we named it Pentecost harbor ; we arrived there that day out of our last harbor in England, from whence we set sail upon Easter day."1
After describing minutely the events of several succeeding days, during which a small boat or shallop was constructed from materials brought with them, the narrative proceeds :
" Wednesday, the 29th day, our shallop being now finished, and our captain and men furnished to depart with her from the ship, we set up a cross on the shore side upon the rocks.
Thursday, the 30th of May, about 10 o'clock before noon, our captain with thirteen men more, in the name of God, and with all our prayers for their prosperous discovery and safe re- turn, departed in the shallop; leaving the ship in a good har- bor; which before mentioned, well moored, and manned with fourteen men."
In the afternoon of this day they received at the ship their first visit from the natives, a number of whom came out in their canoes, and spent the night on an island near by.
A friendly intercourse at once commenced between the par- ties, which, in spite of the jealousy of the English, and the shyness of the Indians, continued a number of days, until violently interrupted by the English.
The next day, May 31st., about 10 o'clock, Capt. W. and his party returned from their excursion in the shallop, and re- . ported the welcome discovery they had made of " a great river, trending alongst into the main about forty miles." "The pleasantness whereof," says the writer, "with the safety of the harbor for shipping, together with the fertility of the ground
1 Maus. Hist. Soc. Collections, VIII, 125; Rosier's Narrative, by Prince, 1, 18; 4 Purchase, 1659.
" Rosier's Narrative by Prince, p. 22.
4
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
and other fruits, which were generally by his whole company related I omit, till I report of the whole discovery therein after performed."
By desire of the Indians, a number of the English now went several miles to meet a company of the former for purposes of trade, but nothing was accomplished. The English were suspi- cious that foul play was intended, and thought prudent to retire ; but it is by no means certain that the natives intended any wrong.
The civilized white men needed a pretence for the wrong they were about to commit, and took this method to find it; at least, there is abundant reason for such a suspicion.
" These things considered," says the writer, " we began to join them in the rank of other savages, who have been by travelers in most countries found very treacherous, never attempting mis- chief until, by some remissness, fit opportunity afforded them certain ability to execute the same. Wherefore, after good ad- vice taken, we determined, so soon as we could, to take some of them, least (being suspicious we had discovered their plot) they should absent themselves from us."
Accordingly, the next day, three of the natives having unsus- pectingly come on board, were easily detained, and imme- diately afterwards a party of sailors went ashore, and succeeded in arresting two others, though not without a serious struggle. These being all securely confined on board, it was a small matter to steal two of their [birch] canoes, to take with them to England.
The names of those savages, as given by the writer, were " Tahanedo, a sagamore or commander ; Amoret, Sicowaros and Maneddo, gentlemen ; and Saffacomoit, ' a servant." 2
Waymouth and company held considerable more intercourse with the natives ; but the writer does not say whether any al- lusion was ever made by any of them to those of their brethren who had been unjustly seized, and were still held in bondage. During this intercourse with the Indians, they explored the region for a considerable distance "about the islands adjoin- ing," everywhere taking soundings, and carefully noting the
1 Rosier's Narrative, by Prince, p. 40.
2 Probably a misprint for Saxacomoit, the sound of the letter f not being known in the Abenaki language. Popham Man. Volone, p. 294. The name Tahanedo, is more frequently written, Nahanada ; but there are still other modifi- cations. There is great variety in the spelling of Indian names.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
peculiarities of the rocky shores, and the trees and plants, etc., growing inland.
This occupied them until the 11th of June, when it was de- termined to make a further exploration of the river previously visited, May 30th and 31st, as has been described.
The narrative proceeds, " Tuesday, the eleventh of June, wo passed up into the river with our ship (the Archangel) about six and twenty miles, of which I had rather not write, than by my relation detract from the worthiness thereof. For the river, besides that it is subject by shipping to bring in all traffics of merchandise, a benefit always accounted the richest treasury ; for which our Thames hath that due denomination, and France by her navigable rivers receiveth her greatest wealth; yet this place of itself, from God and nature, affordeth as much diversity of good commodities, as any reasonable mau can wish for pre- seut habitation and planting. As we passed up with our ship in this river, any man may conceive with what admiration we all consented in joy. Many of our company who had been travelers in sundry countries, and in the most famous rivers, yet affirmed them not comparable to this they now beheld." Their admiration of the river and adjacent country was unbounded.
In the same connection, the writer says, "the river, as it run . neth up into the main very nigh forty miles toward the great mountains, beareth in breadth a mile, sometimes three quarters, and half a mile in the narrowest, where you shall never have under four and five fathoms of water hard by the shore, but six, seven, eight, nine and ten fathoms all along, and on both sides every half mile very gallant coves." The tide, he says, flows about 18 or 20 feet.
Having passed the night at anchor in the river, they prepared the next morning to explore the country in the direction of the mountains they had seen. " Wednesday, the 12th of June, our Captain manned his light horseman 1 with 17 men, and run up from the chip, riding in the river up to the codde 2 thereof, where we landed, leaving six to keep the light horseman till our return. Ten of us with our shot, and some armed, with a boy
1 A large boat without a deck ; the name is not now used. Probably it was much the same as the modern whole-bout, or a large dory.
2 Codde or cod, is said to be a Saxon word meaning .pod. Its meaning here seems to be a small bay, or core. ( Prince's Rosier, 33.)
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
to carry powder and match, marched up into the country towards the mountains, which we descried at our first falling in with the land. Unto some of them, the river brought us so near, as we judged ourselves where we landed, to have been within a league of them, but we marched up about four miles in the main and passed over three hills ; and because the weather was parching hot, and our men in their armor not able to travel far and return that night to our ship, we resolved not to pass any further, being all very weary of so tedious and labor- some & travel."
Scarcely allowing themselves time to rest from their " labor- some travel," in their unsuccessful attempt to reach the " very high mountains," they determined the next day to continue their explorations further up the river. Says Rosier :
" Thursday, the 13th of June, by two o'clock in the morning, (because our captain would take the help and advantage of the tide) in the light horseman with our company, well provided and furnished with armor and shot, both to defend and offend ; we went from our ship up to that part of the river which trended westward into the main, to search that; and we carried with us a cross to erect at that point, which (because it was not day- light,) we left on shore until our return back, when we set it up in manner as the former" (May 29th).
They estimated the distance they thus " rowed up " the river from the ship, to be 20 miles; and from the highest point they reached to Pentecost harbor, they supposed the distance to be " not much less than three score miles." Though they observed very carefully, they nowhere saw any indication that any civil- ized man had ever before trod his foot upon the shores visited by them ; neither on the banks of the river they ascended, nor upon any of the islands previously visited !
Friday, June 14th, they returned with the ship to the mouth of the river, when Capt. W., either this or the following day, " upon the rock in the midst of the harbor," determined the latitude of the place, which, however, is not given by Rosier ; but in the account of the voyage given by Purchase, is said to have been 43º 30' N. The variation of the compass was found to be "one point," or 11º 15' W.
Sunday, June 16th, " the wind being fair," they took their departure for Old England, and arrived at Dartmouth the 18th of the next month.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN. .
CHAPTER V.
The river discovered by Weymouth. Is it the Kennebec? The Penobscot ? The St. George ?
It is universally admitted that the present Monhegan is the "island some six miles in compass," discovered May 17th, by Capt. W. ; and, of course, it was three miles north of this island where he first came to anchor. But what were the "very high mountains," which they " discerned " from the ship as she lay there, towards which " the next day, being Whitsunday," they sailed "in the road directly with the mountains," finding at length "between the islands " " a place safe for the ship to ride in," naming it " Pentecost harbor ?" This harbor, the writer informs us, is " about three leagues from the first island," "" more adjoining the main - is defended from all winds," and has " an excellent depth of water for ships of any burthen, in six, seven, eight, nine and ten fathoms, upon a clay ooze, very tough!"
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