THE LOWER KENNEBEC PREQUEL - Midcoast Senior · PDF fileThey found this coast of Virginia full...

SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions -

THE LOWER KENNEBEC – PREQUEL

Imagine that your first view of the lower Kennebec is from the water.

Seguin looms high, the arms of Arrowsic and Popham reach out toward you.,

Your eye is drawn up the shiny ribbon of water hills lumping up on each shore,

into the distance, drawing you onward to an unknown future.

In our first session we will travel with early arrivals, see the river as they did,

feel their sense of a new region – one we know with different eyes and

perceptions as twenty-first century people.

You should come to our first class filled with their perceptions, and be ready to

talk about how they felt about OUR RIVER. What was it like for them, and what

Is it like for you today?

What details strike you as particularly interesting about what you read?


EARLY OBSERVATIONS OF THE LOWER KENNEBEC

DESCRIPTION OF THE NATIVES: “With bodies painted black, - their faces, some red, some black, and

some blue, - not very tall nor big” – they were a symmetrical and comely people, clothed with beaver and

deer skin mantles, fastened at their shoulders, hanging to their knees, and most without sleeves – shot with

leather buskins, and their nakedness covered with a beaver flap. They wore no beard; while the hair on the

top of the head, “very long and very black,” was tied up from behind into a long knot. Of quick perception

and good understanding, they exhibited a courteous demeanor, mingled with kindness and gratitude.

“Their canoes are made without any iron, of the bark of a birch tree strengthened within with ribs and hoops

of wood.” Rufus King Sewall, Ancient Dominions of Maine, p 62-3.

1605 - SAMUEL CHAMPLAIN VISITS THE MOUTH OF THE KENNEBEC

This river Quinibequy is very dangerous for vessels half a league from its mouth, on account

of the Small amount of water, great tides, rocks and shoals outside as well as within. But it

has a good channel, if it were well marked out. The land, so far as I have seen it along the

shores of the river, is very poor, for there are only rocks on all sides. There are a great many

small oaks, and very little arable land. Fish abound here, as in the other rivers which I have

mentioned. The people live like those in the neighborhood of our settlement; and they told us

that the savages, who plant the Indian corn, but very far in the interior, and that they had

given up planting it on the coasts on account of the war they had with others, who came and

took it away. This is what I have been able to learn about this region, which I think is no

better than the others.

On th 8th of the month, we set out from the mouth of this river, not being able to do sooner on

account of the fogs. We made that day some four leagues, and passed a bay1 where there are

a great many islands. From here large mountains2 are seen to the west.

1 Casco Bay

2 The White Mountains


1607-Samuel Purchas’s description of the Kennebec- Was settled a Plantation in the River

Sagadahoc, the ships Gift of God and Mary and John being sent thither by that famous Justicier Sir John

Popham and others. They found this coast of Virginia full of Ilands, but safe. …They sailed up to discover the

River and Countrey and encountered with an Iland where there was a great fall of water, over which they hauled

their Boat with a Rope, and came to another fall, shallow, swift and unpassable. They found the Countrey stored

with grapes, white and red, good Hops, Onionon, Garlicke, Okes, Walnuts, the soile good. … In the River of

Tamescot [Sheepscot?] they found Oysters nine inches in length; and were told that on the other side there

were twice a great [Damariscotta?]. On the 18. of January they had in seven hours space, thunder, lightning,

raine, frost, snow,all in aboundance, the last continuing.

1607: From The Relation of the Whole Voyage to Virginia, James Davies. Munday being the

17th

Auguste Captain Popham in his shallop with 30 others and Captain Gilbert in his shipes bott accompanied

with 18 other persons depted early in the morning from thear ships and sailed up the Tyver of Sagadehock for to

vew this Ryver and also to See whear they might fynd the most Convenyent place for thear plantation my Selffe

beinge with Captain Gilbert. So we Sailed up into this river near 14 Leags and found ytt to be a most gallant

river very brod and of a good depth. We never had Lesse Watter then 3 fetham when we had Lest and

abundance of great fyshe3 in yt Leaping above the water on each syd of us as we Sailed. SO th nyght apochinge

after a whill we had refreshed our Selves upon the shore about 9 of the Cloke we sett backward the to retourn

and Cam abourd our shipes the next day following about 23 of the CLok in the afternoon. We fynd this river to

be very pleasant with many goodl Illands in yet and to both Large and deepe Water having many branches in

ytt. That which we tooke bendeth ytt Selffe towards the northest . . .

. . . The 23th

beinge Wednesdaye Captain Gilbert accompanied with 19 others my Selffe on of them departed

from the fort to go for the head of the river Sagadehock. We Sailled att his daye. So did we the Lyke the 24th

until the evenynge Then we landed thear to remain that Nyght. Here we fond a gallant Champion Land and

exceeddinge fertill. So hear we remained aa nyght.

The 25th

beinge frydaye early in the mornynge we departe from hence and sailed up the river about eight

Leagues faterr until we Cam unto an Illand being Lo Land and flat, att this Illans ys a great down Fall of watter

the which runeth by both Sydes of this Illand very swifte and shallow. In his Illand we found great store of

grapes exceeding good and sweet of to Sorts both red butt th on of them ys a mervellous deepe red, by both the

side of this river the grapes grow in abounance and also very good Hoppes and also Chebolls4 and garleck, and

for the goodness of he Land ytt doth so far abound that I Cannot almost epresse the Sam. Hear we all went

ashire and with a stronge Rope made fast to our bott and one man in her to gyde her aggainst the Swyfe stream

we pluckt hr up throwe ytt perforce. After we had past this down-Fall we all went into out bott again an rowed

near a League farther up into the river and niyght beinge att hand we here staye all nyht, and in the fryst of the

night about ten of the Cloke thear Cam on ath farther syd of the river sartain Salvaes Callinge unto us in broken

3 Great fyshe – undoubtedly sturgeon – described as follows by John Josselyn as follows on page 32 of his 1672 New England

Rarities: _The Sturgeon. The Sturgeon of whose Sounds is made Isinglasls, a kind of lLew much used in Pysick: This Fish is here in great plenty, and in some Rivers so numerous, that it is hazardous for Canoes and the like small Vessels to pass to and again, as in Pechipscut River to the Eastward.” Sturgeon of up to 16-18 feet were taken in the early days at the Brunswick/Topsham falls. They jump out of the water and land flat on its surface. Today (2010) they reach upward of 9 feet in length in the Kennebec 4 Cheboll- A plant, Allium- of the leek or onion family


Inglyshe. We answered them again. So for this time they departed. The 26th

beinge Satterdaye thear cam a

Canooa nto us and in hear fower salvages those that had spoken unto us in the nyght before. His name that

Came unto us ys Sabenoa. He macks hemselffe unto us to be Lord of the river of Sagadehock.

October 1611, Jesuit Pierre Biard visits the Kenenebec – (From The Jesuit Relations v.2

We arrived at Kinibequi, eighty leagues from Port Royal, the 28th

of October, the day of St. Simon and St. Jude.

Our people at once disembarked, wishing to see the English fort [at Sabino Head, Popham], for we had learned,

on the way, that there was no one there. Now as everything is beautiful at first, this undertaking of the English

had to be praised and extolled, and the conveniences of the place enumerated, each one pointing out what he

valued most. But a few days afterward they changed their views; for they saw that there was a fine opportunity

for making a counter-fort there, which might have imprisoned them and cu them off from the sea and the river;

moreover, even if they had left unmolested they would not have enjoyed the advantage of the river, since it has

several other mouths and good ones, some distance from there. Furthermore, what is worse, we do not believe

that, in six leagues of the surrounding country, there is a single acre of good tillable land, the soil being nothing

but stones and rocks. Now inasmuch as the wind forced us to go on, when the third day came, Monsieur

Biancourt considered the subject in council and decided to take advantage of the wind and go on up the river, in

order to thoroughly explore it.

We had already advanced three good leagues, and had dropped anchor in the middle of the river waiting for the

tide, when we suddenly discovered six Armouchiquois canoes coming towards us. There were twenty-four

persons therein, all warriors. They went through a thousand maneuvers and ceremonies before accosting us, and

might have been compared to a flock of birds which wanted to go into a hemp-field but feared the scarecrow.

We were very much pleased at this, for our people also needed to arm themselves and arrange the pavesade.5

In

short, they continued to come and go; they reconnoitered; they carefully noted our numbers, our cannon, our

arms, everything; and when night came they camped upon the other bank of the river, if not out of reach, at least

beyond the aim of our cannon.

All night there was continual haranguing, singing and dancing, for such is the kind of life all these people lead

when they ar together. Now as we supposed that probably their songs and dances were invocations to the devil,

to oppose the power of this cursed tyrant, I had our people sing some sacred hymns, as the Salve, the Ave Maris

Stella, and others. But when they once got into the way of singing, the spiritual songs being exhausted, they

took up others which they were familiar. When the came to the end of these, as the French are natural mimics,

they began to mimic the singing and dancing of the Armouchiquois who were on the bank, succeeding in it so

well that the Armouchiquois stopped to listen to them; and then our people stopped and the others immediately

began again. It was really very comical, for you would have said that they were two choirs which had a

thorough understanding with each other, and scarcely could you distinguish the real Armouciquois from their

imitators.In the morning we continued our journey up the river.

1721 - Rev. Joseph Baxter, early missionary, arrives at Small Point.

The next, viz.: Aug 13th

, Colonel Wheelwright came on board our sloop early in the morning and then we sailed

out of Casco-Bay, and having a good wind we arrived about noon at Small Point where we landed Col.

5 A canvas screen, formerly sometimes extended along the side of a vessel in a naval engagement, to conceal from the enemy


Wheelwright in order to his going to Arrowsic. And in landing that GENTLEMAN AT small Point we had an

afflicting sight of a Good Fort and several Good Houses yt were totally destroyed and left empty.

1765 - John Adams crosses the Kennebec at the Chops and Proceeds to Pownalborough

Court House up the east side of the river in Dresden. Autobiography of John Adams, pp.

281-282.

In the Spring of 1765 Major Noble of Boston had an Action at Pownalborough, on the Kennebec River. Mr.

Thatcher, who had been his Council, recommended him to me, and I nagged in his cause, and undertook the

Journey. I was taken ill on the road, and had a very unpleasant time Excursion. I is unnecessary to enlarge upon

the fatigue and disgust of this Journey. It was the only time in my Life when I really suffered the want of

Provisions. From Falmouth now Portland in Casco Bay to Pownalborough There was a Wilderness, except

North Yarmouth, New Brunswick an Lon reach, at each of which places there were a few Houses. In general it

was a Wilderness incumbered with the greatest Number of Trees, of the largest Size, the tallest height I have

ever seen. So great a Weight of Wood and timber has never fallen in my Way. Birches, Beeches a few Oaks,

and all the Varieties of the Fir, i.e.Pines, Hemlocks, Spruces and Firs. I once asked Judge Cushing his Opinion

of their hight upon an Averadge, he said an hundred fet. I believe his estimation was not exaggerated. An

Hemlock had been blown down across the Road. He had cut out a log as long as the road was wide. I measured

the Butt at the road to the first Limb, the Branches atop were thick. We coult measure no farther but estimated

the Top to be fifteen feet, from the Butt at the Road to the Toot we did not measure: but the Tree must have

been in the whole at least an hundred and (thirty) twenty feet. The Roads where a Wheel had never rolled from

the Creation, were miry and founderous, incumbred with long Sloughs of Water. The Stumps of the trees which

had been cut to make the road all remaining fresh and the roots crossing th Path some above ground and some

beneath so that my Horses feet would frequently get between the Roots and he would flounce and flounce and

blunder, in danger of breaking his own limbs as well as mine. This whole Country, then so rough, is now

beautifully cultivated, Handsome Houses, Orchards, Fields of Grain and Grass, and the Roads as fine an any

except the Turnpikes, in the State. I reached Pownalborougj alive, gained my Cause, much to the satisfaction of

my Client and returned home. This Journey, painful as it was, proved much for my interest in all their Causes,

which were numerous and called me annually to Falmouth Superior Court for ten years. This year 1765 was the

Epoch of the Stamp Act.

1791 - Rear Admiral Bartholomew James (British Navy) enters the Kennebec and

spends an evening Parker Head. (Naval Record’s Society)

. . . at two o'clock I hove to off the Half-way Rock and caught about a dozen very fine large

rock-cod for present use, and then made sail for Cape Small. At three o'clock, the wind having

freshened to a stiff gale, and the strong ebb-tide setting at the rate of nine knots against it

out of the River Kennebec, the sea began to run extremely high, and several very heavy ones


broke over the boat, who, having no decks, became in a dangerous state, and was at times nearly

full and water-logged ; but, by keeping a very handy pump, withthree buckets, constantly going,

we reached behind Hanniwells'Point at halfpast four o'clock, and secured our frigate for

the ebb-tide.

The first object was, of course, to get into some kind of quarters, and an old temporary

fisherman's hut at once afforded us that comfort ; which we set about repairing with tarpaulins

and other useful articles from the boat, and in the course of an hour a large fire was lighted,

the stores landed, and ourselves warmed and shifted. About five we dined off a very fine

codfish and potatoes, cold roast beef and chicken-pie, and, having took a moderate quantity

of wine to complete the repast, I ordered the stores to be re-embarked, and at a little past

six o'clock we was under way and running up Kennebec River.

The night was coming on squally and prodigiously thick and dirty, and, therefore, by the advice

of my pilot, I ran the boat on shore on Parkers Flats, abreast of a gentleman's house of that

name — for, from the situation of the tide, it was the only way we could reach the shore ; and,

therefore, having moored the boat and left Roberts and Harry the black as keepers thereof, we

marched over the flats through mud and water up to the knees for at least a mile before we got

to Captain Parker s hospitable mansion. Kind and friendly to strangers was, indeed, this

worthy family, which consisted of the good gentleman, who was a captain in the militia and

about eighty years of age ; his wife might probably have reached her fiftieth year, but could

not have exceeded it ; the nephew was about twenty, and then building a dwelling-house

adjoining to that of his uncle's, who was to pay him the full cost of it after it was

furnished; the two nieces — would to heaven I could describe them !— was 'fairer than fair,'

graceful, bewitching, angelic creatures; and those, with two domestic rustic girls and four

rural artless clowns, composed this happy enviable family. Such was the habitation I was

conducted to through mud and mire, and consequently I must be agreeably surprised to find that,

however difficult and disagreeable the access was to this happy domain, yet the visitors

was amply repaid for their toils so soon as they reached this worthy man's fireside. Dry

clothes being substituted in lieu of the wet, which we had each of us brought on our heads, we

sat down to supper, which consisted of tea and toast, lamb-steaks and eggs, and a moderate

quantity of cider and grog; for, as to wine, it is a luxury in which few, if any, indulge in he

River Kennebec.

The delicious meal being over (made infinitely more so by the company of the two amiable


girls), the old gentleman informed me it was his constant custom to assemble his whole family

about that hour to prayers ; but, as probably 1 might not be inclined to join them in their

mode of praying, 1 was at liberty either to withdraw into another room, or, if I preferred it,

go to bed. To this I assured him that nothing could possibly oblige me more than the permission

to join him and his good family in prayer, and that I begged to add on this subject that it was

also my own custom to assemble my ship's company every Sunday on the same occasion, to whom I

invariably read prayers and a sermon of my own making. Everything being adjusted, the old lady

began by reading the lesson for the day, which was the 14th chapter of St John, which, I must

confess, would have come much better from one of the young ladies, who appeared to me to have

had the advantage of a good education, which I trust I shall stand excused in saying the aunt

had not, from her inaccurate mode of reading a very plain epistle in John. A heavenly hymn

followed the lesson, which was sung divinely by the whole company except the travellers, but

the voices of the two sweet girls far surpassed and excelled everything of the kind I ever

heard, and I was as much in love with their singing as I was distressed at the aunt's manner of

reading. However, after an extempore prayer and sermon, which took a considerable time, and

which was a heap of tautology, from the old gentleman and one of the master masons then at work

on the new house, the service ended.

THE LOWER KENNEBEC PREQUEL - Midcoast Senior · PDF fileThey found this coast of Virginia full...

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