where we meant to stay and take in our lading, according to our
instructions giuen vs in charge before our setting forth, we pared
and digged vp the Earth with shouels, and sowed Wheate, Barley,
Oates, Pease, and sundry sorts of Garden Seeds, which for the time
of our abode there, being about seuen Weeks, although they were late
sowne, came vp very well, giuing certaine testimonie of the goodnesse
of the Climate and of the Soyle. And it seemeth that Oade, Hempe,
Flaxe, Rape-seed and such like which require a rich and fat ground,
would prosper excellently in these parts. For in diuers places here
we found grasse aboue knee deepe.
As for Trees the Country yeeldeth Sassafras a plant of souereigne
vertue for the _French_ Poxe, and as some of late haue learnedly
written good against the Plague and many other Maladies; Vines,
Cedars, Okes, Ashes, Beeches, Birch trees, Cherie trees bearing
fruit whereof wee did eate, Hasels, Wich-hasels, the best wood of
all other to make Sope-ashes withall, Walnut-trees, Maples, holy to
make Bird-lime with, and a kinde of tree bearing a fruit like a small
red Peare-plum with a crowne or knop on the top (a plant whereof
carefully wrapped vp in earth, Master _Robert Salterne_ brought to
Bristoll.) We found also low trees bearing faire Cheries. There were
likewise a white kind of Plums which were growne to their perfect
ripenesse. With diuers other sorts of trees to vs vnknowne.
The Beasts here are Stags, fallow Deere in abundance, Beares, Wolues,
Foxes, Lusernes, and (some say) Tygres, Porcupines, and Dogges with
sharpe and long noses, with many other sorts of wild beasts, whose
Cases and Furres being hereafter purchased by exchange may yeeld no
smal gaine to vs. Since as we are certainly informed, the _Frenchmen_
brought from _Canada_ the value of thirtie thousand Crownes in the
yeare 1604. Almost in Beuers and Otters skinnes only. The most
vsuall Fowles are Eagles, Vultures, Hawkes, Cranes, Herons, Crowes,
Gulls, and great store of other Riuer and Sea-fowles. And as the
Land is full of Gods good blessings, so is the Sea replenished with
great abundance of excellent fish, as Cods sufficient to lade many
ships, which we found vpon the Coast in the moneth of Iune, Seales
to make Oile withall, Mullets, Turbuts, Mackerels, Herrings, Crabs,
Lobsters, Creuises and Muscles with ragged Pearles in them.
By the end of Iuly we had laded our small Barke called the
Discouerer, ♦_July_♦ with as much Sassafras as we thought sufficient,
and sent her home into _England_ before, to giue some speedie
contentment to the Aduenturers; who arriued safely in _Kingrode_
aboue a fortnight before vs. After their departure we so bestirred
our selues, that our shippe also had gotten in her lading, during
which time there fell out this accident. On a day about noone tide
while our men which vsed to cut down Sassafras in the Woods were
asleepe, as they vsed to doe for two houres in the heat of the day,
there came downe about seuen score Sauages armed with their Bowes and
Arrowes, and enuironed our House or Barricado, wherein were foure
of our men alone with their Muskets to keepe Centinell, whom they
sought to haue come downe vnto them, which they vtterly refused, and
stood vpon their guard. Our Master likewise being very carefull and
circumspect hauing not past two with him in the shippe put the same
in the best defence he could, lest they should haue inuaded the same,
and caused a piece of great Ordnance to bee shot off, to giue terrour
to the _Indians_, and warning to our men which were fast asleepe in
the Woods: at the noyse of which Peece they were a little awaked, and
beganne a little to call for _Foole_ and _Gallant_, their great and
fearefull Mastiues, and full quietly laid themselues downe againe,
but beeing quickned vp eftsoones againe with a second shot they
rowsed vp themselues, betooke them to their weapons and with their
Mastiues, great _Foole_ with an halfe Pike in his mouth drew downe
to their ship: whom when the _Indians_ beheld afarre off, with the
Mastiue which they most feared, in dissembling manner they turned all
to a iest and sport, and departed away in friendly manner: yet not
long after, euen the day before our departure, they set fire on the
Woods where wee wrought, which wee did behold to burne for a mile
space, and the very same day that wee weighed Anchor, they came downe
to the shoare in greater number, to wit, very neere two hundred by
our estimation, and some of them came in their Boates to our ship,
and would haue had vs come in againe: but we sent them backe, and
would none of their entertainment.
About the eighth or ninth of August, ♦_August_♦ wee left this
excellent Hauen at the entrance whereof we found twentie fathomes
water, and rode at our ease in seuen fathomes being Land-locked, the
Hauen winding in compasse like the shell of a Snaile, and it is in
latitude of one and forty degrees and fiue and twentie minutes.
This by the way is not to be forgotten, that our Captaine fell so
much to the Northward because he would find high grounds, where
commonly the best Hauens are: which also fell out to his expectation.
We also obserued that we could find no Sassafras but in sandie
ground. In our returne we brought our selues into the latitude of
eight and thirtie degrees about the _Açores_ for certaine causes, and
within fiue weekes space came from our Port of _Virginia_, into the
Soundings of _England_, but there being long encountred with Easterly
winds, we came at length into _Kingrode_, the second of October 1603.
The Discouerer was out fiue moneths and an halfe. The _Speedwell_ was
out sixe moneths vpon the Voyage.
Samuel de Champlain
1605
MAINE AND
MASSACHUSETTS
SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN _first demonstrated his talents as an observer
of unfamiliar regions during a two years’ trip through the West
Indies and to the City of Mexico. His report on these travels
doubtless commended him to the French king, who appointed him in
1603 to accompany an expedition which visited the St. Lawrence in
search of a suitable location for a settlement. The following year
Champlain made another voyage to America with Sieur de Monts, who
attempted to plant a colony in Nova Scotia. The location proving
unsatisfactory, Champlain made three voyages toward the west,
hoping to find a place more to his liking. In September, 1604, he
visited Mount Desert, and sailed up the Penobscot as far as Bangor.
In the summer of 1605 he sailed along the Maine and Massachusetts
coasts as far as Nauset harbour on the outer shores of Cape Cod. In
1606 he continued his explorations, visiting Gloucester harbour,
then crossing to Cape Cod, and following the coast around to
Vineyard Sound._
_Champlain made careful notes of all his observations, drawing maps
and sketches of all important points. His reports were afterwards
written out and sent home to France, where they were printed, the
volumes going through several editions. An English translation of
Champlain’s writings, by Dr. Charles P. Otis, with editorial notes
by the Rev. E. F. Slafter, was issued in 1878 by the Prince Society
of Boston, by whose courtesy that translation of chapters vii,
viii, and ix of Champlain’s “Voyages,” printed at Paris in 1613, is
now reprinted with some verbal changes._
[Illustration: _Champlain’s Map of the Mouth of the Kennebec_]
[Illustration: (Decorative banner)]
DISCOVERY of the Coast of the _Almouchiquois_ as far as the
Forty-Second Degree of Latitude, and Details of this Voyage.
ON the 18th of the month of June, 1605, ♦_1605 June_♦ Sieur de Monts
set out from the Island of St. Croix with some gentlemen, twenty
sailors, and a savage named Panounias, together with his wife,
whom he was unwilling to leave behind. These we took, in order to
serve us as guides to the country of the Almouchiquois, in the hope
of exploring and learning more particularly by their aid what the
character of this country was, especially since she was a native of
it.
Coasting along inside of Manan, ♦_Manan Island_♦ an island three
leagues from the main land, we came to the Ranges on the seaward
side, at one of which we anchored, where there was a large number of
crows, of which our men captured a great many, and we called it the
Isle aux Corneilles. Thence we went to the Island of Monts Deserts,
♦_Mount Desert_♦ at the entrance of the river Norumbegue, as I have
before stated, and sailed five or six leagues among many islands.
♦_Mouth of Penobscot River_♦ Here there came to us three savages in
a canoe from Bedabedec Point, where their captain was; and, after we
had had some conversation with them, they returned the same day.
On Friday, the 1st of July, ♦_July_♦ we set out from one of the
islands at the mouth of the river, where there is a very good harbour
for vessels of a hundred or a hundred and fifty tons. This day we
made some twenty-five leagues between Bedabedec Point and many
islands and rocks, which we explored as far as the river Quinibequy,
♦_Kennebec River_♦ at the mouth of which is a very high island, which
we called the Tortoise. ♦_Seguin Island_♦ Between the latter and the
main land there are some scattering rocks, which are covered at full
tide, although the sea is then seen to break over them. Tortoise
Island and the river lie south-south-east and north-north-west. As
you enter, there are two medium-sized islands forming the entrance,
one on one side, the other on the other; and some three hundred paces
farther in are two rocks, where there is no wood, but some little
grass. We anchored three hundred paces from the entrance in five and
six fathoms of water. While in this place, we were overtaken by fogs,
on account of which we resolved to enter, in order to see the upper
part of the river and the savages who live there; and we set out for
this purpose on the 5th of the month. Having made some leagues, our
barque came near being lost on a rock which we grazed in passing.
Further on, ♦_Back River_♦ we met two canoes which had come to hunt
birds, which for the most part are moulting at this season, and
cannot fly. We addressed these savages by aid of our own, who went
to them with his wife, who made them understand the reason of our
coming. We made friends with them and with the savages of this river,
who served us as guides. Proceeding farther, in order to see their
captain, named Manthoumermer, we passed, after we had gone seven or
eight leagues, by some islands, straits, and brooks, ♦_Hockamock
Bay_♦ which extend along the river, where we saw some fine meadows.
After we had coasted along an island some four leagues in length,
♦_Westport Island_♦ they conducted us to where their chief was with
twenty-five or thirty savages, who as soon as we had anchored,
♦_Wiscasset Harbour_♦ came to us in a canoe, separated a short
distance from ten others, in which were those who accompanied him.
Coming near our barque, he made an harangue, in which he expressed
the pleasure it gave him to see us, and said that he desired to
form an alliance with us and to make peace with his enemies through
our mediation. He said that, on the next day, he would send to two
other captains of savages, who were in the interior, one called
Marchin, and the other Sasinou, chief of the river Quinibequy.
Sieur de Monts gave them some cakes and peas, with which they were
greatly pleased. The next day they guided us down the river another
way than that by which we had come, in order to go to a lake; and,
passing by some islands, they left, each one of them, an arrow near
a cape, ♦_Hockamock Point_♦ where all the savages pass, and they
believe that if they should not do this some misfortune would befall
them, according to the persuasions of the devil. They live in such
superstitions, and practice many others of the same sort. Beyond this
cape we passed a very narrow waterfall, ♦_Hell Gate_♦ but not without
great difficulty; for, although we had a favorable and fresh wind,
and trimmed our sails to receive it as well as possible, in order
to see whether we could not pass it in that way, we were obliged
to attach a hawser to some trees on shore and all pull on it. In
this way, by means of our arms, together with the help of the wind,
which was favourable to us, we succeeded in passing it. The savages
who were with us carried their canoes by land, being unable to row
them. After going over this fall, we saw some fine meadows. I was
greatly surprised by this fall, since as we descended with the tide
we found it in our favour, but contrary to us when we came to the
fall. But, after we had passed it, it descended as before, which gave
us great satisfaction. Pursuing our route, we came to the lake,
♦_Merrymeeting Bay_♦ which is from three to four leagues in length,
where there are some islands, and two rivers enter it, the Quinibequy
coming from the north-north-east, and the other from the north-west,
♦_Kennebec and Androscoggin Rivers_♦ whence Marchin and Sasinou were
to come. Having awaited them all this day, and seeing that they
did not come, we resolved to improve our time. We weighed anchor
accordingly, and there accompanied us two savages from this lake to
serve as guides. The same day we anchored at the mouth of the river,
where we caught a large number of excellent fish of various sorts.
Meanwhile, our savages went hunting, but did not return. The route
by which we descended this river is much safer and better than that
by which we went up. Tortoise Island before the mouth of this river
is in latitude 44°; and 19° 12′ of the deflection of the magnetic
needle. ♦_Real latitude 43° 42′ 25″_♦ They go by this river across
the country to Quebec some fifty leagues, making only one portage
of two leagues. After the portage, you enter another little stream
♦_Chaudière River_♦ which flows into the great river St. Lawrence.
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 that are there outside as well as within. But it has
a good channel, if it were well marked out. The little of the country
which I have seen, 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. This place abounds in fish, as do
the other rivers which I have mentioned. The people live like those
in the neighbourhood of our settlement; and they told us that the
savages who plant the Indian corn dwelt 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 the 8th of the month, we set out from the mouth of this river,
which we could not do sooner on account of the fogs. We made that
day some four leagues, and passed a bay, ♦_Casco Bay_♦ where there
are a great many islands. From here large mountains are seen to
the west, ♦_White Mountains_♦ in which is the dwelling-place of a
savage captain called Aneda, who encamps near the river Quinibequy.
I was satisfied from this name that it was one of his tribe that
had discovered the plant called Aneda, which Jacques Cartier said
was so powerful against the malady called scurvy, of which we have
already spoken, which harassed his company as well as our own, when
they wintered in Canada. The savages have no knowledge whatever
of this plant, and are not aware of its existence, although the
above-mentioned savage has the same name. The following day we made
eight leagues. As we passed along the coast, we perceived two columns
of smoke which some savages made to attract our attention. We went
in the direction of them and anchored behind a small island near the
main land, ♦_Prout’s Neck_♦ where we saw more than eighty savages
running along the shore to see us, dancing and giving expression to
their joy. Sieur de Monts sent two men together with our savage to
visit them. After they had spoken some time with them, and assured
them of our friendship, we left with them one of our number, and they
delivered to us one of their companions as a hostage. Meanwhile,
Sieur de Monts visited an island, ♦_Richmond Island_♦ which is very
beautiful in view of what it produces; for it has fine oaks and
nut-trees, the soil cleared up, and many vineyards bearing beautiful
grapes in their season, which were the first we had seen on all
these coasts from the Cap de la Hève. We named it Isle de Bacchus.
It being full tide, we weighed anchor and entered a little river,
which we could not sooner do; ♦_Saco River_♦ for there is a bar,
there being at low tide only half a fathom of water, at full tide a
fathom and a half, and at the highest water two fathoms. On the other
side of the bar there are three, four, five, and six fathoms. When
we had anchored, a large number of savages came to us on the bank
of the river, and began to dance. Their captain, whom they called
Honemechin, was not with them at the time. He arrived about two or
three hours later with two canoes, when he came sweeping entirely
round our barque. Our savage could understand only a few words, as
the language of the Almouchiquois (as this nation is called) differs
entirely from that of the Souriquois and Etechemins. These people
gave signs of being greatly pleased. Their chief had a good figure,
was young and agile. We sent some articles of merchandise on shore
to barter with them; but they had nothing but their robes to give in
exchange, for they preserve only such furs as they need for their
garments. Sieur de Monts ordered some provisions to be given to their
chief, with which he was greatly pleased, and came several times to
the side of our boat to see us. These savages shave off the hair far
up on the head, and wear what remains very long, which they comb and
twist behind in various ways very neatly, intertwined with feathers
which they attach to the head. They paint their faces black and red,
like the other savages which we have seen. They are an agile people,
with well-formed bodies. Their weapons are pikes, clubs, bows and
arrows, at the end of which some attach the tail of a fish called
the signoc, others bones, while the arrows of others are entirely of
wood. They till and cultivate the soil, something which we have not
hitherto observed. In the place of ploughs, they use an instrument
of very hard wood, shaped like a spade. This river is called by the
inhabitants of the country Choüacoet.
The next day Sieur de Monts and I landed to observe their tillage on
the bank of the river. We saw their Indian corn, which they raise
in gardens. Planting three or four kernels in one place, they then
heap up about it a quantity of earth with shells of the signoc before
mentioned. Then three feet distant they plant as much more, and thus
in succession. With this corn they put in each hill three or four
Brazilian beans, which are of different colours. When they grow up,
they interlace with the corn, which reaches to the height of from
five to six feet. They keep the ground very free from weeds. We saw
there many squashes, and pumpkins, and tobacco, which they likewise
cultivate.
The Indian corn which we saw was at that time about two feet high,
some of it as high as three. The beans were beginning to flower, as
also the pumpkins and squashes. They plant their corn in May, and
gather it in September.
We saw also a great many white nuts, which are small and have several
divisions. There were as yet none on the trees, but we found plenty
under them, from the preceding year. We saw also many grape-vines,
on which there was a remarkably fine berry, from which we made
some very good verjuice. We had heretofore seen grapes only on the
Island of Bacchus, distant nearly two leagues from this river. Their
permanent abode, the tillage, and the fine trees led us to conclude
that the air here is milder and better than that where we passed
the winter, and at the other places we visited on the coast. But I
cannot believe that there is not here a considerable degree of cold,
although it is in latitude 43° 45′. The forests in the interior are
very thin, although abounding in oaks, beeches, ashes, and elms; in
wet places there are many willows. The savages dwell permanently
in this place, and have a large cabin surrounded by palisades made
of rather large trees placed by the side of each other, in which
they take refuge when their enemies make war upon them. They cover
their cabins with oak bark. This place is very pleasant, and as
agreeable as any to be seen. The river is very abundant in fish, and
is bordered by meadows. At the mouth there is a small island ♦_Ram
Island_♦ adapted for the construction of a good fortress, where one
could be in security.
On Sunday, the 12th of the month, we set out from the river
Choüacoet. After coasting along some six or seven leagues, a contrary
wind arose, which obliged us to anchor and go ashore, ♦_Wells Neck_♦
where we saw two meadows, each a league in length and half a league
in breadth. We saw there two savages, whom at first we took to be
the great birds called bustards, to be found in this country; who,
as soon as they caught sight of us, took flight into the woods, and
were not seen again. From Choüacoet to this place, where we saw some
little birds, which sing like blackbirds, and are black excepting the
ends of the wings, which are orange-coloured, there is a large number
of grape-vines and nut-trees. This coast is sandy, for the most
part, all the way from Quinibequy. This day we returned two or three
leagues towards Choüacoet, as far as a cape which we called Island
Harbour, ♦_Cape Porpoise_♦ favourable for vessels of a hundred tons,
about which are three islands. Heading north-east a quarter north,
one can enter another harbour near this place, to which there is no
approach, although there are islands, except the one where you enter.
At the entrance there are some dangerous reefs. There are in these
islands so many red currants that one sees for the most part nothing
else, and an infinite number of pigeons, of which we took a great
quantity. This Island Harbour is in latitude 43° 25′.
On the 15th of the month we made twelve leagues. Coasting along,
we perceived a smoke on the shore, which we approached as near as
possible, but saw no savage, which led us to believe that they had
fled. The sun set, and we could find no harbour for that night,
since the coast was flat and sandy. Keeping off, and heading south,
in order to find an anchorage, after proceeding about two leagues,
we observed a cape on the main land south a quarter south-east of
us, some six leagues distant. ♦_Cape Anne_♦ Two leagues to the east
we saw three or four rather high islands, ♦_Isles of Shoals_♦ and
on the west a large bay. The shore of this bay, reaching as far as
the cape, extends inland from where we were perhaps four leagues.
It has a breadth of two leagues from north to south, and three at
its entrance. Not observing any place favourable for putting in, we
resolved to go to the cape above mentioned with short sail, which
occupied a portion of the night. Approaching to where there were
sixteen fathoms of water, we anchored until daybreak.