The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-04-20
SIR FERDlNANDO GoRGEs.
BY JAMES PARTON.

i
ii ~ ,,,;-T----i:t' 81 D. t.,.,;..-,-.'
| BY JAMES PARTON.
| rezzarzszEz-=...---z..s1-gsss
This name has foreign look. Cor
ges Isl the FIenohDfoaail of Geerge, arit
FerdiHandois9an old E Spanish name
which we are accustomed to render
FerdinandIr Sir Eerdinando Gorge.
however, sprung from a famify whicl
had lived in England ever since the
Conquest. IA ancestor oflhis came
oven with William the Condueror
and settling IN England; founded &
family, there, which rernaineIfemnent
and wealthy for four oritive centuries.
4 He:is. interesting to- Americans, part
j ly because he once possessediand gov.
erned what we now call the State OF
Maine, but principally because he
| was one OF the mostl Jealous promo
ters OF the colonization of New Eng.
land. teit r5ui.. tar r .- O. e. 6r5!l
! Gorges was drawn to take an in
tterest in ,cainnization obyi q ,curioas
circumstnee. II After, serving Queen
Elizabeth valianuy during .her:lleng
war with Spaihg iie received, after the
peace,i thelcommand of the garrison of
Plymouth, iii; Devenshire, where we
find! living iu the year 1904. Duung
that year it was, that Captain iWev.
mouth returned from a voyage to New
England, in the coursei OF which he
( had speut some time, upon the coast
of Maine, and, assembled the Kennebee
more than fifty miles in a small boat
wilde there she conceived the project
of capturing somefrof the natives,
and bringing them to England for
1T that time few person felt that red
men had any rights which white men
were, : bound ITO respect. Captain
Weymouth recorded without 4 blush
how. he: trapped two of these Indians
First he opened a. box full of trinkets,
in order to attract their attention,
and deput their ieats to rest; but find
ing them stills iIuid add .on their
guard, he resorted to force.n s-...Fr~
p. a'H9AVei used little delay" he says,
Shut suddenlylaid hands, upon them J;
and itiwas asimueh- as five or six of
us could do to- get THEM into the
Light Horseinhn, r(a large boat so
Iamed,) for they were strong, and so
naked as ourl best hold was by thei:'
ong hair on, theiri heads" -. ~ :
II Having, captured five ,'of the In
dans by craft and violence, he sailed
for England, where he arrived safely;
and brought his captines toPlymouth.
Gorges, a man Of active, inquisitive
mind, and connected by blood and
friendship, with the group of Devon
shire men into whom Raleigh had in
fused the coloDizipg spirit became
profoundly interested in these Indian
captiyos, Three OF them he took in
to his own ihouseswhere he lad them
instructed: in the English language,
and kept them dthree years. When
they were able to converse in Eng
lish, herquestioned them closely con-
cerning their nativescountry, and de-
rived ROM their representations WV
id idea Of that grand and picturesque
coast of which the citizens iof Maine |
are SO; justly pzpudl No part of the
coast of NerthI America is. more, strik-
ing and peculiar than that of Maine.
Indians are psklIfutin describing nat
nral qbjects:swith which they are
familiar; and Gorges became inHam-
ed with the desire of settling sor noble
I province with Epglishmen. ffis.r g-
Chiefly through his endeavors, and /
he influence efitriends more powerful
han himself, one of whom was Sir
John lPopham, Chief Justice. of the
Kings B.ubh, an expedition was pre-
otred in the, Near 1907 Tor founding
, colony in ,Milinea.,Mpst of Isalegh}s
I'D friends were.concerned in it aud
Iis nephew Raleigh Gilbert, SON: oil
he heroic Humphrey Gilbert, was
rdIniral of tte-ftcct.. t.s.-s's-s=z,s-=7---57-=.
:; On the last day Of May, 1867,
hree vessels sailed f;;frpmz Plymout!hl, 4:
,arrying one hundred .oSlonists, and
.wo of Captain Weymou;h's Indians
br Interpreters Alter. a Voyage of L
more 4thah two months, nthe35 little |
leet entered the Beautiful river 1Sen9
lebec. and tho lcsmpany landed ?aponi
What is now called Cape Small Point
yhere they performed the first Tegh I
ar religious service ever heldiin N:w
Ihglands, It=#as conducted by the [
who wast' a z clefgvffan of
he Churel4of England, and the ser
ice was performed according to the
ofm 8 of that church, -'1fhz i""uij
The coloaists began forthwith to T
thpir0q la BitatlonS. S.1hlAb fort1
vas built. a Webs were dug m The
sduisite Ilambef Of liuts were in
curse of construction. A store house
,as begun. But When The vessels /
,ere dboas toifetdrn, iall but fottyL1
We shrunk from the prospect before i
hem, and ndiihsisted.upon going home q
18th the tfees.n They'were thus easily is
isoouragedeit is said, because they s
ad never had any heart in the enter d
rise being man lwl4o had fed from d
leir creditors, or for. some other rea- t
IN were in danger Of the law For '
Five men, however, remained. No 8
,ader needs to be told of the severity | j