Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-01-23
The Lost City oINe,c England.

Three hundred years ago there lived
on tho banks OF the Penobscot, We are
assured by the veraciUus chroniclers of
that time, a city so rich that its humblest
denizeus fed from dishes OF gold which
were never used twice, that ITS children
PLAYED with diamonds and pearls in
place OF common pebbles. and tossed
rubies TO and fro in their games. The
houses had massive pillars of silver
and CRY stal, the streets were crusader
than the streets OF London. - About the
town were groves Of nutmeg trees and
other precious woods, and the 6Toezes
that caresssd the roofs Of gold and mar
BILE were heavily laden with spices. II
kept its state for hundred years after it
became known TO the old world. Then,
one day in The infancy OF the seventeenth
century, il suddenly disappeared, and
has never since been seen. Upon its
site is the modern city OF Bangor.
Ii was in 1928 that the stories OF It's
splendor first reached European ears, and
for century after that the fortune seek
ers Of the old world vainly sought its
Handicapped towers and gorgeous pal
aces. When first known it was called
Arambec, as Peter Martyr records, but
soon became famous under the name of
Norumbega. For q hundred years ii
was the golden fleece OF The adventurous
navIgatOrs who crossed the ocean and
explored the North Atlantic coast. Kings
gave the city 10 their favorites in con-
sideration OF their affection-and Of
e &c Eror n.
made Roberval Lord OF Norumbega,
and in 1913 Gilbert, bearing the CON-
mission of Elizabeth. sailed in search Of
il and lost his lite in the venture. Those
to whom its lordship was gwen were
never SO happy as 10 enter into their
kingdom bat there were men who sSw
the city. An English sailor found there
kings whose robes were stiff with rubies
six inches long, and in many of the
houses he saw pearls TO the amount of
peck or more. He brought no Jewels
away, however, that being forbidden.
Andre Thevet, monk much given 10
voyaging-and TO lying. his friends said
visited the city and saw there "medi-
cinal and aromatic drugs and various
riches OF gold" Ia his chart be places
Norumbega near Cog and Magog Green
land Tartary, and CathaY. In the great
French map OF 1913, city OF stately
castles and imposing towers is seated on
the banks of The penobscot and holds
dominion over vast province which
bears IFS name.
But Norumbega was as elusive as the
Island OF ST. Brandon. Spanish free
boolers, French missionaries, English
merchants. all sought in vain. Finally
in 1904, Chsmplsin sailed up the Penob
scot 10 its site, but the city had vanished,
and has never since been seen of NOR
tai eye. The Frenchman found oniy
huts made OF pickets and covered with
skins OF animals. The stately palaces,
the groves OF spice trees, the store Of
gold and precious stone had disappeared.
Champlain broke the charm OF the place.
The lost city ceased to haunt the i'm
maginations of men and allure them to 3
wild and inhos pitable shore. Thereafter
If they sought wealth in Norumbega
they won it by hard labor from its dense
woods, or ice sheeted river. or granite
base. Yet the belief in its existence
did not easily die out ,and as late as 1869,
Heylin in his Cosmography speaks.
somewhat doublipgly. for faith in its
reality was growing dim, of the "fair
city,"
The traditions of Norumbega are re-
vived by paper in the initial number Of