USA > Maine > Hancock County > Mount Desert > Mount Desert : a history > Part 7
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"Oct. 3. After breakfast went on shore at the head of the bay and went into the woods by a compass line for about half a mile. Found a path which led back to the Harbour. This proved to be a passage to the salt marshes. In the after- noon some people came on board, who informed us that four families were settled upon one of the Cranberry Islands, and two families at the head of the river, eight miles from our station.
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"Oct. 4. We formed two sets of surveyors. I and Lieutenant Miller took charge of the one, and Mr. Jones, my surveyor, had the charge of the other. We began at a point at the head of the South West Harbour, proceeded in different courses, and surveyed the whole harbour except some part on the south side.
" Oct. 5. It rained all the morning. We com- pared our observations and protracted the survey ; in the afternoon surveyed a cove in the North River.
" Oct. 6. I and Lieut. Miller surveyed the re- mainder of the South West Harbour and a con- siderable part of the Great Harbour. Mr. Jones traced and measured the path to the Bass Bay Creek and found there many haycocks. In the afternoon we made some general observations and corrected our former surveys. The gunners had good luck, plenty of duck, teal, partridge, etc.
" Oct. 7. Took an observation of the sunrising. Went up the river, a fine channel having several openings and bays of different breadths from a mile to a quarter of a mile in breadth. We passed through several hills covered with wood of different sorts. In some places the rocks were almost perpendicular to a great height. The general course of this river is North, 5 degrees east, and it is not less than eight miles long in a straight line. At the end of it we turned into a bay, and there saw a settlement in a lesser bay.
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We went on shore and into Somes's log house, found it neat and convenient, though not quite furnished, and in it a notable woman with four pretty girls, clean and orderly. Near it were many fish drying there. From there we went to a beaver pond where we had an opportunity to observe the artificialness of their dams and their manner of cutting down trees to make them. We returned to our sloop about four o'clock ; it must be eight miles distant. The gunners brought in plenty of ducks and partridges.
"Oct. 8. We observed sunrising but could not take his amplitude by reason of clouds near the horizon. Mr. Miller surveyed the island on the east side of the river. Mr. Jones ran the base line of the intended township. I went through the woods to the creek of Bass Bay. We went about a mile on the salt meadow, found it fine, the hay remaining there good, and the creek a pretty rivulet capable of receiving considerable vessels. The meadow on each side being a fur- long or two wide, and the upland having a gentle decline to it. In the afternoon Mr. Jones finished his line and we gathered various plants in the woods. In the evening I received several persons on board proposing to be settlers, and it was re- solved to sail the next morning if the wind would permit.
" Oct. 9. At half after eight we weighed anchor; stood for the sea in a course South, Southwest,
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through several islands ; thence by course West by South to Holt Island [Isle au Haut], ten leagues from Mt. Desert Harbour. At half past one wind fell to a fair breeze ; passed Martinicus Island at 5, Metennick Island at 12; bright, fine, and calm.
" Oct. 10. Sloop rolled very much till 5. When passing Segwin Island a fresh breeze came from Northeast. Arrived at Falmouth channel half after eight, just twenty-four hours from Mt. desart. rained hard. We came to anchor at Falmouth half after ten. I went on shore, dined at Col. Waldo's and lay there.
" Oct. 11. We went about the town, a very growing place, some fine houses, three building, many vessels, among which were some ships upon the stocks. Were saluted by the Fort with five guns and by a ship in the harbor with seven. Our sloop returned five guns. We dined at Col. Waldo's, slept at Capt. Rosses and went on board at half past ten.
" Oct. 12. We weighed anchor at half past eight, saluted the town with five guns, kept within sight of the shore all the way, and anchored near the Fort island in Piscataway about three miles from Portsmouth at five o'clock. The Fort hailed us to know if I was on board. At six Gov. Wentworth's barge came alongside to carry me to his house about three miles from the sloop and two from Portsmouth.
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" Oct. 13. I went to Portsmouth in my own boat, the boats crew being in their uniform of red faced with blue ; was received at the wharf by several gentlemen and conducted to Mr. Went- worth's house. At 3, Mrs. Bernard arrived in the charriot.
" Oct. 14. We passed an agreeable day at Portsmouth. The 15th, set out in the charriot for Boston." 1
1 Besides this journal, the Bernard papers in the Harvard Col- lege Library contain a description of Mount Desert at the time of the governor's visit. It is written in Latin and ascribed to " an officer of the Cygnet," doubtless a naval officer in the gov- ernor's suite. The translation runs as follows : -
" Mount Desert is a large mountainous island lying 10 leagues west from the Island of Grand Mannan in the mouth of the Bay of Funday, it is in the Lattitude 44, 35 North, and Longitude 67, 20 West. It appears as the Continent from the Sea, but is di- vided from it by an arm running between it and the Main, but at low water may be crossed by a narrow neck near the West end as the Inhabitants report. Its natural Productions are Oak, Beech, Maple, and all sots of Spruce and Pines to a large Di- mention, viz : 34 inches diameter. Ash, Poplar, birch of all sorts, white Cedar of a large Size, Sasafrass, and many other sorts of wood, we know no name for a very great variety of Shrubbs, among which is the Filbert. Fruits, such as Rasberrys, Straw- berrys, Cranberrys of two Sorts, Gooseberrys and Currants. It has all sots of soil, such as dry, wet, rich, poor and barren ; with great Quantitys of Marsh, a number of Ponds, with runs fit for mills. Quantitys of Marble, and its generally thought from the appearance of many Parts of the Land there are Iron and Cop- per Ore. Its Inhabitants of the Brute Creation are Moose, Deer, Bear, fox, Wolf, Otter, Beaver, martins, Wild Cat, and many other Animals of the fur kind, all kinds of wild fowl, Hares, Partridges brown and black. But the most valuable part of this Island is the extraordinary fine Harbour in it, which is formed by the Islands as described on the annext Sketch of it. Codfish
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This journal is especially interesting because it gives the first information about the coming of permanent settlers to the island. The govern- or's entry of October 3 mentions two families is ever taken in any Quantitys with very convenient Beaches for drying and curing them. Shellfish of all sorts except the oyster, none of which we saw, fine Prawns and Shrimps. There lies from it a rock above Water, about 8 Leagues from the foot of the great Islands, and 5 Leagues from the Duck Islands, which is the nearest Land to it ; this rock is dangerous from its being deep Water both within and without it, so that sounding is no warning, you will have 40, 45, and 50 fathom within half a mile of it, it is steep to all sides except to the East Point of it, where it runs off foul about Pistol Shot, but dries at low water ; the Tide near this rock setts strong in and out the Bay of Funday, its to be seen about 3 Leagues, and appears white from being always covered with gannetts which breed and roost there. Its length is 500 fathoms from the N. E. Point to the S. W. Point, and by an observation we took on it, is in the Lattitude 44, 08 N. I shall say no more of it, than that a good look out is necessary, and without you strike itself, there is little or no danger of being very near it, and the night is the most dangerous Time to see it. A Beacon built of Stone of which the rock itself will furnish, about 50 or 60 feet high, would render it of little danger ; the Harbour is very convenient for naval Equipments from the Number of fine anchoring places and Islands, a very fine rendez- vous for fleets and Transports in case of an expedition to the West Indies, as each division of men of war and Transports may have different places to wood and water in, and Islands enough for encampment and Refreshments of men, without any danger of desertion or Irregularity. The King's Dock yards might be supplied for many years with Sparrs from 27 inches and down- wards to about hook span, Docks may be easily made for Ships of the greatest Draught of Water The above Island is about 30 miles coastways, and 90 miles in Circumference not including all its lesser Islands within a League of its Shores, which are supposed to be included in the grant of it to Governor Bernard of Massachusetts Bay by that Colony.
"N. B. There are great Quantitys of Pease sufficient to feed
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already established "at the head of the river," and the entry of October 7 gives the account of his trip up " the river," which we now call Somes Sound, and his visit to Somes's log house with the " notable woman with four pretty girls." Abra- ham Somes was undoubtedly the pioneer settler on Mount Desert. He came in 1761 from Glouces- ter in his Chebacco boat and cut a load of bar- rel staves for the Gloucester fishermen. The next summer he brought his wife Hannah (Her- rick) and four children and built, on what is now known as George Somes's Point, the log house in which Governor Bernard found them. James Richardson, also from Gloucester, came the same summer, with his wife and five children, and set- tled at Richardson's Cove. His was the second family mentioned by the governor as settled " at the head of the river."
Governor Bernard encouraged settlement in every way in his power, though it is evident that his proprietary rights were not infrequently in conflict with the squatter rights established by the settlers. He selected Southwest Harbor as the centre of his operations because it was the
innumerable Number of Herds and Cattle, a great Quantity of Cherries, both which are natural to the Islands.
" It ebbs and flows in these Harbours 21 feet at Spring Tides, and about 15 or 16 feet at common tides, which never run so strong but a boat may be sculled against it. Water is ever to be had in the dryest Seasons conveniently; the best anchoring ground in the world."
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natural port for passing coasters and fishermen. There he caused a town site to be carefully sur- veyed and laid out in lots for sale. It is evident that he also built some houses there, for in 1785 John Cockle, Esq., of Mount Desert, one of the holders of a Bernard lot, petitioned the General Court to confirm or change a grant he had from Bernard twelve years before, and asked that his land might be laid out "at the head of South West Harbor, commencing south of the old houses erected heretofore by Sir Francis Ber- nard." Bernard also evidently made preparations to build a mill, for John Peters,1 in the account of his survey of the island in 1789, wrote, " Now we begin a lot for James Richardson, beginning at a Cove about eighty rods and on the eastward of an old Mill-Dam formerly built by Governor Bernard." This Richardson lot was on the east- ern shore of the sound near the head.
Governor Bernard's scheme for encouraging
1 John Peters was born at Andover, Mass., August 18, 1741. He settled at Blue Hill, Maine, in 1765, and died there August 20, 1821, aged eighty years. He was a farmer and surveyor and was frequently employed by the Bingham estate and other own- ers of eastern lands to mark their boundaries. His surveys are the foundation for the majority of all the deeds recorded in the territory of the Penobscot Purchase and in Hancock and Wash- ington counties. He was for a generation a leading citizen of eastern Maine, enjoying the confidence and respect of a great circle of clients and friends. He was father of twelve children and thus the founder of one of the most serviceable and eminent families in Maine. For the Peters genealogy, see the Bangor Hist. Mag. i, 200, v, 207.
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settlement was well devised. His offer to propos- ing settlers at Southwest Harbor shows the thor- oughness of his plans.
" The plan of the Town which is laid out in that Island is calculated for trade and business, for which its situation, being in the direct course of all the vessels coasting along the shore and the great plenty of fish which will afford a staple commodity, make it very suitable.
" The Lots of Settlers are therefore laid out with four acres each, upon which each settler will be obliged to build an house and settle a family. The rest of the land given for the encouragement of settlers will be in outlots as nearly accom- modated to the town as can be. Each settler of a family is to have 25 acres given to him free of all expense. This alone will afford sufficient lands for husbandry, as it is supposed much the greater part of the settlers will apply themselves to fishing and trade, for which their home lots alone will be abundantly sufficient. But if any families which make husbandry their business shall want more land, they shall be supplied as far as 25 acres each at a dollar an acre.
" The Duties required of Settlers are that they settle a family upon the home lot, building a house within a year and clearing the home lot within three years.
" Mines of metal or coal and quarries of lime
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stone will be referred to the proprietor and also timber trees upon lands unleased." 1
All Governor Bernard's steps to invite settle- ment on the island were made with the assump- tion that the home government would readily confirm the grant made by the Massachusetts representatives. But there was obstruction in the Colonial Office in London, caused, as was afterwards learned, by the desire of Nova Scotia to have its territory extended westward to the Penobscot. The governor waited long after his visit to the island, and meanwhile expended not a small sum on his projected improvements there, yet no word came from the home government sanctioning his rights. It was an awkward posi- tion, for he claimed land which might not after all be his, and was spending freely where he might not reap again. He resolved to make appeal directly to the king,2 and did so in an elaborate document dated October, 1764.3
1 Very similar agreements are suggested in a document signed by Governor Bernard and dated " Mountdesert, Sept. 8, 1764," entitled " Proposals for settling a colony of Germans at a Town in the Island of Mountdesert, made to Mr. John Martin Shafter and Mr. John Most by Gov. Bernard Proprietor of the Island." This document, preserved in the Sparks Collection, is printed in the Bangor Historical Magazine, v, 1. Nothing seems to have come of the proposals.
2 " A statement of the Grant of the Island of Mount Desert to Francis Bernard and the consideration for which it was made. " Governor Bernard opened his first Commission of Governor
3 Sparks MSS. vol. x, p. 216.
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This appeal brought at last the delayed confir- mation, and the governor hastened to appoint an agent to take charge of his Mount Desert
of Massachusetts Bay on August 2, 1760 and on the 25th of Oc- tober following his Majesty King George the Second died. By which means he was obliged to take out a new commission at the expense of four hundred pounds without having allowance for Chappel, plate, etc.
" Upon his entering upon the Government he found it neces- sary to make an additional building to the Governor's apartment at Castle William, and another building to the Governor's house at Boston, both of which cost him two hundred pounds. Upon his mentioning to some of the members that the Assembly should make him a compensation for the extraordinary charge of a second commission immediately following the first and the ex- penses of the improvements of the Castle and the province house, he was told that it would be much easier to get a grant of lands than of money ; and he was advised to take his compensation in the former way.
" He acquiesced in this. It was at first proposed that he should have a grant of lands in old Massachusetts where the province has an absolute property in the lands, and if he could have fore- seen that a confirmation of the grant would have met with any dif- ficulty, he should have certainly taken a grant of land in that part of the country where a confirmation would not have been wanted.
" But having no idea of any difficulty in obtaining a confirma- tion, and the assembly being at that time desirous of making a settlement in the Bay of Penobscot, he consented to take his compensation in a grant of the Island of Mount Desert, which had been intended to make one of the towns to be laid out there.
" The Grant accordingly past the House on the 27thi of Feb- ruary, 1762 ; and though to make it appear more honorable it is said to be in consideration of the extraordinary services of the Governor, yet the real consideration was to reimburse him the forementioned expenses: without which most probably he should neither have asked for, nor the assembly have offered him a grant of lands. For as for the island itself, he was totally unac- quainted with it at the time it was proposed to him.
" Upon his informing the Lords of trade of this grant and the
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property. A commission was issued to Joseph Chadwick of Fort Pownall, appointing him the governor's attorney and bailiff to have charge of his interests on the Island. On receipt of his commission Mr. Chadwick went to Mount Desert and mapped the island. Unfortunately his plans have been lost, but the description occasion of making it they were pleased by this letter of March 11, 1763, to write to him in the following words : 'We can have no objection to your acceptance of this grant as a testimony of the approbation and favour of that province in whose service and in the conduct of whose affairs you have manifested so much zeal and capacity ; nor should we have delayed our Representa- tion of it to the Crown if the deed itself had been with us.' And he, about this and for some time after, received frequent assur- ances that the grant would be speedily confirmed.
"Under these encouragements he thought he might safely venture to make preparations for settling the Island. And ac- cordingly he has had the whole surveyed and has built some houses and erected a saw mill and marked out a town, etc., at the expense of four or five hundred pounds.
" But now upon account of the delay of the confirmation some disorderly people in the neighborhood have taken possession of the Island, broken down the houses, destroyed the timbers, and still continue to make great havoc and waste without his being able to redress himself for want of the completion of his title.
"The Island by the principal and interest of the foremen- tioned sums may be reckoned to have cost him already fifteen hundred pounds, which is probably more than it would sell for, if put to sale.
" He cannot therefore entertain a thought that, after having served so long and (he hopes he may add) so faithfully in a gov- ernment whose annual Income, at best, produces a bare subsist- ence and of late years has fallen short a deal, he shall be left to bear so heavy a loss from what was intended for his benefit. But though he has no reason to suppose that the intentions towards him are other than favorable he has suffered a great deal and continues to suffer by the delay of this business."
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which accompanied them has been preserved in the Sparks Manuscripts. The report refers constantly to the numbers or letters which are used to identify places on the lost map, but the descriptions are so accurate that most of the lo- calities can be readily recognized.1
Mr. Chadwick made a careful exploration of the whole island, following the shores first from Southwest Harbor up the west bank of the sound, noting the brooks and water powers, the fertile land at Fernald's Point, and the ledges or " quarry of stone of a marvel kind," where Hall's quarries now are. Then he went round the is- land, starting from Bass Harbor, describing there the marshes which had been " improved by John Robertson, settled on an island in the neighbor- hood," while the marsh at Goose Cove had been " improved by Ebenezer Herrick of Naskeag." He remarks that " Shadrick Watson, John Black, Ebenezer Herrick, and others of Naskeag cut 25 load of hay last year and are some of them mowing the same ground this year."
Then he went round the northern shores. The north side of Clark's Cove seemed to him a " valu- able track of Land for a Settlement." Duck Brook seemed a " stream large enough for a Saw Mill. The shore is Mountainous Rough lands which Continue from the Shore up the stream
1 Mr. Chadwick's report is printed, with notes by Mr. E. M. Hamor, in the Maine Historical Magazine, formerly Bangor His- torical Magazine, vol. ix, p. 124.
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2 of a mile which is not practicable for Roads. A Good tract of Land well timbered." At what is apparently Cromwell's Harbor, he mentions "a Mill Stream which is the place Capt. Jones pro- poses to Build a Saw Mill for the Governor. some objections may be made to this stream viz : That the Stream is not large enough to keep a Saw Mill going the year Round But only During the time of freshets. That the Harbour is Smal and laying in that part of the Island towards the open Sea - Vessels may be in danger in bad weather. But (is said) a Vessel from the West- ward lay in the Harbour last winter while her Crew made Shingles on Shore." So he went on by Otter Creek and Seal Harbor, and up the east bank of the sound. The Report, which is dated August 29, 1768, ends with a Memorandum : "There are Some Dificultyes arising amongst the Settlers for forms of Roads and Division Lines of their Lands. As there are Sundry peo- ple that propose to apply for Settlements on the Island which may mak further deficultys."
But all Governor Bernard's plans were inter- rupted by the troubles which preceded the out- break of the Revolution. He was a zealous cham- pion of British authority in America and his conduct when the Stamp Act riots occurred, and in the matter of the seizure of John Hancock's sloop Liberty in 1768 for alleged infraction of the revenue laws, at last aroused the people of
WILDNAUER-N.Y.
OTTER CLIFF
-
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Boston. A meeting was held in the Old South Meeting House June 14, 1768, and a committee of twenty-one appointed to wait upon the gov- ernor and protest against his measures. On this committee there served John Hancock, James Otis, Joseph Warren, Samuel Adams, and Josiah Quincy. It is a curious illustration of orderly rebellion when we picture this committee pro- ceeding to Jamaica Plain in a procession of eleven chaises and calling upon the governor. He received them courteously, offered them re- freshment, and made them promises which he apparently did not mean to keep.
His recall came suddenly in the next year,1 and he left his beautiful home on the bank of Jamaica Pond, July 3, 1769, and on August 1st embarked for England. As he departed the bells were rung,
1 Whereas our trusty and well beloved Francis Bernard, Es- quire, our Captain General and Governor in Chief of our Pro- vince in the Massachusetts Bay, in America, hath humbly repre- sented unto us that his private affairs may require his residence for some time in this our kingdom, and therefore hath humbly requested that we would be pleased to grant him a discretionary leave to be absent from his Government and to permit him to return into this Our Kingdom of Great Britain.
We are graciously pleased to condescend to his Request and accordingly do, by these Presents, give and grant unto him, the said Francis Bernard, our full and free Leave, License and Per- mission to come from his Said Government of the Massachusetts Bay into this our Kingdom and to remain here until our further pleasure shall be signified.
Given at our Court at St. James, this twenty second day of June 1768 in the eighth year of our Reign. By his Majesty's Command
HILLSBOROUGH.
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cannon were fired from the wharves, the Liberty Tree made gay with flags, and at midnight great bonfires were kindled on Fort Hill.1 With all his
1 The following account is taken from the Boston News-Letter of August 7, 1769 : " Tuesday last embarked on board his Ma- jesty's Ship the Rippon, sir Francis Bernard of Nettlehamn, Bart., who for nine Years past has been a Scourge to this Province, a Curse to North America, and a Plague to the whole Empire, He having sagely fixed on the First of Angust, the Day of the Ele- vation of the House of Hanover to the British Throne, for the Time of his Departure, there were four Causes of public Rejoi- cing: 1. The Accession of the present Royal Family. 2. That the King had been graciously pleased to recall a very bad Gov- ernor. 3. The sure and certain Hopes that a very good one will be sent out, and placed ir his Stead. 4. That a worse cannot be found on this Side -, if there. - On Monday Evening the Bar- onet, being unwilling to give himself and Friends, if he has any, the Trouble of a formal Leave, or the People an opportunity to hiss him off the stage, sneaked down to Castle William, where he lay that Night. The next Morning he was toated on board the Rippon, in a Canoe, a Tom-Cod Catcher or some other small Boat. The ship was soon under sail, but had not proceeded a League, before the Wind shifting, she came to Anchor, and lay Wind-bound till Friday Noon, when she sailed again with a fair Wind after her ; The Captain, Thomson, and the ship, both worthy a better Cargo. Should the Johns, on the rising of the first Storm, sign a round Robbin to the Captain to throw the Baronet overboard for fair Weather, and he find his way into a Whale's Belly, it is hoped he will not be called out, dead or alive, within Soundings. - So soon as the Rippon was under Sail on Tuesday, the Cannon at the Castle were fired with Joy - the Union Flagg was displayed from Liberty Tree, where it was kept flying 'till Friday. - Colours were also flung from most of the Vessels in the Harbour And from the Tops of the Houses in Town. - The Bells were rang, and Cannon fired incessantly 'till Sunsett. - In. the Evening there was a Bonfire on Fort-Hill, and another on the Heights of Charlestown. The general Joy of this City was soon diffused through the neighboring Towns, who gave Similar Demonstrations of it."
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