WORLD-OF-THE-kENNEBEC-1-readings.-

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 readings we will travel with early arrivals, see the river as they did, feel their sense of a new region – one we know today with different eyes and perceptions as twenty-first century people I hope you will come to 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? Do you recognize some of the areas they talk about? Be ready to talk about some details that strike you as particularly interesting about what you read READINGS - Early Observations of the Lower Kennebec Description of the Natives – Rufus Sewall King ( 1859) EARLY OBSERVATIONS OF THE LOWER KENNEBEC Samuel Champlain Visits the Mouth of the Kennebec (1606/1613) Samuel Purchas’s Description (1613) Relation of the Whole Voyage to Virginia – James Davies (1607) Jesuit Pierre Biard visits the Kennebec (1611) DESCRIPTION OF THE NATIVES: “With bodies painted black, - their faces, some red, some black, Rev Joseph Baxter,early missionary, arrives at Small Point (1721) and some blue, - not very tall nor big” – they were a symmetrical and comely people, clothed with John Adams Crosses the Kennebec and proceeds to Powanalborough beaver deer Bartholomew skin mantles,James fastened at their shoulders, to and theirspends knees,the and most Rearand Admiral (British Navy) enters thehanging Kennebec night at without Parker Head sleeves – shot leather buskins, andBath their (marked 3) with Jonathan Hyde describes asnakedness he saw it incovered 1792 with a beaver flap They wore no 10 (marked Allen family gohead, up the“very west side thevery Kennebec to was Hallowell (1792) beard; while 4) theWilliam hair on the &top of the longofand black,” tied up from behind into a 11 (marked 5) Missionary tour in Maine (1796) long knot Of quick perception and good understanding, they exhibited a courteous demeanor, mingled 12 Eliza Southgate describes early Bath (1801) with kindness and gratitude “Their canoes are made without any iron, of the bark of a birch tree 13 Edward Augusts Kendall travels goes from Woolwich to Bath 1807(?) strengthened withinrecords with ribs hoops ofof wood.” Rufus King Sewall, Ancient Dominions 14 Timothy Dwight his and observations Bath - 1822 of Maine, p 62-3 SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions - Page EARLY DESCRIPTIONS OF THE 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 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 Casco Bay The White Mountains SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions - Page 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 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 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 a 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 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 feet in length in the Kennebec SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions - Page 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 ashore 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 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 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 twentyfour 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 Cheboll- A plant, Allium- of the leek or onion family A canvas screen, formerly sometimes extended along the side of a vessel in a naval engagement, to conceal from the enemy SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions - Page 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 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 SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions - Page 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 Pownalborough 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 at Parker Head 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 SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions - Page 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 an four d 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 might not be inclined to join them in their mode of praying, 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 SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions - Page 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 SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions - Page SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions - Page SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions - Page 10 12 1801 - ELIZA SOUTHGATE, prolific 18th and early 19thcentury letter writer, letter describes early Bath, 16 August 1801 – quoted in Maritime History of Bath Maine and the Kennebec River Region, William Avery Baker, p.169 I have just been viewing the most delightful prospect I have seen this long time, and if it has left no more impression on my mind than objects passing before a mirror, I shall think myself devoid of every quality that constitutes us rational beings I think that nature has done much to render Bath pleasant; the river is about a mile wide at this place The opposite banks are neither sublime nor beautiful … In front [of William King’s house] there is a kind of cove The water makes in several rods; the river broad and straight; the land rises gradually from it, half a mile – but I think it is a pity that the inhabitants have built under the hill, or rather that they did nor prefer climbing a little higher; however I think it must have a fine appearance from the water Last year I recollect sailing along in front of the settlement and remarked how much more compact it looked than it really is, the houses rising one above the other in such a manner that every one was seen distinctly I think that nothing can be more beautiful than a town built on a sloping ground ascending from so fine a view as this branch of the Kennebec All the navigation belonging to the different ports on the river above Bath, pass directly by here, and several times I have seen 12 to 14 at a time 13 1807 or 1818 - EDWARD AUGUSTUS KENDALL, Esq., Travels through the Northern Part of the United States in the years 1807 & 1808, I Riley, NY, 1809 OR.JOHN M DUNCAN, Travels through Part of the United States and Canada in 1818 and 1819, 1823, 130-132 From Wiscasset to Bath, another flourishing sea port, but on the west bank of the Kennebec, is a journey of only thirteen miles The road lies along a neck of land, and leads to a ferry In a burying ground, on the road side, I had occasion to observe some of the numerous testimonies of the ravage committed by consumption in the United States, and particularly among females Of the inscriptions on ten grave-stones, bearing the names of married women, the ages, on no less than eight, were between twenty-two and thirty At the ferry, on the Kennebec, the banks are high and rocky, and the current, which is pent between a narrow channel, is so rapid, that but for the eddies, it would scarcely be practicable to cross it The ascent on the high hills on the opposite side is so far covered with wood, that I was able to lose my way; but, at a short distance, is the large village of Bath, with its commerce and ship-building Bath covers a very wide extent of ground and contains many large buildings; but here even more than in other seaports of the United States, building, according to some, is carried too great an extent The constant doctrine, on this side of the question, is, that the existing commerce of the United States must and will, diminish in a very serious proportion, whenever there shall be a cessation of war in Europe. Many large vessels now lay in the harbour, and several were loading at the wharfs Bath is a hundred and sixty miles north-east of Boston SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions - Page 11 There are in this village two congregational churches One, as is said, would have been sufficient; but zeal, political if not religious, has raised a second The inhabitants of federal politics had taken the lead in beginning to build a church, and to provide for a clergyman; but this circumstance piqed the antifederalists so much, that making extraordinary exertions, they built and finished a church of their own, procured a clergyman, and opened their church, before the federalists had even finished the building begun before that of their opponents! Bath comprehends the northern portion of the main land included within the former limits of Georgetown Georgetown was incorporated in 1718, and contained, according to the limits which it then enjoyed, the principal portion of the country previously called Sagadahoc 14 1822 - TIMOTHY DWIGHT, president of Yale, used to travel each summer and record his observations – Journey to the White Mountains, 213-214 Bath is a flourishing town on the Western side of the Kennebec; fifteen miles from the mouth of that river It extends a mile and a half in length, along the river; and three quarters of a mile a mile in breadth into the interiour The township is near six miles in length; and contains probably between two hundred and two hundred and fifty houses It includes two Congregations, who assemble in two churches; one of them handsome The houses are generally neat; and some of them superiour to his description The streets run parallel to each other and at right-angles with the river The town is built on a fertile declivity; rather steep, and interrupted by irregularities of surface The prospect from the churches, which stand on the higher parts of the acclivity, is cheerful; particularly that of the town itself Bath carries on a considerable commerce, and wears the aspect of thrift The Kennebeck is navigable up to Bath for ships of war, carrying forty or fifty guns But the access for such large vessels is said to be dangerous, unless they are conducted by a skillful pilot There is an Academy, established here for the education of boys, and another for girls A greater number of sober, religious people are found in this, than in most other settlements, in similar circumstances In 1790, Bath contained 947 inhabitants; in 1800, 1225; and in 1810, 2491 The Kennebeck is here a mile in breadth … Bath ferry is a mile and a half above the town, where the river is three quarters of a mile in breadth We crossed it safely in a boat of moderate size; but not without anxiety SC15.2 - Early Kennebec descriptions - Page 12