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 8
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{ Called, by way of corruption of the Indian name, " Sowesdabscook ;" this is in Hampden .- More properly spelt " Sowadapscoo."-Gen. Her- rick.
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THE WATERS AND COAST
[INTRODUC.
The Penob. scot in gen- eral.
The general breadth of the Penobscot is from 80 to 100 rods ; and it is remarkable, that owing to absorption and evaporation it should be so uniformly wide from Piscataquis to Orphan Island ; though its depths are various, being above the tidewaters from six to twelve feet, not easily fordable by a man and horse below the junction. The usual tides at and below Bangor are 15 feet ; and at low-water its depth in the channel is from 3 to 6 fathoms ; and in some places 20. The banks of the river are generally high ; some projections are rocky and rugged ; and others afford a picturesque appearance. An enchanting expanse of the river spreads itself before Bucksport village, and another before Frank- fort ; and a beautiful country on either side, extending to the head of the tide, fills the passenger's eye from the river with cap- tivating views of nature and culture. As we ascend the river we find the banks less elevated ; and above the tide-waters we pass many extensive intervales before we reach the Piscataquis. The only fearful ledges below the head of navigation are Buck's and Oldham's, before mentioned : and Fort point ledge, half a mile from the point, and Steele's ledge, a league southeast, cov- ered at high water.
Frozen 4 1-2 months.
Great fresh- et.
At and above Bangor, and below it as far as the water is fresh, the river is generally closed by ice from the middle of December to the fore part of April. However, the ice in 1800 did not descend till the 18th of April; and on the 1st of January, 1805, the river, after being closed three weeks, was clear for two days ; and it may be mentioned as a rare instance, that on the 26th ot March, 1811, the river was clear of ice and frozen no more during the spring. Moreover, in February, 1807, the ice, which was very thick and strong, being broken up by an uncommon freshet on the 17th of the month, was driven down in great cakes ; and, 100 rods below Bangor village, formed an immoveable im- pediment to the current. By reason of this check, the waters rose from 10 to 12 feet higher than was before known, filled the lower apartments of several buildings, and destroyed and injured a great quantity of goods ; forcing the inhabitants of one dwelling- house to make their escape from the chamber windows. Three days elapsed before the ice fully gave way and the flood subsided.
Head of Pe- nobscot bay.
At the foot of Orphan Island, the Penobscot expands, so that the distance across from Fort point to the eastern shore is two miles or more ; and this is the head of the bay. The next noted
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place on the eastern shore, is Major-bigyduce point, 15 miles Major-bigy- below Orphan Island, a place repeatedly mentioned in history .* duce. It took its name from a Frenchman who anciently lived there.t That point is the southerly projection of the peninsula, which constitutes the greatest part of the town of Castine. On the north it has Back cove; north of west, it has Penobscot bay, two leagues over, with Belfast bay another league on the west, adorned by the village of Belfast ; on the southwest it has the upper end of Long Island, two miles distant, and at the eastward it has Northern bay. It has always been considered by Europeans as well as by the Americans and natives, to be a very eligible situa- tion. Castine villaget is on the southerly side of the peninsula ; Castine. and westward of it 100 rods, at some distance from the shore, are the appearances of the Old fortifications. Here the Ply- Old fort. mouth colony had a trading house as early as A. D. 1626 ; here d'Aulney located himself in 1640 ; and here baron de Castine D'Aulney. afterwards had his residence many years. The United States' United
States' gar- garrison is still farther to the west and on higher land, intended rison. to protect the town and command the upper section of Penobscot bay.
Before we proceed to examine the eastern seaboard, it becomes ISLANDS in expedient to make a few remarks relative to the Islands in Pe- bay. Penobscot nobscot bay. We begin with Long Island [now a part of Isles- Long borough] which is 11 and 1-4th miles in length and about one Island. mile in mean width. There is a fresh-water pond on the north part of the Island, at the outlet of which stand mills ; and the soil of the whole Island is generally good. It has five good harbours, 3 on the western and 2 on the eastern shore.§ Included also in the corporation of Islesborough, are these ;- 1. Seven hundred 700 acre acre Island, " of very good land," so called from the quantum of Island. its territory ;- 2. Billy Job's Island ;- 3. Marshall's or Pen- Billy Job's, Pendleton's,
dleton's Island ;- 4. Lassell's Island, which four are inhabited ; Lassell's, some of them are well cultivated and make good farms. They all lie near the western shore of Long Island, and " form several
* The country hereabouts called Norumbega .- 1 Hol. A. a. 74, Note 4. + MS. Letter of Col. Wardwell, and certificate of Capt. Mansel.
# In 44º 24' N. Lat. and 68º 46' west Long.
¿ Gilkey's harbour, 5 miles below the north end of the Island; Pendle- ton's still below, both on the west side.
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THE WATERS AND COAST
LINTRODUC.
Mark, Saddle, Lime, Ensign, Mouse, Spruce, Islands. Islesho- rough.
excellent harbours much frequented by vessels." In addition to these, we may mention-5. Mark Island, of 10 acres ;- 6. Saddle Island ;- 7. Lime Island ;- 8. Ensign Island ;- 9 and 10. the two Mouse Islands ;- 11. Spruce Island-all which lie S. W. and W. of the main Island ; and there are three others farther up the bay which are small. The " number of acres in the town is about 6,000," originally a part of the Waldo patent .*
Fox Islands or Vinalba- ven.
Fox Islands, south of Long Island, are separated from it by a branch of Penobscot bay, about two leagues across, and constitute the town of Vinalhaven. From its western point, called Crab- tree's point, N. N. E. to Castine, is a course of 15 miles, in so good a channel that a stranger may conduct a ship through it without danger.
Fox Island thorough- fare.
These Islands took their name from the circumstance of their abounding in Foxes when first discovered, particularly the silver grey fox, seldom found at this day in any part of the State. The two principal Islands, so called, are denominated the north and south Fox Islands ; separated by a thoroughfare, which may average near a mile in width, affording a good ship channel of 12 feet tide and an excellent harbour ; and is beautified by a small village on each side of the narrows.t These Islands have very curiously indented shores on all sides ; which give them quite a peculiarity of shapes. They are bounded or washed westerly and northerly by Penobscot bay ; easterly by Fox Island bay which separates them from the Isle-au-Haut and Deer Isle, and southerly by the Atlantic. Vinalhaven not only embraces these two great Islands but includes all such as are smaller, lying within three miles of them, too numerous and little to be particularized. The area of the two Great Islands, with the others inclusive, is 16,527 acres.
The south Island.
On the south Island, which is much the larger, are two consider- able ponds and several others which are small; and at the outlets of the former are mill-privileges. Much of this Island however is hilly, rocky and barren ; but it has a valuable growth of spruce for spars, a fine harbour, and an advantageous herring fishery. The north Island has one pond of 100 acres ; and a much better soil than that of the other, being a reddish gravel ; which is very
The north Island.
* MS. Letter of Mighill Parker, Esq.
t The passage bas rocks on both sides ; especially Crabtree point, on the northward.
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productive. In 1779 the British built a fort on this Island, plun- dered the people and drove them away .* The meeting of the waters in the thoroughfare, from the E .N. E. and W. S. W. when the tide is of flood, forms a " deep cove" and eddy which exhib- its a giddy sweep or whirl as the waters embrace and settle. It is more than two leagues through the thoroughfare ; the western entrance at Young's point is narrow at low water, and dangerous by reason of sunken rocks on the larboard, called the Dumplins. Dumplins.
The Castine Peninsula is washed on its eastern margin by the waters of the northern bay or Castine river, which is formed by Castine riv- two wide though short branches, of which one heads in the town er. of Penobscot northerly ; and the other in Sedgwick runs north- westerly ten miles, when they form a junction two leagues from their common and single mouth. Thus united, the river has ten feet tide, and is navigable four miles to Limeburner's ferry, where it is half a mile in width.
THE EASTERN COAST.
In passing to the southward two leagues from Castine village, we EASTERN double Cape Rosiert or Rosarie, in the town of Brookville. Cape Rosa- COAST. This has a bold shore and high projecting rocks. Between this rie. and the north Fox Island, southerly about nine miles distant, are several Islands ; viz. Butter and Eagle Islands, each a mile Butter, square, four miles from Vinalhaven towards Brookville, owned by Islands. Eagle Spruce- William Gray, so fertile as to support nineteen inhabitants. Great head. and Little Spruce head, and Beech Island, owned by individuals, Island. Beech contain 27 inhabitants. The others are Spectacle Island, one Thumpcap, Spectacle, mile from Cape Rosier ; Thumpcap, two miles from it ; Mark Colt's head, Mark, Island of two acres, 3 leagues from Castine ; Colt's head ; Pond Pond, Green ledge, & Pompkin Islands. Island ; Green Ledge ; and Pompkin Island, which are small and uninhabited.
" Little Deer Isle" is situated northwest of Great Deer Isle, Little Deer southeasterly of Cape Rosier, and south of Edgemaroggan reach, Island. which is three miles wide and separates the latter Isle from Sedg- wick. It contains 1,000 acres of good soil, supporting a consid- erable number of inhabitants.
* MS. Letter of Thomas Waterman, Esq.
t From Mr. Rosier, probably, who came along with Capt. Weymouth, A. D. 1605 .- Hub. N. E. 14. VOL. I. 6
P
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THE WATERS AND COAST
[INTRODUC.
Great Deer Island.
Between that Island and the Isle of Holt is Great Deer Isle, about ten miles in length from north to south, and near five miles in width towards the upper and lower ends. It has Edgema- roggan reach on the northeast, which separates it from the main ; and the east branch of Penobscot bay on the west, in a width of two leagues intervening between the above Isle and the Fox Islands.
Isle of Holt.
The Isle-au-haut, or " Isle of Holt," which has a good soil, is one league directly south of Great Deer Isle, and is supposed to contain about 3,500 acres and 75 families. It is favoured with one rivulet. It has generally a bold shore, high steep cliffs ; and between the beach at its northwest part, and an Island near, there is a good harbour ;- also another open to the south, between the southeast and southwest extremities of the Island. The highest part of its territory is in the middle of it, and exhibits the appearance of a saddle. It affords good landing at its eastern end, and anchorage half a mile off in 18 fathoms.
Town of Deer Isle.
Great and Little Deer Isle and the Isle of Holt constitute the town of Deer Isle, which contains 14,320 acres of land and 225 dwellinghouses, and probably includes other little Islands lying between the others.
Eastern and western lim- its of Penob- scot Bay.
The Isle of Holt and White-head, which are six leagues asun- der, are the eastern and western limits of Penobscot bay. Its width is not so great as that of Casco bay, nor does it embrace so great a number of Islands ; but it is much deeper, being 11 leagues in extent from north to south; and embosoms much larger Islands, stretching around them in a manner unique and like a crescent. A perspective view of this bay from the heights of Camden, so indented on its shores and diversified with Islands, is said to be admirable.
Edgema- rogg reach.
Conaway Island.
Edgemaroggan reach,* which has a sufficient depth of water in its channel to float a ship of 74 guns, is from one mile to three in width, and about 13 miles long, from its northerly entrance between Brookville and the northwest end of Little Deer Isle, to the southeast extremity of Sedgwick ; and has good anchorage on that as well as the Deer Isle side, South of the eastern en- trance of the reach, opposite, eastwardly to Great Deer Isle and separate by shoal water, is Conaway Island, of 100 acres, sup-
* Pronounced-Edgemorgan.
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posed to belong to the town of Deer Isle. It has a bold shore, a good soil and several families.
Near the southeast point of Sedgwick, called Naskeag, is a Naskeag. good harbour of the same name, about which the first settle- ments were made in Sedgwick, formerly Naskeag plantation, eligibly situated for fishery .* The harbour is between the point and Harbour Island, of 25 acres, close aboard ; having Hog Island. Harbour Island farther distant, both of which are inhabited. The course from Naskeag point to the Fox Islands is near to Deer Isle, leaving 20 or 30 Islands towards the Isle of Holt, many of which are inhabited.+
Hog Island.
Burnt-coat.
From Naskeag point, east of south, is Swan Island or Burnt- coat, distant four miles. It is of an irregular shape with many indents of water, and in general its shore is ledgy and forbid- ding. But a large cove makes up into it on its western side, about midway of it, and forms a good harbour. There is another good one in the creek at the southwesterly part of the Island, where Mr. Swan lived. He, finding the soil to be excellent, purchased the whole Island, embracing 1000 acres, built an ele- gant house, about thirty years ago, bought cattle, and with much emulation, commenced farming on a large scale. Discouraged, however, or displeased after five or six years, he left the Island ; the house decayed and it has since been taken down. There are now on the Island about 30 flourishing families.
Between Naskeag point and Swan Island, are three others, viz. Pond Island of 150 acres ; Calf Island of 125 acres; and Pond, Little Black Island of 100 acres ; all of which have a good soil Little black and are inhabited. Of the three, Pond Island is the most north- Islands. erly one, and the main channel is between that and Naskeag point.
* MS. Letters of D. Morgan and W. Jackson, Esqrs. " The middle of Sedgwick is in N. Lat. 44° 25', Long. 68° 40' west; and 121 miles from Portland Lighthouse, and 133 miles from Passamaquoddy bay on a straight line."
t Of a few Islands on this Eastern Coast, a census of 1820 is returned. viz .- 10 souls on Pond Island ; 9 on Black Island ; 19 on Long Island ; 39 on Placentia Island ; 218 on Burnt-coat; 7 on Marshall's Island; 7 on Mark Island ; 5 on Hog Island; 8 on Beach Island; 19 on Little and Great Spruce Islands ; 8 on Eagle Island, and 11 on Butter Island .- See census, 1820.
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THE WATERS AND COAST
LINTRODUC.
Marshall's Island,
Marshall's Island lies southwestwardly of Swan Island. It has a rich loamy soil, is mostly cleared and is the residence of a few families. But it has no harbour ; the main channel is on the west side of the Island, though it has a difficult one on the east side, embayed with ledges. Indeed, the shore is bold and rocky, against which vessels have not unfrequently been driven and sometimes wrecked.
Long Island off Burnt- coat.
Directly east of Marshall's Island, two leagues, and also two miles southeast of Swan Island, is what is called " Long Island off Burnt-coat," which is near three miles in length, though it contains only about 5 or 600 acres : The soil is good ; it has a bold shore on the eastern side and a good harbour opposite its northwest part. Some 15 or 20 families live upon the Island who carry on a considerable fishery. There are some other Islands about Swan Island which are too small to be described.
Bluehill bay.
The entrance into Bluehill bay, is on both sides of Swan Island, which lies in the very mouth of the bay ; though the usual pas- sage is eastward of the Island. The bay, which has Naskeag point on the west, and Mount Desert on the east, extends up northwestwardly fifteen miles from the Island to the village of Bluehill.
Long Island.
Long Island, in this bay, extends nearly to its head on its easterly side, and is such in length as well as name; for it is about 6 miles long and quite narrow. It may contain 2000 acres, and be inhabited by 10 families. It has no harbour ; the good and the poor land is about in equal moieties, and the Island is owned by Peters and Ellis. South of Long Island are Rob- inson's Island of about 350 acres, and three families, and Bear Island of 60 acres.
Robinson's, Bear Islands.
Fly, Ship and Barge Islands.
After passing Naskeag point, northward, Fly Island is left on the western side, also the " Ship," an Island of three trees, and the " Barge," a dry rock, looking like a boat of that name.
Morgan's bay.
Newbury neck.
The waters northwardly of Long Island, are called Morgan's bay, the head of which is shoal water ; and the promontory be- tween it and the mouth of Union river has the name of Newbury neck, [in Surry,] steep on the east side, and on the west inclining to a flat. The channel on the east side of Long Island, from the sea to the mouth of the river, is sufficiently wide and deep to render the navigation of large vessels safe and commodious.
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Below the mouth of the river and two miles east of Long Bartlett's Island, is Bartlett's Island of 600 acres, half of which is very Island. good for farming and the rest rocky. It is inhabited by 8 fami- lies ; and they have, about the middle of the Island, on the east side, a good harbour. South of this is Hardwood Island of Hardwood Island. 200 acres ; most of which is covered with wood, though it is of an excellent soil, and exhibits one dwellinghouse. The passage for vessels is good on both of its sides.
Union river, whose head is near the Passadumkeag and more than 40 miles north of its tide-waters, is a very commodious stream for mills. At the head of the tide, which is ten miles above Newbury neck, there are several mills ; also the flourishing villages of Ellsworth and Surry, which are connected by a bridge across the river, 25 rods in length. In proceeding from this to the sea, the passage is between Long and Bartlett's Islands.
Union river.
Desert.
Eastwardly, contiguous to the waters of Union river, is the Island of Mount Desert,* 15 miles long from north to south, and Mount- about seven miles in mean width. It has on its northern curve, Jordan river, which is almost wholly salt water, navigable on the tide three miles to its head in Trenton. Branching east, it dis- charges itself into Frenchman's bay, at the southeast extremity of Trenton, called Trenton point ; and west, it mixes with the waters of Union river, after passing Mount Desert narrows, which are only 20 rods across at highwater, where the usual tides are 12 feet, and the place fordable at low water. The southwest extremity of Trenton is called Oak point, opposite to the narrows.
Narrows.
Oak-point.
At the south end of Mount Desert Island, west of the point, is the celebrated Bass harbour, formed by a cove, landlocked by Bass har- two projections or points, eastwardly and westwardly, and shel- bour. tered on the south by three Islands. One is Great Presench or Great and Black Island, south of the harbour and the most remote of the Liule Pres- three ; Little Presench, northwest of the other and near the ands. ench Isl- entrance of the harbour, each of 5 or 600 acres ; and Got's Got's Is !- Island of 300 acres, northeastwardly of the preceding two; and and. the three have severally three or four families.
Somes' sound, is the water southeast of Bass harbour, stretch- Somes' ing up north into the heart of the whole Island, navigable into sound.
* Mount Desert rock is 6 leagues S. of Mount Desert Hills; here the tide of flood sets W. S. W.
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THE WATERS AND COAST
[INTRODUC.
land more than a league. It took its name from Abraham Somes, the first American settler, who commenced a plantation near its head ;- it is sometimes called Mount Desert sound. At the en- Great and Little Cran- berry Island. trance into the sound are several Islands, viz. Great Cranberry Island, of 500 acres, inhabited by 6 or 7 families. Northeast of this, is Little Cranberry Island, of 200 acres, having three fami- Lancaster's. lies ; nearer the land, west of north, is Lancaster's Island, of 100 acres, peopled by two families ; and the eastern channel into the sound is between the two latter. East of Great Cranberry Island is Duck Island, of 50 acres, and one family.
Duck Islands.
The pool.
The harbour, situate between the head of the sound, Great Cranberry and Lancaster's Islands, is called the Pool, and affords excellent anchorage. Five miles southeasterly of the Pool is Baker Island, on which there is a Lighthouse.
Baker Lighthouse.
Harbour Island.
From the pool, the shore is bold around on the margin of Frenchman's bay, to the northeast indent of the Island or creek, 3 miles in extent, where there is a small harbour, and a little Island called Harbour Island, and the village of Eden. The water stretching up into Trenton from Sullivan, northwest from the head of Frenchman's bay, is Skillings' river, navigable near- ly to its head at highwater. The point of land in Sullivan, east of that river's mouth, is Crabtree's Neck.
Skilliug's river.
Crabtree's neck.
Mount De- sert Island.
The Island of Mount Desert* is the largest one in the State, and contains about 60,000 acres, a third part of which is eleva- ted into thirteen connected, high and rugged mountains, covered with woods : and at sea they may be seen the distance of twenty leagues, and are remarkable for being the first landmark of sea- men and for giving the French name Mons Deserts to the Island. The savages were much attached to this Island ; for in the moun- tains they hunted bears, wild cats, racoons, foxes and fowls ; in the marshes and natural meadows, beaver, otter and musquash ; and in the waters they took fin and shellfish. The alewives in the spring ascended into the interiour ponds to cast their spawn, where they were easily taken ; and though the hills are hard and rocky, the vallies are rich, strong land, and have borne a heavy hardwood growth. The smaller Islands and some parts of Mount
* In going from Mount Desert to Gouldsborough, steer E. 1-2 N. for Shattock point, 4 leagues ; there are 5 hills on Shattock remarkable in their appearance-and at a distance round, Shattock point forms the eastern and Mount Desert the western extreme of Frenchman's Bay.
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SECT. II.] OF MAINE.
Desert, abound in excellent cranberries .* About the pool, on the west side of Somes' sound, are the appearances of old settle- ments : Here it is supposed the French Missionaries, Biard and French Mis- Masse, located themselves in 1609 ; though it may be, they were Baird and sionaries, at the northeast harbour, where they were afterwards carried by Masse. Suassaye under the auspices of Madam Guercheville. It is said there appears to have been an old French settlement at Trenton point, where Madam Deville has lived.
man's bay.
Frenchman's bay is generally two leagues in width and four French- leagues in length. This bay acquired its name from a peculiar incident.t In the spring of 1604, after De Monts left his win- ter's encampments at the Island St. Croix, he and his company, among whom was Nicholas d'Aubri, a French Ecclesiastic, sailed westward; and somewhere, probably between the Union and Narraguagus rivers, d'Aubri, to gratify curiosity in a ramble upon the coast and in a view of the country-was set ashore. Wan- dering too far, he was lost in the woods, and the boatsmen were necessitated to leave him. For three weeks he suffered very terrible apprehensions and extreme want; and when almost in despair, the people of the same vessel in touching at some place in the vicinity, providentially found him and restored him to his companions. Interested and pleased with this story, which gave to these waters the name of Frenchman's bay, Mons. Cadillac obtained of Lewis XIV. in April 1691, a large tract of land lying on this bay, and also a large Island opposite, supposed to be within the region of Acadie. This grant was evidently made, to confirm possession; and these circumstances attracted the attention of the French Jesuits and others to this particular section of the country : " For there were anciently many French settlements on that part of the bay which is opposite to the banks of Mount Desert, as well as on the Island itself."} Madame de Gregoire proved herself to be the lineal descendant of Monsieur Cadillac, and in 1787 acquired a partial confirmation of the origi- nal grant.§
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