USA > Maine > Ancient dominions of Maine : embracing the earliest facts, the recent discoveries, of the remains of aboriginal towns, the voyages, settlements, battle scenes, and incidents of Indian warfare, and other incidents of history, together with the religious developments of society within the ancient Sagadahoc, Sheepscot, and Pemaquid precincts and dependencies > Part 6
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Near the center of Boothbay Harbor, Burnt Island, a rocky eminence, lifts its bare bald surface above the waters of the bay and harbor, on which the United States Govern- ment has reared a harbor light. Here, doubtless, or on Tumbler Island, Weymouth erected the observatory for his nautical observation.
The natural features thus enumerated, which neither time nor decay can efface from the earth's surface, and which are in no way dependent on mere hypothesis, but exist now as
1 John McKeen, Esq.
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ANCIENT DOMINIONS OF MAINE.
they did then, as facts, to one familiar with the localities, can leave no doubt that the Pentacost Harbor of Weymouth is the Townsend or Boothbay Harbor, situated at or between the waters forming the entrance to Sheepscot and Dam- ariscotta rivers. It is two and one half centuries since Weymouth, escaping from the embaying shoals and quick sands of Cape Cod, touched at Monhegan Island a month and one half after leaving England. In three days " more, steering directly in the road with the very high mount- ains, showing a great way up the main, at noon he came along to the other islands more adjoining to the main, about three leagues distant" from the first, under which he had anchored, when his ship entered among these islands, was safely moored in a harbor " defended from all winds, in an excellent depth of water for ships of any burthen-where was good mooring even near the rocks by the cliff side."
He had now fallen in with a land most prolific in all the resources of life-peopled with a numerous, courteous, ingenious and confiding race- the fairest specimens of abo- riginal humanity, as yet unsullied by the white man's touch, untainted by the approach of civilized life. Their inter- course, auspiciously begun, was clouded by acts of treachery, of which the white man seemed most capable, as he was the most adroit and successful in executing. A party of four natives of Pemaquid, of whom three were decoyed on board, (one of whom being made a victim to his own honesty,) were secured below, and two were seized by force and dragged from the cliff top of the island, almost in sight of their Sovereign's Capital, by the hair of their heads, and immured on ship-board. They were all persons of more or less distinction among their fellows and one was a chief- tain. Their names were Nahanada, Sagamore; Skitwarroes, Assecomet,1 Tisquantum, Dehamida, all of whom were
1 John McKeen's Voyage of Weymouth, p. 332.
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PERIOD OF DISCOVERY.
taken to England, fell into the hands and became objects of interest to the nobility, lived there about three years, and acquired the English language, gave a full account of their people and country, exciting a deep public interest in them- selves and their home, and returned as guides and interpret- ers to succeeding voyagers; and thus all were restored again to their people and country.
The return of Weymouth closed the era of discovery ; fully confirming the public interest in efforts to secure so desirable a land of magnificent harbors, rivers and goodly forests, introducing and opening the period of settlement.
Thus we have given the main incidents, facts and circum- stances as they transpired in the earliest explorations of this region, together with the personal appearance of the aborig- inal settlers on the waters of the Pemaquid, Sheepscot and Kennebec, at their first introduction to the white race; and also the primitive aspect of our harbors, rivers, and head- lands, making up the landscape of the " Ancient Dominions of Maine," when its primeval forests in hoary grandeur towered on its hill-tops and shaded its dells,-realizing to our eyes, visions of rural magnificence, overspreading our naked landscapes, now in strange contrast, shorn and marred by the wood-man's axe -which two hundred and fifty years ago, excited the admiration of Europe, and made Pemaquid, Sagadahock and Sheepscot the most attractive of all the localities of New England, in the eyes of the nobility of old England.
SUMMARY.
NOTE. - 1. All the most reliable and best informed cotemporaneous history locates the scene of Weymouth's discoveries at and near Pema- quid, and in the Kennebec or Sagadahock section thereof.
2. The main incidents and facts indicative of the course steered from under Monhegan all lay west from Pemaquid, the home of the captured natives.
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ANCIENT DOMINIONS OF MAINE.
DISCOVERY OF FISHING GROUNDS.
Weymouth in his passage homeward bound, having run some thirty leagues from land, by his lead found the water shoaling from one hundred to twenty-four fathoms. While laying with sails furled, becalmed, the boatswain, Thomas King, " cast out a hook ; and before he judged it at ground, was fished and hauled up an exceeding great and well fed cod; and then there were cast out three or four more; and the fish were so plentiful and so great, some playing with the hook they took by the back, and two at a time. It was now perceived they were on a 'fish-bank.'" The waters of Maine had been frequented. by continental fishermen at a very early period. The island of Monhegan, together with the Damariscove group, land-locking the harbor of Booth- bay, soon became noted depots for their fisheries.
INTEREST EXCITED IN EUROPE.
The section of country embracing the new discovered harbor and rivers of Pemaquid and Sagadahock by Wey- mouth-the home of his captive aborigines-had become a point of absorbing interest and speculation to the old world.
All eyes were directed to it, and all commercial enterpris- es and colonial adventures were shaped to secure that land of magnificent harbors, rivers and forests, now opened in the west.
Two years had elapsed since Weymouth's return. Under the freshened impulse of his discoveries, the Chief Justice
3. The distant White Mountain views are more in accordance with the expressed purpose of Rosier, as land-marks, obscurity being his design in the description he gives - the Camden hills as land-marks would therefore have made the locality too palpable.
4. The occupancy of the Kennebec by the colony, for whose settlement the exploration was made, rather than the Penobscot.
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PERIOD OF DISCOVERY.
of England, Lord Popham, organized an expedition to col- onize the goodly land. The narrative of the expedi- 1606. tion and the details of the voyage, we have. In the quaint style of the pure Anglo-Saxon, a record of the voyage, taken probably from the log-book of the expedition, has been preserved ; and gives to our eyes a most graphic picture of the natural features of the Kennebec, when her banks and unshorn head-lands were cloaked with mighty primeval forests of oak and pine, ere the white man's axe had cleared, or his hoe had broken the virgin soil.
3.
CHAPTER III.
SETTLEMENT.
ADVENTURES OF GILBERT AND POPHAM AT THE MOUTH OF THE KENNEBEC.
STRACHEY, the historian of this voyage, was a man of intelligence, and as secretary of the company, must have had access to the most authentic material. Sir John Popham " prepared a 'tall ship,' well furnished, belonging to Bristoll and the river Severn, with many planters, which sett out from Plymouth about Maye" *
* " to settle a plantation in the river Sagadahock." Thus the narrator begins his story, after noticing the interest excited in the public mind by the account of the islands and attractive harbor, and of the rivers Pemaquid and Sagadahock, then first explored by the voyagers of Weymouth just returned with several of the natives. But the " tall" ship of Popham sailing in the path of a Spanish fleet, whose commander learning her destination and the object of the voyage, was made a prize and taken to France.
This disaster did not discourage the Chief Justice of England, nor lead him " to give over his determination to plant a colony within the aforesaid so goodly a country upon the river of Sagadahock."
6
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ANCIENT DOMINIONS OF MAINE.
JOURNAL EXTRACTS FROM THE VOYAGE.
The next year he fitted out a good ship " called the Mary and John of London, and "a fly boat called the 1607. Gift of God," wherein George Popham commanded, and Raleigh Gilbert in the other, with more provis- ions and a larger company of "one hundred and twenty planters," who set sail from Plymouth in June.
Always keeping their course to the westward as much as wind and weather would permit, on the 25th, fell in with islands, where they took in wood and water, and then again put to sea and ran "a course to the west and west- nor-west, as the wynd would give leave," till the July 27. lead brought ground in twenty and twenty-two fathom upon a bank near the 43d parallel. . Here, in the language of the narrative, they fished some three hours ; " and tooke neere two hundred cod, very great fish, and where they might have laden their ship in little tyme."
From hence, they again made sail, and stood for the main, the wind south-west; and as they ran for the land from this bank, a north-west course, some thirty-six miles, soundings gave an oozy black bottom in sixty fathom. The wind was scant, and our voyagers were forced to haul further south- ward in their course, and steering south-west, away, sound- ings gave them thirty fathom, on fishing ground of small stones and white shells.
29th. They held a west course till noon ; when sound- ings gave black oozy bottom and one hundred and sixty fathom.
30th. In the morning, bearing north west, land hove in sight, thirty miles distant; and one hundred fathom, black oozy bottom was brought by the lead.
They stood for the land, and as they could not fetch in before dark, they about ship, and lay "a hull, all that night," finding abundance of fish, " very large and great ;"
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SETTLEMENT.
water, eighteen to twenty fathom deep-"hard abourd the shore."
THE SPANISH SHALLOP.
After mid-day, still running toward land, they found the coast full of islands-water deep hard aboard of them-safe passages for shipping round them ; under 31st. one of which they cast anchor. In two hours after anchorage, a Spanish shallop pushed off from the shore towards the ships, containing eight savages, and a native boy. They rowed about the ships ; but ventured not to board at first, though tempted by a display of knives, food, beads and trinkets.
Having satisfied their curiosity, the natives made a feint to depart ; but soon turned back ; when three of them came boldly into the vessel, while the others made for the shore, with intimations of a return next day.
The same natives returned in another shallop, laden with beaver skins, accompanied by their wo- Aug. 1. men. Their purpose now was trade.
At midnight, the moon shining brightly, and with the wind fair to the north-east, our voyagers set sail, 2d. standing along the range of the coast south-westerly.
BOOTHBAY AND KENNEBEC.
In the morning, very early, within three miles of land, they discovered many islands, with navigable sounds betwixt; but " they made proof of none of them."
3d.
This morning found the ships off a cape or head- land. "The cape is low land, shewing white, like sand, but yet is all white rocks-and a strong tyde goeth there."
The head-land thus described may have been Cape Small Point, the terminus of the peninsula of the town of Phips-
4th.
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ANCIENT DOMINIONS OF MAINE.
burg on the west, and bounding the bay of Sagadahock ; the flux and reflux of whose waters created the "strong tyde which goeth there."
6 & 7th. The ships were brought to anchor under the lee of an island ; which, on finding Weymouth's cross still erect, in memorial of his visit the year before, they knew was St. George.
Their anchorage lay inside Monhegan toward Pemaquid, " four leagues" distant ; and about midnight Capt. Gilbert caused his ship's boat to be manned with fourteen of his crew, together with Skitwarroes, who had been kidnapped by Weymouth near Townsend Harbor, but now returned to his people and home, as a guide and interpreter.
LANDING AT PEMAQUID.
This company embarked in the boat, rowing westward, from where the ships lay, for Pemaquid river, where the party landed on the main.
Skitwarroes, undoubtedly entirely familiar with all the localities of his birth place, conducted them at once to the " salvages houses, of a hundred men, women and children."
ADVENTURES ON THE MAIN.
There they found Nahanada (who had been a fellow captive with Skitwarroes, under the decks of Weymouth's ship,) the chief man of the settlement.1 On the first appearance of Gilbert's boatmen, the natives seized their weapons, exhibit- ing a hostile attitude ; but Skitwarroes and Nahanada meeting each other, and the party being discovered to be English- men, the natives relaxed their hostile aspect, and their chiefs embraced and welcomed them. Two hours were spent in cheerful and happy greetings, when the party of Gilbert "returned abourd again."
1 See Popham's letter, Me. Hist. Col .- Latin.
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SETTLEMENT.
SABBATH SERVICES.
The Sabbath dawned. The chiefs of each ship with most of their company, landed on the island ; and Mr. 9th. Seymour, their chaplain, delivered a sermon ; and re- ligious worship was celebrated under the cross of Weymouth.
HOSTILITY OF THE NATIVES.
Capt. Popham manned his shallop and Gilbert his boat, the company numbering fifty persons, and 10th. embarked for the mouth of Pemaquid. Skitwarroes accompanied them. On reaching land, Nahanada with his braves received them with distrust; and as the boat party came opposite and in front of their homes, the natives would not " willingly have all the boats' people come on shore."
DESERTION OF THEIR GUIDE.
An hour was spent in negotiations, when the whole body of natives suddenly withdrew to the woods, and Skitwarroes with them. Their distrust is not to be wondered at, when it is remembered the treachery of Weymouth two years before must have been yet fresh in their minds, and the wrong still rankling in their hearts; and some demonstrations must have been made, which inspired Popham's company with apprehension, " for he rowed to the other side of the river,"-probably to the Boothbay shore near Hodgdon's Mills-" and there remained for the night."
On the eleventh, toward evening, the whole party returned to their ships, " which still rode under St. George's island"-after having undoubtedly entered and explored the mouth of the Damariscotta river, to the western mar- gins of which it would seem they had retired from before the menacing bowmen of Nahanada at Pemaquid.
DEPARTURE FOR SAGADAHOCK.
" They weyed anchors and sett saile to goe for the river of Sagadahoc."
12th.
1
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ANCIENT DOMINIONS OF MAINE.
They were south off Seguin island, a league dis- 13th. tant-" but they did not take it to be Sutquin."
THE GALE.
" Soe the weather being very fair, they sought the islands further to the westward,"-became soon becalmed, and were forced to remain at sea, having overshot their island mark. At midnight a mighty storm arose, and bore them on a lee shore, and in danger of being wrecked, -" by reason they were so neere the shoar and could not gett off,- the wynd all the while south, and yt blew very stiffe, soe as they were compelled to turn yt to and agayne"-i. e .- to stand off and on.
" Soe soon as the daye gave light," finding themselves hard " abourd the lee shore" in the bay they were 14th. in the day before, -( Broad Bay ?) -they looked for a place to "thrust in the shipp to save their lives." In towing their boat, "yt laye suncke at the sterne two howers and more." Then putting up the helm, they stood in for the shore; "when anon they perceived two little islands," for which they made, and finding good anchorage, ( George's Island harbor ? ) there rode out the gale. Here they freed their boat. Upon one of the islands they found " four natives-one a female,"-the " islands all rockye and full of pine trees."
The storm ceased, and the wind came fair for them to go to Sagadahock,-the river whither they were 15th. bound. The wind was off shore, and running in under Seguin, they could not get into Sagadahock. The ship then came to anchor, but the fly-boat worked into the river.
16th. In the morning, Popham sent out his shallop to help in the ship. It being calm, the ship weighed anchor and was soon towed up " and anchored by the Gift's side."
7
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SETTLEMENT.
ENTRANCE AND DEBARKATION AT THE MOUTH OF THE SAG- ADAHOCK.
Popham in his pinnace, and Gilbert in his long boat- the one carrying thirty, and the other eighteen men, at morning light rowed from the ship into the river 17th. Sagadahock, in search of a place to found the home of their colony. They sailed up far into the interior, and " found yt a very gallant river," very deep, and seldom less water than three fathoms ; and returning the same day, they observed many " goodly islands therein, and many branches of other small rivers falling therein."
SELECTION OF A TOWN SITE.
All went on shore, and there made choice of a place for their plantation, " at the mouth or entry of the river on the west side, ( for the river bendeth yt self to- 18th. wards the nor-east and by east,) being allmost an island of a good bigness, in a province called by the indians Sabino, so called of a Sagamore, or chief commander, under the grand Bashaba."
MEETING WITH THE NATIVES.
This day gave the company their first view of the aborig- inal inhabitants of the Kennebec. "Three canoes full of indians came to them; but would not come neere; but rowed away up the river." These undoubtedly were river natives and strangers ; and not of the tribe to which Naha- nada and Skitwarroes, the captives of Weymouth belonged, who were residents and natives from about the mouth of the Damariscotta, near Pemaquid, and of the tribe of the Wa- wennocks.1
1 Thornton's Pemaquid, p. 28.
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ANCIENT DOMINIONS OF MAINE.
POSSESSORY SERVICES AND RITES.
Formal rites and ceremonies were this day performed in taking possession of the site of their plantation by a 19th. solemn consecration of the spot, in acts of public religious worship, the civil organization of their body and the promulgation of their laws. A sermon was preached (the second on New England shores,) and George Popham was chosen Governor; Capt. Gilbert, James Davis, Rev. Richard Seymour, Richard Davis, and Capt. Harlow were sworn assistants.
BREAKING OF GROUND.
Possession having been thus acquired, and the place of their choice consecrated and made secure by all the forms which Religion and Law could suggest, the company re- turned to their ships.
All were summoned to the work of breaking 20th. ground in the erection of a town ; and on reaching their previously selected site, they " there began to entrench and make a fort and to build a store house." For the eight succeeding days all labored diligently in raising the fort ; and the carpenters in stretching the keel of the first vessel launched on the waters of New England, which was from the banks of the Kennebeck, the President over seeing and directing all.
EXPLORATIONS.
To-day Capt. Gilbert departed on a voyage of dis- covery westward, sailing by " many gallant islands." 28th. At night the shallop anchored under a " head-land- the wynd comyng contrary-called by the indians Semia- mis"-now Cape Elizabeth-" the land exceedingly good and fertile, as appeared by the trees growing thereon being goodly and great." Native canoes passed, but would not come near the shallop ; and having entered Casco Bay and sailed
POPHAM'S TOWN OF ST. GEORGE, 1607, AT SAGADAHOCK, ENTRANCE TO KENNEBEC RIVER, SHIP VIRGINIA ON THE STOCKS.
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SETTLEMENT.
through some of its magnificent sounds, on the 30th " they returned homeward before the wynd, sayling by many goodly and gallant islands." To the 5th of Sept. all were engaged in erecting their new homes and completing their fortified works.
RETURN OF SKITWARROES.
" About noon, there came into the entrance of the river Sagadalock and soe unto the fort"-where the people were at work-" nine canoes with forty savages in them, men, women, and children," Skitwarroes and the Pemaquid chief Nahanada, with Sasanoa among them. They were kindly and hospitably entertained by President Popham, and re- mained some two or three hours, when they withdrew to the opposite shore, while Skitwarroes and others remained at the fort till night, when Gilbert, Jas. Davies, and Elias Beast visited the encampment and there tarried during the night. Early in the morning the natives embarked for the eastward and returned to the river of Pemaquid.
UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR PENOBSCOT.
The labor on the fortified works still employed all Sept. hands. On the 8th Capt. Gilbert and twenty-two 6 & 7. others embarked in the shallop for Penobscot river.
Early in the morning of the 11th, they reached Pema- quid, found their savage friends had gone before them ; " and all that day, as likewise the 12th and 13th, they sayled and searched to the eastward, yet by noe means could find the river." To the 22d all were engaged on the fort and store-house.
ADVENTURES UP IN THE INTERIOR.
It would seem Capt. Gilbert was the explorer of the
NOTE .- Why did not Capt. Davis, a companion of Weymouth, know where to find the Penobscot ?
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ANCIENT DOMINIONS OF MAINE.
expedition, and on his return from his fruitless search for the
Penobscot, an examination of the Kennebec to its navi- 23d. gable head was projected. So on the date here given, Gilbert and nineteen of the expedition embarked in the shallop, " to goe for the head of Sagadahoc." On the after- noon of the 24th, the party reached a champaign country, very fertile. Early in the morning of the 25th, they em- barked and sailed along until reaching a low, flat island, where a great cataract or downfall or water-" which run- neth by both sides of this island very shold and swift "- stayed their progress. It is quite probable that the explorers had followed the broad reach of the Androscoggin to the westward, instead of the more tortuous and latent stream of the Kennebec, where both rivers unite in Merry-meeting Bay, and had now reached the falls at Brunswick.
FACE OF THE COUNTRY AND DISCOVERIES.
Grapes, hops, garlic &c. abounded on this island. They forced their boat through the downfall by hauling her with a strong rope, and advanced a league further up the river. Here they encamped for the night. In the early evening, in broken English, savage voices were heard calling from the opposite shore-to which our voyagers replied. In the morning a canoe approached, in which a sag-
26tlı. amore and four natives visited their encampment. The chief's name was " Sebenoa," who said he was " lord of the river of Sagadahock."
THE ALTERCATION WITH THE NATIVES.
The chief entered Gilbert's boat, after a friendly inter- view, but required that one of Gilbert's men, " as a pawn of safety," should be put on board the canoe. Immediately the canoe hasted away with all the speed it could make, up the river. The shallop pursued ; and great care was taken that the hostage chief should not leap overboard. The
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SETTLEMENT.
canoe landed, and the white man was hurried to their abodes, " neere a league on the land from the river's side." In the pursuit, the shallop soon reached a second downfall of water-" so shallow, so swift " as to forbid any further progress by water. Gilbert landed with nine men and the hostage chief, and after a good tedious march, overtook the savages, and found " neere fifty able men, very strong and tall, such as their like before they had not seen ; all newly painted and armed with bows and arrows." Notwithstand- ing these hostile indications, peaceful overtures prevailed, and proposals for trade were made. Gilbert departed ; but was followed by a body of sixteen natives in less than half an hour ; and the articles found in the canoes for barter clear- ly indicating other objects than trade, he re-embarked all his company with a view to leave the region.
The natives suspecting the purpose of Capt. Gilbert, and fearing his firelocks, attempted to extinguish his fires, so as to prevent the lighting of the matches. With this view, a native sprang into the shallop, seized the fire-brand from him who held it for use, flung it into the water, and leaped from the shallop. Gilbert commanded his men to seize their fire- arms, and the targitiers too. He "bad one of the men before with his target on his arm, to go on shore for more fire." 1 The natives resisted, and held the boat by its rope, " that the shallop could not put off." The musquetiers then presented their pieces, when the natives seizing their arms, fled for the woods, " knocking their arrows, but did not shoot." Gilbert and his men withdrew to the opposite shore. A canoe followed to excuse the hostile bearing of the natives. Gilbert kindly entertained the messages of
1 Fire-arms had but recently been invented, and only the ancient " matchlock" used, with which Gilbert's men were now armed. This cum- bersome weapon was rested on a support, and discharged by a match or fire-brand, and was called matchlock in contra-distinction to our ancient but more perfect firelock-now being replaced by our modern caplock.
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