The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1880-10-14

American force returned their fire. While
the two wings swept around to points
less PERCEPTIONS, scaled the heights, and
drove the British back, but not without
the loss Of one hundred ont of the four
hundred engaged in the affair. A tifer
boy named Trask, stood behind this boul-
der and flied, whence it is called Trask's
Rock.
Pursuing our way along the beach, IN
der the. cliff, towards the headland on
which stands the lighthouse, we came
to the works of the Castine Copper and
Silver Mining Company. A portion of
the cliff has been blasted down, and ore.
showing sulphate of copper, is piled
around. An assay promising good re-
suits has been made, but the stock of
the company has not yet been put up
on the market Climbing the ladder
to the top OF the cliff, we passed the
lighthouse and came down to the south
eastern shore, where stands Fort Madi
SON This fort was built in 1911, captured
by the British in 1874, and enlarged by
the mted States in the rof the Rebel
! lion. 1t IS an earthwork with a magazine
| IN the rear, the entrance to which has
now fallen m. Two of the Old Guns
mounted in the war Of 1914 now lie upon
the turf outside one has been dragged
up To Fort George, and another was
stolen years ago by q company of Young
men from Belfast, who took it to fire a
salute with on the Fourth Of july. The
guns mounted during the Rebellion have
been removed to tort Knox, on the Pc
1 n0bscot This fort was the scene Of Il
! rnpmnTpI IIn tll1rin,r IL,
worthy OF being celebrated in another hcu-
| riade.
Proceeding towards the village, short
distance from Fort Madison wc come to
the most interesting Of these old tortitica-
tons. 1t is the site of the old French
Fort, or DAulney's Fort or Castin's
Fort. or WhUsoeyers fort it may have
been. Il is approached through the
houSe-yald of Mr. Geo. H. Webb. and
lies IN the rear of his barn, which partly
covers one side of it, The excavations
made IN preparation for The visit Of the
society reveal a singular sub structure Of
something no one knows what Here
| are double walls filled in between with
| masses Of fine grained Slate rock. found
here, much Of which is set up el.cwi,r
/ HE thickness Of the two walls and the
intervening mass of slate-rock is twenty
1lNe feet, and they surround ON all four
SIDES an enclosure 81 by 30 feet The
outer wall, facing the shore, il five feet
high, but the depth Of the enclosure is
but one OrtWo feet 1t seems to be paved
with fiat stones On the land side. at
opposite corners, are two long, narrow
entrances between loN stone vans. Nj
M. IL ,f ~,
the crumbIlng remains of what might
nave been door post, and also RUSTY
hinges and bolts. Here were also found
hatchets and other implements Here
Is also deep well, in which many relics
have been found. 1t is of oval form,
handsomely stoned up, to a boint about
tlEc feet below the surface, where the
corner OF projecting stone wall iutsOver
1t, At three points there are projections
in the outer wall, resembling demi-bas-
tions. Is this the old fort of the Plymouth
colony Of 1926 Was it tie stronghold
OF D'AuIncl, in which he babe defiance
to La Tour and all his enemies Was
1t here that Castin had his home and en-
tertained his friendly Indians, In the
midst Of his garden and his orchard
Who shall say! The fort of D'\ulney
was probably destroyed by the Dutch
1t i certainly not the fort surrendered
to the French in 1870. That had four
bastions and contained guard-housr.
house OF three rooms, Il chapel. a
magazine, and another building, all
Of which could not have been crowded
into the contracted dimensions of this
structure. 1t is perhaps the magazine
OF that fort. That had a we'll under
II, and there is We'll here What is
certain Is, that this spot WAS the Scene ot
early occupation. Here WAS stronghold
| convenient to the shore 1t had line OF
palisades in front OF it. ON The beach, re
mains ut which have come down to our
day. II is Conjectured that this was for
defence against a sudden attack of In
dlans, only one canoe being admitted at Il
time, for purposes of trade. | lie spot
was probably a favoritc resort Of the In
dians long before the white man landed
on it. Outside the wall there are to he
seen III the excavations made TODAY, the
mingled ashes and clam shells which tell
OF their seaside traSts TO What Il far
distant past dO these remains conduct lis
to the halcy0n days of aboriginal life
Wnen the native tribes as yet undisturbcd
by invaders from beyond the great sea.
came here periodically to feast on the
clam. as they visited the shores Of the
Damarscotta to deyour the oysters, the
shells OF which are now piled there hill
locks high. In Imagination we can Die
ture the scenes which have transpired oil
this spot in the struggles of the nations
for possession here, but it remains for
Iurther excavations to completely identi-
tN these ruins with any one of the long
line Of c0ntending occupants.
ttSrINE TODAY.
In conclusion a word must be said for
the Castine Of to-day. The hearty and
hospitable reception given TO the Society
by the citizens deserves the warmest
thanks of its members. The interest
they have shown in preserving the relies
which have come down to them, and the
pride they take in the history Of their
ancient town is highly commendable |
Their village is delightful for situation |
It's 0ld-tlme mansions, standing Il little |
back from the village street, with gar
denS IN front: with old fashioned fire |
places, in which the cheerful blaze of 9th |
er days IS seen, some of IT, en- with in |
scrlptions on their walls and ceilings tell !
ing Of their occupation by British troops, |
many OF them full of curious relics of the |
past, in the shape of ancient furniture |
and croCkerN N-all these things have a !
charm for the visitor from the busting |
world without, and will undoubtedly, III |
the not distant future, contribute to make |