CAPUT X. The death of Capt. Popham; Capt. Gilbert disposeth of himself for England when the companie woud then stay no longer; albeit Capt. Davies returned unto them with a great supply from England. 23. Captain Gilbert, accompanied with nineteen others, departed in his shallop, to goe for the head of the river of Sachadehoc. They sayled all this daye, and the 24th the like, untill six of the clock in the afternoone, when they landed on the river's side, where they found a champion land and very fertile, where they remayned all that night. 25. In the morning, they departed from thence and sayled up the river and came to a flatt low island where ys a great cataract or downfall of water, which runneth by both sides of this island very shold and swift. In this island they found Query, Swan Island, a few miles up the river; the fall of water round which may be more properly called a downfall of water than a cataract. The first great fall of water from the mouth of the river is that at Waterville : but there is no island at that spot laid down in the best modern maps. [To any one acquainted with the Kennebec River in the neighborhood of Swan Island the theory of the English editor in the above note will at once appear to be absolutely without foundation, as the navigation on the West Side of said Island is as smooth as in any part of the river, while on the East side the current, though interrupted by rocks, has always allowed of vessels of every class sailing through. The building of the dam across the Kennebec at Augusta, by causing the water to flow back some distance, has of course changed to a degree some of the natural features of the territory in the neighborhood. Before this dam was built there was, as I am credibly informed, just above it a low, flat island, called of late years "Coney Island." By the shores of this island the water was very rapid, so that boats were accustomed to "warp" through, unless they had a very strong fair wind. A few miles above is the "Six mile fall," so call d, impassable to a keel boat. Here without doubt, were the "flatt low island' the "great cataract or downfall of water" which the explorers came to on the 25th September, and "another downfall," which on the following day entirely prevented their further progress.-W. S. B.] great store of grapes, both redd and white; good hopps, as also chiballs and garlike; they haled their boat with a strong rope through this downfall perforce, and went neere a league further up, and here they lay all night; and in the first of the night there called certaine salvages on the further side of the river unto them in broken English; they answeared them againe and parted long with them, when towards morning they departed. 26. In the morning there came a canoa unto them, and in her a Sagamo and four salvages, some of those which spoke to them the night before. The Sagamo called his name Sebenoa, and told us how he was lord of the river Sachadehoc. They entertayned him friendly, and tooke him into their boat and presented with some triffling things, which he accepted; how beyt, he desired some one of our men to be put into his canoa as a pawne of his safety, whereupon Captain Gilbert sent in a man of his, when presently the canoa rowed away from them with all the speed they could make up the river. They followed with the shallop, having great care that the Sagamo should not leape overbourd. The canoa quickly rowed from them and landed, and the men made to their howses, being neere a league on the land from the river's side, and carried our man with them. The shallop making good waye, at length came to another downefall, which was so shallowe and soe swift, that by no meanes they could pass any further, for which, Captain Gilbert, with nine others, landed and tooke their fare, the salvadge Sagamo, with them, and went in search after those other salvages, whose howses, the Sagamo told Capain Gilbert, were not farr off; and after a good tedious march, they came indeed at length unto those salvages' howses wheere found neere fifty able men very strong and tall, such as their like before they had not seene; all newly painted and armed with their bowes and arrowes. Howbeyt, after that the Sagamo had talked with them, they delivered back again the man, and used all the rest very friendly, as did ours the like by them, who shewed them their comodities of beads, knives, and some copper, of which they seemed very fond; and by waye of trade, made shew that they would come downe to the boat and there bring such things as they had to exchange them for ours. Soe Captain Gilbert departed from them, and within half an howre after he had gotten to his boat, there came three canoas down unto them, and in them sixteen salvages, and brought with them some tobacco and certayne small skynes, which where of no value; which Captain Gilbert perceaving, and that they had nothing ells wherewith to trade, he caused all his men to come abourd, and as he would have putt from the shore; the salvadges perceiving so much, subtilely devised how they might put out the fier in the shallop, by which meanes they sawe they should be free from the danger of our men's pieces, and to performe the same, one of the salvadges came into the shallop and taking the fier brand which one of our company held in his hand thereby to light the matches, as if he would light a pipe of tobacco, as sone as he had gotten yt into his hand he presently threw it into the water and leapt out of the shallop. Captain Gilbert seeing that,suddenly commanded his men to betake them to their musketts and the targettiers too, from the head of the boat, and bad one of the men before, with his targett on his arme, to stepp on the shore for more fier; the salvages resisted him and would not suffer him to take any, and some others holding fast the boat roap that the shallop could not putt off. Captain Gilbert caused the musquettiers to present their peeces, the which, the salvages seeing, presently let go the boatroap and betooke them to their bowes and arrowes, and ran into the bushes, nocking their arrowes, but did not shoot, neither did ours at them. So the shallop departed from them to the further side of the river, where one of the canoas came unto them, and would have excused the fault of the others. Captain Gilbert made shew as if he were still friends, and entertayned them kindlye and soe left them, returning to the place where he had lodged the night before, and there came to an anchor for that night. The head of the river standeth in 45 degrees and odd mynutts. Upon the continent they found aboundance of spruse trees such as are able to maast the greatest ship his majestie hath, and many other trees, oke, walnutt, pineaple; fish, aboundance; great store of grapes, hopps, chiballs, also they fouud certaine codds in which they supposed the cotton wooll to grow, and also upon the bancks many shells of pearle. 27. Here they sett up a crosse and then returned homeward, in the way seeking the by river of some note called Sasanoa. This daye and the next they sought yt, when the weather turned fowle and full of fog and raine, they made all hast to the fort before which, the 29th, they arrived. 30. and 1 and 2 of October, all busye about the fort. 3. There came a canoa unto some of the people of the fort as they were fishing on the sand, in which was Skidwares, who badd them tell their president that Nahanada, with the Bashabaes brother and others, were on the further side of the river, and the next daie would come and visitt him. 4. There came two canoas to the fort, in which were Nahanada and his wife, and Skidwares, and the Basshabaes brother, and one other called Amenquin, a Sagamo; all whome the president feasted and entertayned with all kindnes, both that day and the next, which being Sondaye, the president carried them with him to the place of publike prayers, which they were at both morning and evening, attending yt with great reverence and silence. 6. The salvadges departed all except Amenquin the Sagamo, who would needes staye amongst our people a longer tyme. Upon the departure of the others, the president gave unto every one of them copper beades, or knives, which contented them not a little, as also delivered a present unto the Bassha_ bae's brother, and another for his wife, giving him to understand that he would come unto his court in the river of Penobscot, and see him very shortly, bringing many such like of his country commodityes with him. You maie please to understand how, whilst this business was thus followed here, soone after their first arrivall, that had dispatch't away Capt. Robert Davies, in the Mary and John to advertise of their safe arrival and forwardnes of their plantacion within this river of Sacadehoc, with letters to the Lord Chief Justice, ymportuninge a supply for the most necessary wants to the subsisting of a colony, to be sent unto them betymes the next yeare. After Capt. Davies' departure they fully finished the fort, trencht, and fortefied yt with twelve pieces of ordinaunce, and built fifty howses therein, besides a church and a store-howse; and the carpenters framed a pretty Pynnace of about some thirty tonne, which they called the Virginia; the chief ship wright being one Digby of London. Many discoveries likewise had been made both to the mayne and unto the neighbour rivers, and the frontier nations fully discovered by the dilligence of Capt. Gilbert, had not the wynter proved soe extreame unseasonable and frosty; for yt being in the yeare 1607, when the extraordinary frost was felt in most parts of Europe, yt was here likewise as vehement, by which noe boat could stir upon any busines. Howbeyt, as tyme and occasyon gave leave, there was nothing omitted which could add unto the benefit or knowledg of the planters, for which when Capt. Davies arrived there in the yeare following (sett out from Topsam, the port towne of Exciter, with a shipp laden full of vitualls, armes, instruments and tooles, etc.,) albeyt, he found Mr. George Popham, the president, and some other dead, yet he found all things in good forwardness, and many kinds of furrs |