Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-02-20
Foot Prints In The History Of Maine.

b'S oos sHu tuu ioE liic.
Foot Prints In The History Of Maine.
No.2.
By RURAL
From the time Of Columbus, the cosmo-
graphers Of Spain, were continually occu-
pied with the problem OF a passage to
India, by western route. Because there
was a Strait at the South (Magellan's,) 1t
was argued, that there mast be one In the
North. In 1884. Estevan Gomez was
commissioned. by Spain. to conduct an ex-
pedition for the discovery OF this passage
He sailed along the coast of Maine, during
his 10 months voyage, and gave names to
many OF the rivers and bays. The terri
tory Of the Penobseot. he called -"rierra
de Gomez" and the river "Rio de tom
cry" To indemnify his owners-the search
for passage being fruitless one-he
captured as many Indians as he could. and
carried them to Spain for slaves. On his
arrival, gentleman, WHOM they told that
Gomez had brought back "esclavos"
(sIaves) understood them TO say '.clavos"
Gloves took the swlftest horse, aud rode
''ior dear life" to tell the emperor that
Gomery had returned with a ehip-ioad Of
spices.
Names next foot print" In history. is In
l52.. when an English vessel. the MARY
of Guilford," John Rut, Master. recon
noItercd along the coast. and put her crew
on shore ito search the state OF these un-
known regions" which Is supposed to be
the Srst En2iis. foot print upon the sol Of
Maine. Al this time, the country received
its tirst English name, that OF "Nerc- fou nd
land" IL Is said, that In the Island OF
Newfoundland, first seen by Biarne In the
year 1000 there Is 40, n snake, toad, frog,
| or reptile OF any sort. Not n squirrel, por-
cupine. nor even frenies, while iretlies.
swarm by thousands In Nova Scotia
Six cycles OF centuries have passed away.
since the first discovery of Maine. Its
waters have swarmed with Blscayan fish
ermen. The country has been visited by
each OF the maritime nations Of Europe.
| yet no claim t" jurisdiction Is set up--it re-
mains sn unbroken wilderness, whhou, n
single European family. The search for
the longed for fountains OF immortal youth,
| Is abandoned.
We are approaching the opening OF a
/ nrw century fun of stirring history Tie
| Spanish and Portuguese. are the first TO
| comprehend that discoeery ritAOut occupI-
ton does not confer title, and they pro-
/ posed. in severalty, TO take possession OF
the new world. The King Of France. who
had 10 notion OF being len out In the ils-
| tribution, demanded 10 see "the clause in
Adams will, which made the American
Continent the exclusive possession OF Spain
and Portugal"
The King OF France to substan,iate a
| claim, In 1908, granted to DE Monts all Of
the region between the A0ta and 10Th de-
grces of latitude. This included all OF
Maine. from the ocean to Mt. katahdln
When De Monts arrived, he erected a
cross, took possession In the name Of his
king, and called the country Acadia. "
| This name 10 the beginning. had no defin-
ite limits. afterward 1t was restricted to in
| clude all of Maine east OF the kepnebec,
and finally TO include only Nova Scotia and
that part OF Maine east OF the Penobscot
I river. The name Acadia or "Lsrcadla," I"
! first appears on an Italian map In 1860. 1t
Is derived from the Indian "Ayuoddiauki," ,"
the Indian word for 5 pollo..k. The Aca-
dams OF Nova Scotia. had a tradition that
Labrador was the heritage given 10 Cam.
The origin OF acadia. is ahki-,id. land of
abundance.
De Monts, accompanied by Samuel
Champlain, commissioned as Royal Ge-
ographer, arrived at Liverpool, Nova Sco-
| tia. May 18th. On the 18th, Champlain,
| and ten men in shallop. left TO examine
| the coast. On their arrival within the
present limits of Maine, they disembarked
| at small island Neutral or De Monts)
near the present site OF Eastport. Here,
| they made the short lived settlement. k nown
as the Holy Cross"
Champlain was directed by De Monts to
explore the region OF Norumbegue Gas
tinel without loss OF time. Sept. 7th,
1904. he discovered an island ''cleit into
seven or eight mountains, which ne named
"Lisie -Nonts-deserts." and few days
later. q singular picturesque island, named
by him, ''isie haute." "Ranging along the
shore" ays his narrative. "until the SUN
mits Of Isles des Monts deserts appear a. a
| distance, and the high mountains Of Bedd-
tedec Camden Hills) are close at hand, we
entered the great river OF Norumbegue.
Ranging along the coast, he sighted an
island, which he named lie Nef," because
1t looked like the hull of ship. This was
MonhegaI. Upon the banks Of the Saco,
be found the Indians planting corn. This
new and wonderful grain Champlain calls
wheat Of India" "rhey SOW" he says,
''three or four grains in one spot, and with
the shell Of the si0noe (horseshoe crab
gather little earth around it; three feet
from that. they SOW again. Champlain re-
mained here three years and examined the
coast from Eastport TO Saco.
While De Monts and Champlain were
making their explorations, several English
navigators visited our waters. Bartholo.
new Gosnold. who discovered and named
Cape Cod. Martin Pring, to trade with
the indians on the Penobscot, Kennebec
and Saco rivers.
He aemed the Fox Islands. and in 1905,
Capt. Weymouth In the ship "Archangel"
arrived, and landed at, or near Belfast,
and took possession Of the land 10 the
name Of the King Of England. Two years
before. De Monts had taken possession, in
the name OF the King Of France. These sim
pie, and apparently unimpOrtant acts Of
taking possession" proved to be the be-
ginning Of . struggle. bitter and bloody
hetween France and England, for title to
the new world. weymouth's men planted
peas and other. seeds which in l6 days
grew inches. This was the flrss attempt
made BY Europeans, to cultivate the soil Of
IL