The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-09-13
kmAIxE HrsToRrCAL SOCIETY.
1fe Field Day at Richmond Asiand-
F@Rpers by Mr. James p. Baxter and Df'
sDhRrIes E. Banks.

| Friday proved a beautiful day, the wind
having changed to off shore during THURSDAY
| night and cleared away the fog. large
! company assembled at Franklin wharf at 93O,
and the pretty steamer Cadet was we'll filled.
Vi the members OF the society there were
present Hon. James W. Bradbury of Augusta
| Hon. VIM Goold of Windham, James z. Bax-
| ter, Gen. John Marshall Brown, Edward H.
Elwell Edward P. Burnharn OF Saco, Rev. h.
8 Burrage, 81. w. Bryant, Philip Henry
Brown, II. W. Richardson, DR.. Ohss. e.
Banks, Hon. Geo. F. Talbot Horato Hight,
Hon. Chas. W. Goddard, DIR. c. #. Allen OF
Brunswick, Geo. B. Barrows OF Fryeburg,
Ex-Gov. Sidney Perdam, Rt. Rev. III. A.
Nicely, Geo. F. Emery, Rsv. Asa Dalton and
Stephen Berry. The guests of the occasion
were Col. John Nj. Adams, Woodbury. S. Dana,
Marshall N. Rich Rufus Fl. Hinkley, VIM. FL.
Smith, David Moulton, Edward Z. Jordan,
Cullen @. Chapman, r. Samuel Rand, John
T. Hull, Hon. w. W. Thomas, Rev. WIN. B.
HAYDEN, VIM. Fl. Baxter, Fl. j. Chisholm, D.
Il. Lamson, Geo. Fl. Thomas, Thos. 81. Wes-
ton, Hon. Francis Springer of Iowa, Francis
Piper of Boston, Seth L. Larrabee, Thomas l..
Merrill, S. NJ. Watson, Ihn B. Hudson, Ed
mund s. Hoyt, Brown Thurston. B. F. Harris,
and others. There were an equal number OF
ladies and yonng people, so that tho whole
company numbered over one hundred persons.
| the boat started at $50 a. m and after very
pleasant sail arrived at Richmond Island at
IL Is a. N. Ths steamer went around the
island into the oheltsred harbor made by the
breakwstsr, and disembarked the party in
small boats upon the beach, somewhat long
process. A long procession with baskets and
wraps, presently streamed up to the farm
house, and finally swarmed into the barn,
where the young folks promptly took posses
sion of the haymows. President Bradbury
called the company to order, and prayer vas
offered by Bishop Nicely.
President Bradbury then made short sd-
dress taying that they were assembled Cd
historic ground, and eulogized the early set
tiers. He then presented the orator of the
day Mr. James P. Baxter who spoke IS fol-
lowe:
RICHMOND ISLAND.
On the 9th day of July, 1906 little bark
was making its way southwardly across Casco
bay. 1t bore that brave Christian gentleman,
Samuel de Champlain and his friend, the Sieur
de Monts with other gentlemen of France, two
Indians, and twenty sailors. They had passed
winter of great suffering at the mouth of the
St. Croix, and were seeking suitable place for
settlement. Keeping in their course, they
| passed several well wooded islands which con-
cealed from their western view harbor which,
had thew discovered it, would have satisfied all
their requirements, and repaid them for all
their toll, but which was reserved by Provi-
dence for an adventurer Of rival race and of
an unfriendlv faith to take possession of and
occupy. The harbor which the French adven-
turers passed unperceived was Portland har-
Dor, and the man who was to lay upon its
shores the corner stone of fourishing city,
was George Cleeve. then living unknown in
Old England, and undisturbed by any dream
of a future life in the then almost unknown
New World on the other side of the misty
Atlantic.
Still sailing, but in more westerly course,
the little bark skirted the wooded shores of
Cape Elizabeth, and coming in sight of the
broad level beaches of Old Orchard, then I'M
covered by the tide, and cleaning as white as
snow to their admiring gaze, they dropped
anchor to await the rising of the tide, which
should float them over the bar which lay be-
tween them and the mouth of the river which
they saw pouring its waters into the bay be-
yond. The strange sight of the white winged
craft so unlike their own frail canoes, attracted
| the natives as she sailed along, and they
quickly gathered along the shores, building fires,
gesticulating and dancing to attract the atten-
| ton of the pale faces. Not far away was
| large wooded island which the Sieur de
Monts wished to explore, and taking one of
the ships boats he directed his course thith-
erward. Standing upon its sloping shores, the
eyes Of the strange visitors were delighted by
the luxuriant groves of oak and nut trees which
- J.,,,~
were burdened with the vines of the wild
grape heavy with their immature fuitage; in
deed, SO abundant was the growth of the vine
beloved by gods and men, that de Monts at
once aptly bestowed upon it the name of
"Bacchus' Island. Here, also, were plots of
waving maize, of beans, pumpkins and squash
es, then in blossom, all of which were cult
waited successfully by the Indians in this
| neighborhood.
When the tide served the voyagers crossed
the bar, and, soon after, sailed away, leaving
the red men in undisturbed possession of their
pleasant domains Year succeeded year, and
although the nations of Europe were looking
across the Atlantic, and each was emu
ious Of establishing its rule on the
soil of the New World the shores
of Caseo bay were neglected. True,
| the ships of Smith, and occasional vessels
| fitted out by adventurous merchants to fish in
| the teeming waters with which they were
washed or to trade with the natives by whom
| they were peopled, visited them, but no at
| tempt at settlement Yves made until eighteen
| years after the visit of Champlain, when Chris
| topher Levett, native of York, sailed upon
the coast, first touching upon the Isles of
| Shoals from whence he sailed to the mouth of
| the Saco, which he describes as issuing from
great hill lying to the west called by the Indi-
xlo ar III H.,
| when approaching the coast from any point
between Cape Cod and Monhegan island. 1t
| was towards this wonderful HILL which we
| recognize as the most prominent peak of the
| White Mountain range, behind which they
| nightly beheld with admiring awe the sun
| withdraw ITSELF that the red men were wont
| to point when Levett asked them where their
| heaven was
About the mouth Of the Saco, were cleared
| grounds, fine groves of timber and
| abundance of game. From here
| Levett pushed eastward, coming to
place about two leagues from Cape Elizabeth
called by the Indians "Quack.' This, he tells
| us, is a bay or sound between the main land
and certain islands lying about mile and
| half from the shore. The harbor he describes
as formed by four islands; the land in the
| vicinity excellent, and the fish and game
| abundant. This is the first description which
| we have of Portland harbor, where, had not
| Champlain missed it eighteen years before,
Levett would have probably found a French
| colony seated. As it was, however, he sailed
| up the harbor and entered a river to which he
| gave his own name, and which abounded with
salmon and other fish. Shortly after this, he
obtained permission to settle plantation at
'Quack," named from the Sycamore of Saco,
"who," he says, "as I conceive. hath a natural
right of inheritance He continues ~
sailed to Quack or York with the king, queen,
and prince, bow and arrows, dog and kettle,
in my boat, his noble attendance rowing by us
in their canoes" Here he found several Eng
fish ships from Weymouth engaged in fish
ing, and being asked by the wife Of the saga
more if their crews were his friends, Sevett
toldher they were, when she welcomed them
to her country, and drank to them; "and'
continues Levett, "she drank also to her hus-
band and bid him welcome to her country too );
for you must understand that her father was
the sycamore Of this place and left it to her at
his DEATH having no more children. And thus
after many dangers, much labor and great
change, have obtained place of habitation
in New England; where I have built house
l foA IN oh