Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-09-30

-
mysterious city Of Norumbegua, fifty years
later. was a tradition Of this abandoned and
forgotten settlement. But the first clear re-
Port Of Pentagoet was made by Champlain
in 1904.
1t was at this time that the Sieur De
Monts attempted to plant colony upon the
river; and starting from that point. Cham
plain, who was the geographer Of the expe-
dition. made series of voyages along the
coast of Maine and produced the first ac-
curate charts Of Maine harbors. Upon his
chart of Penobscot bay the site Of Castine
is marked Pen,agoet.
What Champlain saw there in 1904 was Z
bold pcninsular on the eastern coast Of the
bay. about ten miles below the mouth of the
Penobscot river. The land rises rapidly
from the waters edge to a ridge go feet
above the tide. The course of the ridge i,
eas,erly. Ga the south the peninsula is
washed by an arm of the sea called Baga.
duce river. reaching far inland and flowing
in a sickle-shaped creek around the eastern
and northeastern base of Peniagoet. A
shallow cove on the northwest is now called
| Wadsworth's cove. Northerly. a narrow
is,hmus strikes across to the mainland. The
place is natural fort The Bagaduce river
is sheltered cove. but the roadstead out.
side is protected by the breakwater Of Long
Island. Above Long Island rise the faI
away heights Of Camden hills. Southwark
| are the peaks Of Mt Desert. and to the east
| the bold cminence Of Bluehill.
In 1911 Father Bard, French Jesuit
visited Pentagoet, and in 1913 French
colony was sent out to take possession OF
this eligible spot. but is believed to have
| settled at Mount Desert. In 1914 Captain
John Smith found French trader. in tho
neighborhood. The first permanent lodg
meni vas made, however. by the English o.
the Plymouth colony, who established q
trading pos, at this point in 1926. By them
it was called Penobscot instead Of Penta-
goet. The town adjoining Castine still
bears that name.
In 1881. party Of Frenchmen. from what
is now Nova Scotia, plundered the station
a; Penobsco, during the temporary absence
Of the Plymouth colony's agent; and in
1885, D'Aulnay, French officer under
General Raxillai, governor of Acadia, drove
out the English and took possession in the
name Of France. The Plymouth peopl,
made one feeble and futile attempt to retak,
tilt but III tiltii
own name. Governor Razillai died. how
ever. this same year. and a fierce quarrel
| cnsued between La Tour, commanding at ST
John. and DAulnay at Pentagoet. each
claiming TO rank the other; and in this
| quarrel the Pilgrims naturally sided with La
Tour and furnished him with assistance
from time to time in his expeditions against
Pentagoet. DAulnay strengthened the for
,ifcations begun BY the III, mouth people
and the old French fort, on the southern
shore Of the peninsula has been supposed
to date back to this time. He held it until
his death in 1851. A year later La Tour
married his widow and succeeded to the
command Of the place.
In 1854, the English. under orders from
Cromwell. reoccupied penobsco,; and in
1856. Cromwell issued a patent giving all
Acadia to Sir Thomas Temple. William
Crowne and Ia Tours son, who subsequent
~ sold his interest to his English associates.
BY the treaty Of Breda. Acadia was restored
Ia the French in 1867. and a codieil was
added to the treaty in 1868 specifying Pen
tagoct or Penobscot by name. The formal
surrender was made in 1870 to the Che, a.
her de Grandfontaine.
In 1874, the commandant at Pentagoct.
VI. de Chambly, VAS surprised BY Dutch
privaiecr, and the fort was piliaged and dis
mantled. In 1876, the Dutch seized the
place again. and held it until they were
driven out by the Baron dc 81. Cas,in, who
had come to Peniagoet under his old com
mandcr, Chamhly. For more than half Il
century thereafter St Cas,in, and after him
his son. Anselm, remained in command of
Oh. lilac. ~ bt,b ,h.tr still eltn,-
Jean Vincent de 81. Castin was born in
1886. in tn. province Of Bearn. in the Low er
Pyrenees. At the age Of Is he joined the
famous Carignan regiment. In 1864. he
was with the regiment in the war agains,
the Turks, who were threatening 10 over
run Christian Europe. In 1865 the regi-
men, was ordered to Canada. TO fight the
lroquois. In 1867, peace was made with
the sayages, and the Carignans were dis
banded. st. Castin was then an ensign
Soon afterward he made his appearance in
Acadia, where he married a daughter of
Madockawando. the sachem Of the Penob-
scots, and acquired wonderful influence
over the tribe.
From 1876 until 1901, he lived at ren,a-
goe,, which soon became known a. ST. Cas-
tins port, He had a trading post besides
a, Por, Royal, now Annapolis. n. s. lie
bought furs Of the Indians, and paid for
them in goods which he bought indiscrimin
ately Of French, English, Dutch or Spanish
traders. When he returned to France in
1901, he carried with him two or three thou
sand crowns "in good, dry gold"
He endeavored to live at peace with his
neighbOrs, As a good merchant should but
tina, was net always easy. In 1854. Sir
Thomas Donogan wrote from Pemaquid
ordering ST. CastiH to take the oath of allie
glance to King James or leave the country.
In 1886 a cargo Of wines shipped TO 81, Cas-
tin was seized for neglect TO pay duties at
Pemaquid. In 1858 Sir. Edmund Andres,
the governor Of New England, came down
10 ST. Castin's place, to deal with him. st.
Castin, being notified Of the visit, shut up
his house and disappeared; whereupon Sir
Edmund seized the goods which he found
there, and carried them of, leaving word
that they should be returned if the owner
would claim them at Pemaquid and swear
allegiance to King James The English
colonists, who hated Andres, sent mes
sage Of sympathy to st. Castin, who sought
no revenge, though, when war was declared
between France and England in 1889, he
took the part Of his country, as was natural.
In 1892, an attempt was made to take him
prisoner, but it failed. In 1895 he appeared
with the Indians to arrange for an exchange
Of prisoners. The next year he was pres
ent with the Indian contingent at the cap
ture Of Fort William Henry, at Pemaquid.
In 1901 he returned to France to claim the
family estate, to which he had fallen heir,
and also to answer to the charge Of tradin.,
with the English.
In 1903 and again in 1904. Pentagoet
was sacked by the English. In 1907, Anselm
de St. Castin, Jean Vincent's half-breed son,
distinguished himself in the defence of Port
Royal against the English In I'LL he was
invested with the rank of lieutenant in the
French army. He appears to have sue
ceeded to his fathers place in the regard of
the Indians, and to have used his influence
with equal discretion. In 1921, he was kid
mapped and carried to Boston. He was &C
cused Of being present with large com
pany Of Indians who had required the En-
glish to retire from Arrowsic. He replied
that he vas there, but not to cause but to
prevent trouble. After FIVE months impris-
onment, he was released. In 1925 treaty
Of peace was made with the Indians, by st.
Castin's assistance. The Jesuit memoirs Of
the time complain bitterly Of St. Castin's
t~.n tzt ka ,lspk