USA > Maine > The history of the state of Maine; from its first discovery, A. D. 1602, to the separation, A. D. 1820, inclusive, Vol. I > Part 7
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+ 4 Coll. Mass. His. Soc. 20. The famous attack was A. D. 1722.
# The lantern is 50 feet above the level of the sea, and has a fixed light. ¿ The " three" George's Islands, properly so called, are Seavey's, Burnt, [or Burnt-coat, ] and Allen's Islands. Otter Island is 4 miles N. E. of Franklin Island.
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the whole cluster. It is eight miles from Herring-gut point on the main, contains 20 acres of good land, all cleared, and is occupied by Mr. Seavey, its owner, and his family. 4. The Burnt-coat. next is Burnt-coat, not a gunshot distant; and between them is a harbour. It contains about 300 acres of pretty good land and is Allen's. the residence of three families. 5. Allen's Island, containing perhaps 250 acres of indifferent land and occupied by one family, is the easternmost of them all. The latter three lie south of Herring-gut ; E. S. E. from the mouth of St. George's river, and between two and three leagues distant. 6. South of the middle Island in the cluster, are two dangerous rocks, called the Old man and Woman. Vicory. Old Man and Old Woman, one mile from the shore. 7. Vicory Island, so named after the first owner and occupant, contains 60 or 70 acres, lies north of Burnt Island, and is without inhabitant. Davis' Island. 8. Davis' or Griffin's Island, of one family and 40 acres, lies to the northward of the preceding one. 9. Near to Griffin's Island Jo.Seavey's. is Jo. Seavey's Island, owned by him, the dwellingplace of two Bickmore's and Bar- ter's. families, containing 80 acres. 10 and 11. Bickmore's and Bar- ter's Islands, are two which nearly adjoin each other, one of 30 and the other of 90 acres ; and each has on it one family, though Stone's and rugged and unfit for agriculture. 12 and 13. Stone's and Tiel's Tiel's. Islands, of 20 acres each, are severally occupied by one family, but they are both iron-bound, forbidding places. 14. No other one of George's Islands is large enough to be particularly men- Colwell's. tioned, except Colwell's Island, which contains 70 acres, occu- pied by two families. It is a high round Island covered with trees ; and lies nine miles and an half eastward of the entrance into George's river .* All the rest of George's Islands are small Two Brothers. and some of them mere rocks. The distance between the Two Brothers and the most eastwardly of these Islands is three or four miles ; they all belong to the town of St. George.
Pentacost barbour.
It is well known that Capt. Weymouth, with his ship's crew visited this river, A. D. 1605, called the harbour Pentacost har- bour, and gave to George's Islands the name they have since An old gar- borne. Here he planted a garden, the first probably in this den. State. On Carver's Island near the west bank of George's river at its entrance, is said to be some appearance of a very ancient
* The vessel passes between castern and western Egg-rocks in entering this river from the westward.
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settlement, such as an old stone house in ruins, and other vesti- ges of antiquated habitations.
Monhegan Island was in ancient times, without exception, the Monhegan. most famous one on the seaboard of this State. It was the land aimed at and first mentioned by the original voyagers and fisher- men about these waters ; and was so noted a stage for the latter as to be sometimes called a plantation. To this the New-Ply- mouth settlers resorted early and frequently, to exchange furs for provisions. In 1626, Abraham Shurte was sent over by Elbridge and Aldsworth, to purchase the Island of the owner, Abraham Jennings of Plymouth, for which he gave £50 .* It is situated nine miles southerly of George's Islands ; five leagues east-south- east of Townsend, and 3 leagues westwardly of Metinic. It con- tains upwards of a thousand acres of good land, has a bold shore on all its sides, a large projection of rocks at its northeastward part, and has one good harbour. On its south side is the Menan- nah Island of two acres, distant a cable's length, and the harbour is between the two Islands ; the entrance into it on the southwest of Monhegan being safe and easy.+
The number of people on the Island is between 75 and 100, who inhabit 12 or 14 dwellinghouses, and are the owners of the soil, industrious, moral and well-informed. They have a school- house where their children are educated, and religious meetings are attended. Fishing and agriculture are the employments of the men ; they own several vessels ; and while the more able bodied are engaged in the former business at home, and in the codfishery on the Grand Banks, the old men and boys cultivate the land, raising good crops, keeping cows, swine, and sheep.
The Island, though within the county of Lincoln, belongs to no town. It is a democratic community : It has no officers of any kind, not even a Justice of the Peace. The people's affairs are governed and guided by themselves, conformably to certain pru- dential rules and usages which they have mutually established. They have paid one United States' direct tax, otherwise they are strangers to taxation, except what they pay towards the support of their school. The Lighthouse was erected on the Island in 1824.
* Shurte's Deposition.
t Capt. John Smith says, in 1614, " between Monahiggon and Monanis is a small harbour where we rid."
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Metinic.
Metinic Island is situate seven miles east by north from Mon- hegan ; 12 miles south of White-head and 2 and 1-2 leagues from Musqueto Island. It contains 300 acres of excellent land, being about two miles long from N. E. to S. W. and in one place is a mile wide. It has a bold shore and a landing place, though no harbour. It belongs to no town, though attached to the county of Lincoln ; and is owned by the Messrs. Thorn- dikes of Thomaston and St. George. There are two families on the Island, who cultivate the land with considerable success, though fishing is their principal employment. Between this Island and the main land is Wheeler's bay, three leagues over.
Wheeler's bay. Herring- gut.
Herring-gut has its western entrance at the mouth of St. George's river, and is a reach of water stretching eastward, two leagues, to Musqueto Island, having on the north the rugged shore of the main land, being the south end of the town of St. George, and having the most of George's Islands southerly.
Musqueto Island.
Musqueto Island is half a mile from the main land, or shore ; it is about a mile over it either way, and has upon it one house. Between it and the main is the eastern entrance of Herring-gut, over a bar of sand passable at two hours flood ; the vessels how- ever usually pass the outside of the Island. Tennant's harbour is formed by that Island and the main and is a very fine harbour, 100 rods wide, where 70 sail may lie in safety.
Tennant's harbour.
South of Musqueto Island, distant 100 rods, are the " Two Brothers," each of an acre, covered with trees. From these to Townsend harbour [Boothbay,] is thirty miles.
Northeastwardly of Musqueto Island, one league and a half, White-head. is White-head, which is a small Island one mile from the shore, of ten acres and one family. It is considered to be at the west- ern entrance of Penobscot bay, and on the 18th of June, 1803, the United States purchased it, and the next year erected a Light- Light. house on it at the cost of $2,200 .*
From White-head, leaving Seal or Sail harbour on the west, to Spruce-head, is north one mile ; thence to Ash point, abreast
* The lantern is elevated 50 feet above the level of the sea; and has a fixed light ; the keeper has $300 by the year. From Monhegan to White- bead is N. E. 7 leagues.
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of Ash Island, is three miles ; and thence to Owl's head," in the Owl's head. northeastern corner of Thomaston, is five miles.
Between White-head and Ash point, which are a league apart, Muscle are the Muscle Ridges, consisting of about a dozen Islands ; the Ridge Islands. most of which must now be mentioned though they are sev- Islands, erally small. 1, Ash Island of 20 acres is very near the main, Ash, without inhabitant. 2, High Island, abreast the other, is a poor High, rocky place of 5 acres ; and 3, Potatoe Island of two acres, Potatoe, is still southerly ; and both are uninhabited. But 4, Anderson's Anderson's, Island, east of Ash point, of 300 acres, has three families upon it ; the land on its south end is good, and a farm was lately sold there for $1000. 5, Peabody's Island of 70 acres, is poor land ; Peabody's, 6, Pleasant Island ; 7, Two Bush Island [now one Bush, ] being Pleasant, all three very small, have no resident upon them. Pleasant Island however is a site worthy its name, and Two Bush is so called Two Bush, because it has exhibited two bushes conspicuous to the passing mariner. 8, Allen's Island, of 40 acres, was the residence of Allen's, one family till expelled by poverty. 9, Graffam's Island is a Graffam's, pleasant one, well swarded into grass, though without inhabitant.
There are a few others which are mere black rocks, without shrubbery or vegetation. Indeed they are all rocky and forbid- ding ; and no one belongs to any town. The passage from Pe- nobscot bay westward is through these ridges, leaving Ash Island on the west ; and the mariner always avoids them all, as big with danger.
Matinicus Island, t is another such as Monhegan, situate 17 Matinicus. miles southeast of Owl's head and 10 east of Metinic. It is two miles in length and from one half mile to a mile in breadth, and contains 750 acres of excellent loamy land, three fourths of which are cleared. Near it, southerly, is Wheaton's Island, which forms Wheaton's the eastern part of the harbour ; and east is Wooden Ball rock, Island. uninhabited. Southeast is Ragger-task, an Indian name, between Ball rock. Wooden which and Matinicus, is tolerable anchorage in stormy weather. Ragger- task.
The Island of Matinicus was inhabited very early, and "re- Matinicus mains of stone houses are still apparent, generally supposed to people.
* Anciently " Mecadacut," Smith in his map and History, 1617, called it Dunbarton.
t The main passage into Penobscot bay from the sea is between Matinicus and the Green Islands.
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have been built by French or Dutch fishermen," though unknown. Also there are several places where the Indians had their camps, as is evident from the shells and bones found thereabouts .* It is often visited for the benefit of health. There are now about 100 souls on the Island, in sixteen families : they have been claimed as a part of Vinalhaven, but have never been taxed, nor have they ever voted in public affairs. They have a schoolhouse and a school of 40 scholars ; and upon the Island there is a Calvinist Baptist church of 22 members. They are a very industrious, humane and moral people ; the men are engaged in fishing and farming ; and the women manufacture the principal part of family clothing. The Islanders own six fishing craft from ten to fifty tons each, and raise annually about 400 bushels of wheat and abundance of vegetables ; living together in prosperity, quietude and happiness, without law and without rulers.
Green Islands.
The two Green Islands are northeast of Matinicus and near it, within the county of Hancock ; and though small, each of 2 or 3 acres only and without inhabitant, the soil is so productive as to yield 100 tons of hay in a single year.
Hog Island.
Hog Island is half a mile southwest of Metinic Island, con- taining two acres of miserable barren land.
Munroe Island.
Munroe, or More's Island, is situate opposite Owl's Head, an hundred rods distant, and the harbour is between them. It is claimed to be within the town of Thomaston, though most of it is in the county of Hancock. It contains 180 acres of good land, occupied by Mr, Munroe and his family.
Sheep Island. Mark Island.
Sheep Island, the next one southerly, contains by admeasure- ment 74 acres of very good land, and bears a house and barn. Mark, or Fishermen's Island, still farther south, of 3 or 4 acres, without a resident, is very woody ; and the one which the Brit- ish in the late war used as a place of rendezvous.
Spruce- head.
Camden Heights. Ducktrap.
Brigadier's Island.
Above Owl's Head, on the same side, is Great Spruce head, from which to Old Fort point in Prospect, is ten leagues north- northeast, In ascending to which, however, the mariner leaves Camden Heights on the west, which the older writers have viewed as mountains ; and Ducktrap harbour in Lincolnville still Belfast bay. farther to the north ; and crosses the mouth of Belfast bay two leagues over to Brigadier's Island, not far from the western shore.
* MS. Letter of T. Waterman, Esq.
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This has a good harbour westward, called Long cove, and another to the northward-a bar extending from the Island to the main. Fort point above mentioned is near, making the distance from it to White-head thirty-six miles in a direct course.
Fort Pownal erected in 1759, by Governor Pownal, was Fort Pow- on the western shore. Its site was a pleasant and commanding nal. situation in the town of Prospect, below the south end of Orphan Orphan Island. Nothing of the fort remains except the entrenchments Island. and circumvallations ; but the place has acquired the name of " Old Fort point." As this may be considered at the mouth of Old Fort point. Penobscot river, and at the head of Penobscot Bay, it will be proper now to begin with the sources of that river and trace it downwards to this place.
The Penobscot river* is the longest of any one in the State ; Penobscot and in its tide-waters, it is as large as the Sagadahock after the river. junction of the Kennebec and the Androscoggin. Its whole length, as it runs from its heads to Fort point, is supposed to be Its heads. about 200 miles. It has no reservoirs, such as the great lake which yields supply to the Kennebec ; it is formed by a great number of streams, which issue from ponds, swamps and springs, above and below the 46th parallel of latitude, and spread the whole width of the State ; its western sources being more than an hundred miles, in a straight course, from its eastern heads ; and so much do they all, like branches of one family, converge and aim at a general union, as to form a confluence and constitute the main river, 95 miles from its mouth, and within about half a degree only, below the parallel above mentioned.
The western branch of the Penobscot is supposed to be the largest. It rises in the highlands north of the Kennebec, east of branch. the Chaudiere and south of the St. John; and what is noticeable, the head streams of the four rivers are quite near each other in several places. Its sources have been explored by the surveyors under the treaty of Ghent ; and it is found that the road from the forks of the Kennebec to " Mile Tree," crosses three primary branches of the Penobscot, two of which, one 4 and the other 6
* Anciently " Penobskeag," Indian ; Pentagoet, French. From Penobscot bay to Mount Desert, was called Nasket." Smith called this country Low Mounds." Charlevoix says [1 vol N. F. 206-10] the Pentagoet river ja the most ancient accounts of the Country was called " Norimbagua."
Its western
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miles below the heights, are large mill streams where they cross the road.
From the northwest branch of the Penobscot, rising between 20 and 30 miles northeasterly of " Mile Tree," the carrying place into the main St. John is only two miles ; and some streams of the two rivers are much nearer each other. This great western branch, after collecting its waters from the north and south, runs eastwardly, not far from the northern margin of Moosehead lake, and empties into Chesuncook lake, sixty miles from some of its sources. The outlet river of this lake, which is 15 miles in length, runs southwardly and eastwardly 45 miles, till it em- braces the great eastern branch, and forms, what is called the junction, the waters in each being nearly equal.
Its eastern branch.
Junction.
The two main streams of this eastern branch rise about 50 or 60 miles, from their heads to its union with the great western branch or the Neketow .* Twenty miles above this junction in the west Grand falls. branch, are the Grand falls, where the waters descend over a ledge of smooth rocks, fifty feet, through a channel 45 feet wide, into a bason of unknown depth. In late years, the eastern branch has been explored above the junction; and of the other, con- siderable is known to its several sources, though neither of them have yet any settlements on their banks. South of the junction, two miles, the Penobscot receives from the northeast a brook called Salmon stream.
Salmon stream.
Metawam- keag.
Sebascohe- gan.
Sixteen miles below the junction, is the mouth of the Meta- wamkeagt river, which rises on the eastern side of the State, and flows many miles southeasterly towards Schoodic lakes ; then forms a bow and runs southwest twelve miles, and receives the Sebascohegan, through which travellers and Indians ascend within three miles of the Schoodic lakes. The Metawamkeag is as large as the Piscataquis, and larger than two of the Kenduskeag ; rapid, very rocky in several places, and has frequent falls and interve- ning still-waters. Its mouth is about thirty miles below that of the Sebascohegan ; and the mail, first established in 1826, passes up these two rivers through the Schoodic lakes to Houlton.
* Necotok-where two streams come together, forming an acute angle .- Indian.
t Metawamkeag means a stream running over a gravelly bed at its mouth., -Indian.
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From the mouth of the Metawamkeag, the Penobscot descends in a smooth and inviting current, navigable for the largest rafts, receiving on its west side the Medunkaunk, a small mill stream, Medunka- and the Madamiscondus, a large one ; and on the east side, the Madamis- Metanawcook,* 2-3ds as large as Passadumkeag, and 16 miles condus. above it.
But the most important and considerable tributary of the Pe- nobscot is the Piscataquis, which comes from the west, and after Piscataquis. running 100 miles from its sources, empties itself 35 miles above the mouth of the Kenduskeag, and 35 miles below the junction. Three large streams constitute the Piscataquis, viz., Pleasant Pleasant river from the northwest, which rises on the east side of Moose- river. head lake ; Sebec river from the west, which has some of its Sebec river. sources in the same neighbourhood, and Sebec pond in its course ; and Piscataquis proper, which comes more from the southwest ; -the latter two embrace first, and 3 miles farther down, they receive the third, 12 miles from the mouth of the Piscataquis. Sebec and Pleasant rivers are about equally large, and few others of their size can fully compare with them in beauty and commodious- ness. They afford many excellent mill sites and in freshets will float large rafts. The three branches have low banks, interspers- ed with rich and extensive intervales. The flowing of the Piscat- aquis, which is 30 rods wide, is very quick and its waters uncom- monly transparent and pure. At its mouth it descends a fall of 12 or 15 feet in the space of 10 rods ; and over a part of the fall the water pours in a thick and limpid sheet. In mixing with the Penobscot it adds to it nearly a third part of its waters.t
Five miles below the Piscataquis, on the east side, is the Passa- dumkeag,¿ which rises near Schoodic waters and empties itself into keag. the Penobscot. It is boatable about 20 miles, excepting seven carrying places of inconsiderable lengths. On this river are ex- tensive natural meadows, where great quantities of hay are cut every year.
The Penobscot, after flowing south, five miles, receives on the east side Olemon stream, which is little else than a large brook ; Olemen. and likewise embraces an Island of excellent land, called Olemon
* Metanawkeag .- Indian. + Col. J. Carpenter.
# Passadumkeag means, where the water falls into the river above the falls,-Indian.
Passadum-
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Sunkhaze.
Island, containing 300 acres ; also Sugar Island of like size a little below, and several smaller ones in a short distance. Sunk- haze* stream is rather larger than Olemon stream, and empties into the Penobscot, eleven miles below, on the same side. Not less than 200 tons of hay are taken annually from its meadows. Both these streams together, probably, do not contribute more water to the main river than the Passadumkeag does itself.
Stillwater.
Osson Island.
Marsh Island.
Oldtown Island.
Orono Island.
Great Works.
All four of these Islands are excellent land ; and except Marsh Island, which is the southernmost one, they are claimed by the Tarratine tribe of Indians. They also own the other Islands mentioned, which are of a like fertile soil.
The Bend.
From the reunion of the Penobscot with the Stillwater at the foot of Marsh Island, the river flows southwestwardly three miles to the head of the tide, at " the Bend," so called, where its usual ebb and flow are two feet. Small vessels may ascend in fresh- ets and in spring tides, within a mile of it, but ship-navigation is not good and safe much above Kenduskeag point, four miles below the Bend.
Kendus- keag.
The Kenduskeag stream, rises near some of the Sabasticook
One mile below Sunkhaze, and 14 from the mouth of Kendus- keag, the Penobscot is parted in a very remarkable manner, so that about half the water next the eastern shore descends in direct course southerly, and the other half turns a short corner and runs northwest more than two miles, and then turning again almost as short, runs southerly seven miles, before the two branches form a junction. This western branch is called Stillwater, and the first Island it embraces after the divorce is Osson Island, of 1,200 acres ; it then has intercourse with the east branch by a south- westerly reach, three miles in length, which separates that island from Marsh Island, containing 5,000 acres ; and from this reach a passage bounds the southeast end of Osson Island and separates it from Oldtown Island, of 300 acres, where the Indian village is. Besides these three, the Stillwater river also embraces another one, called Orono, of 150 acres. At the upper and lower end of Stillwater river are falls suitable for mill sites; and on the east branch, that is, the main river, there are similar falls, viz. at the foot of Oldtown Island and at Great Works, a mile or more below ; in each of which the descent may be 20 or 30 feet.
* Sunkhaze means dead water at the mouth of the stream .- Indian.
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sources, and after running in its southeasterly serpentine course 50 miles, and turning the wheels of various mills and machinery, it discharges its waters into the Penobscot, amid Bangor village, 60 miles from White-head, 23 from Fort point, and 70 from the junction. It is generally eight rods wide; its mouth, which is 35 rods in breadth, and 60 rods higher up at the bridge is 30 rods, forms a branch of the harbour : but here the ground, ex- cept in the channel, is often bare,at low water. Opposite to the mouth of the Kenduskeag, the water in the channel of the Pe- nobscot is 17 feet when the tide is out, and the width of the main river below is 80 rods.
The Penobscot thence descends in a deep and steady current, Segeunke- passing the mouths of Segeunkedunk* on the east side, and Sowa- dunk. Sowadabs- dabscookt on the west shore; both being mill streams much less cook. than Kenduskeag, one 8 and the other 5 miles below it ; thence one league to Bald hill cove, on the same side; another to Buck's Bald hill cove.
ledge, covered at highwater; and half a mile more, to Oak Oak point. point, where the water is 60 rods wide and deep. Between the latter and Dram point, which are a league asunder, is Marsh bay which is more than a mile wide, ornamented by the village of Frankfort on the western shore. Here the water is very salt and the river seldom is frozen as low as Buck's ledge. Indeed during some winters it continues open as high as the mouth of the Sowadabscook.
Marsh bay.
It is about 5 miles from Dram point to the head of Orphan Orphan Island, which contains 5000 acres or more, and divides the wa- Island. ters of the river into two branches ; the western and main one passes through the narrows, opposite the northwest curve of the Narrows. Island, and by Oldham's ledge, which is half a league below, and Oidham's a league above Fort point, at the mouth of the river. The ledge. branch which washes the other side of the Island is called East- ern river, safely navigable for small vessels ;- the Island itself, river. Eastern taxed in Bucksport, is good land and is owned by the descend- ants of an orphan lady, who inherited a part of the Waldo pa- tent.
* This is a fine mill stream running through Brewer village, named by the Indians " Segeunkedunk."-MS. Letter of Hon. D. Perham.
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