The Portland daily press., 1879-08-27
FIELD-DAY AMONG THE ISLANDS.
Steam Yacht Anemone.
DAMARIscovE ISLAND, Aug. 2

lAMARlSCONE lSLAND, Aug Il.
Mr.. EDITOR John Smith who was here in
1914 in writing home to England of this part
of the coast of Maine said "Monbegan was one
of the remarkablest of isles round high-isle
close by Mananis, betwixt which is a small
harbor, with Damoriles isles such another"
Observant of these the yacht Anemone and
her company are here. The remarkable
feature of Monhegan in Smiths view was the
'the mountains for landmarks" and them oil
Penobscot and the twinkling mountains OF
"Au-co-cis-co," are specified
In 1908 Bath gentleman reported to the
Rev. VIM. jerks, D. D., an eminent oriental
scholar, sketch Of singular characters 1ound
on the side of ledge of rock, near the middle
of the little shclterng harbor, Island Oh
Mananas In May 1857 DR.. jerks sent com
munication relating thereto to the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences The characters
number eighteen, and but six or seven are
claimed to be Runic or Ph9nician.
On the top of the rock are remains OF three
holes about foot apart which seem to have
been deeply perforated They are near an
inch deep and three in diameter. These holes
are cuts near a half inch deep and six inches
long. To the eye the holes ON the top of the
rock, on the face of which the cuts appear are
much abraded. . The characters formed by
these cuts are all or nearly all cuneiform and
cross the natural seams and upon a face as IL
inlaid in the general formation.
These "Damoril isles and these mountains
for land marks have maintained their in
terest to this day as initial and luminous
points in New England history, in connection
nglish race in North America. They have
provoked much discussion more or less
partisan, as shaded by local prejudices or
actual ignorance of the environment OF
natural features and geological and hydro
graphical facts.
ton and aggregation of facts by competent
committee was deemed desirable, and the
Maine Historical Society at its last annual
meeting raised such a committee to gather
facts and report.
The points of interest were:
First, the probable route of Des Monts and
Champlain in July 9TH and 9th from under
Seguin Island to the upper waters OF the Ken
nebec, with view to reconcile, or test the
theories of Gen. j. NJ. Brown and DR.. Slater
in their translations of Champlain's voyages,
both agreeing in the main fact, and only differ
ing as to the entrance to the passage up the
KeDnebec, Gen. Brown making it by the east
shore of the present Georgetown, and DIR.
Slater by the west shore of the same island.
Second, facts bearing on the identity OF
Pentecost harbor of the Weymouth voyagS of
1905, with the sound of Boothbay harbor.
Third. facts bearing on the alleged rock
writings of Monhegan and Damariscove as to
their character and existence.
The steam yacht Avemone did the work of
transportation, so that successful observation
of the main facts in question was had. A
competent and skillful engineer to project
the points of observation was employed by the
society and accompanied the committee. The
land-fall and letterings ON the rocks of Mon
hogan were observed and intelligent ideas of
both were obtained. Smiths mountains for
land marks could not be seen, owing to haze in
the atmosphere of the western ]and-fall and
only dim outlines of dark blue in the north
eastern. The fact of the actual showings of
the White Mountains from off Monhegan, oc-
casionally and in favorable states of clear
western horizon, was made obvious from the
attestation of parties, both on Monhegan and
from the surroundings of Boothbay ha rbor, as
observed and noted by the U. S. signal officer
there stationed. The probable a.tual road
stead anchorage in the sound of Boothbay har-
bor of the Archangel in June, 1905, was en-
tered. The island headland where the Pema-
quid Indians were captured, the little harbor
of the island, and the little island adjoining,
where the Archangel moored, with the main
land point and its ''little nook of a
river bisecting where the Pemaquid
Indians built their camp-fres and held
their mainland intercourse with the ship and
between the ship and the shore, were quite
certainly identified, and intelligently observ-
ed and with accompanying survey OF the U. S.
coast survey compared, and with an accurate
projection of Georges Island Harbor, made for
the Maine Historical Society by officers of the
U. S. steamer McCulloch.
The island of this so-called anchorage, where
Weymouth set the framework OF and built
new pinnace, cut his yards and waist timbers,
and planted a garden and dug well in June,
1905, was coasted it's entire length and also OBJ
served from its seward showings as the Ane-
w. from its shores TO MOnhe-
gan eastward.
The little launch pushed off from Monhegan
harbor at 5 p. M, bearing away to the main
lands for the Eastern Sound entrance by Pema-
ouid light and into the harbor of Boothbay,
where she landed her company safely for
bed and board at the Boothbay House, in the
evening, calamity tripping over cross sea and
dashing an occasional white-cap as it angrlly
curls in her path with showers OF spray, and
an easy lurch, like the rock of cradle, indif-
ferept to all the menaces and turmoil of the
boiling deep. The islands adjoining the har-
Dor sound in their magnifcence of outline sur
rounding, were carefully noted and compared
with Weymouth's description of his boat
coastings of the same with his estimated
leagues of rowing. The next cardinal observa-
ton to be made, as feature of Pentecost Har-
Dor, was the island with its little sandy harbor-
ing cove and rivuet OF water therein. Spur
rel Island has been deemed to be the island
intended. 1t has the harboring, sandy cove
does not now exist. Forty-one years ago this
cove was a bogiswamp. The Squirrel Island
ers have now drained it and housed its water
resources but left the rvulet. The swamp or
bed (if it ever was the bottom of a pond has
been turned into a garden field. But
Damariscove was found to have like but
deeper sandy cove, rivulet of water, and
besides ALL a fresh water pond OF an acre OF
two in extent. 1t would fairly answer Rosters
description of the island, as Distinguishing the
ID ho,.1 N1o Ire of a
southeast shore of this historical island were
inspected. Characters of artificial make were
obvious on the face of some of them. The
difference between Damariscove and Monhe-
gan rock writings is, that on Monhegan they
appear to be cut as with steel or iron, but on
much effaced and weather worn.
The evidence of artificial construction was
marked and obvious to the eye and touch. The
tracings are now encountered by lichens and
not as palpable in outline as in 1872 when first
brought to public notice. when careful outline
sketches were taken and have been preserved.
The little miss who told President Woods OF
the McCulloch expedition of 1872 that there
were "Chinese characters on the rocks OF her
island holne but could not find them then, has
grown to intelligent and interesting woman
hood, and with her cultivated and courteous
mother contributed TO the comfort and success
of the present expedition in serving most
excellent lunch to our yachts company. Here
our explorations were much curtalled and en-
barrassed by the anxiety of some of the party
to make railroad connection with Portland
Having lunched, we steamed out OF the
little harbor, and between the breakers Of the
outer and inner motions" reef of rocks
forming the northwest entrance of the harbor,
and bore away for the Sheepscot entrance of
the Sasanoa river, and for Bath by way of
Hockomock and He'll Gate, observing the
Hockomock entrance to 'the Wash" between
Arrowsic and Georgetown, DR.. Skaters sup
posed entrance Of Des Monts and Champlain to
Kennebec in 1905.
The report of the committee will give the
details of this interesting historical voyage at
the next session of the Maine Historical So
ciety.
Temperance Picnic.
A grand union Sabbath school and temper
ance basket picnic will be held at Clark's