Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-10


the ansu er 70 The question can only b. nat
Ter Of conjecture The reason for ca1iing The
head Of tidsvat<Y On the ksnnsbec. "Coosi-
mock" think Ia clearly established BY the
deposition Of Col. Lithgow Who Obtained bis
information from the Indians. This name
being applied to the head Of tide water, n
would naturally include = certain ares both
Of river and land. The name vas hSse sp
piled 10 certain objects in The vicinity. In all
probability. BY the early English ssttiess. -
We have no mention Of them until long After
the PlS mouth company's traders had Isft the
river Such are "cushnoc Island. "Cashnoc
Fall. or Rspids, and still later "Cushnoc
Hsishss."
With regard 70 the exploration OF the river
BY Captain Gilbert 10 1901. the only account
Of II 10 by one William Stsaekey. the histo-
Yian Of the Poyhsm Colony. This account IL
supposed 70 have been written In 1918, and
manuscript copy found . few yssss
ago IN the British Museum vas
trapscrit ed and published In the proceedings
Of the Massachusetts Historical Society.
That portion Of II relating 70 exploration up
the "!sagadehoc7 may be found in the third
volume u the COLLECTIONS Of the Maine His
toricai Society Suah portions - besf d.
rectly upon the question ct issus. ! present
bsiov. retaining the orthogrsphy Of the
original Before speaking Of the Popham
Colony, Syseksy refers 70 Wsymoath's
excursion ap the Ssgadshoc, made . year
previous TO that Of Captain GilbeYts. Way
month. after reaching Msryms citing Bay. 10
suppossd TO have gone up what 10 nov the
Androscoggi8 and not the keDnsbec. His
description Of the Kennebec up 70 this point,
though some hat exaggerated, 10 very inter-
esting. The fact that IL 10 stated that the
river "trended pssfpayd into the nayne. 10
What has given rise 70 the opinion that the
Androscoggin 10 here referred 10. Some
allowance must be msds for the distances
given. II wss . matter Of judgment With
them and the miles doubtless seemed very
long. Sixty mile. would have taken them
nearly 10 Kumford Falls, and pact the falls
1t Brunswick, Lisbon, Lewiston and Liver
more. OF the river examined Strackey said :
- . OF his search SIXTY miles up the most
excellent and bens &c yail river Of Sschsiehoc,
which be found capable Of shppings for
uafique Of the greatest burden. q bensf fit.
indeed, al~sies to be sccompssd the richest
treasure To any land. 80 NeIf. he found
the land fairs, and the whole coast bold to
fall With, a safe harbor for ships to ride in.
.. Tie river likewise ytseif. ~ IT run
meth upp into the mayns for very Desre
forty miles toward the high inland noun
tAins. he found 10 besre In breadth myie.
sometimes three quarters, and 4 half . mile
the narrowest; never under four or hve
fathoms Of water hard BY the shoare, and
sig, seven, eight, nine and ten faihoms all
along the sidss; every half mile. very
gallant ooves. some almost able 10 conteyne
one hundred ssyie. where the grounde wv
soft ouze, with a tuffe clay ander for anchor
hold. ard where ships maye lie without
eyther anchor or cable. only mosred TO the
shonre with . houser; and which hOweth
eighteen or twenty feet at high water, ~ith
1T docks appsrteyning To graine or csfine
shippes Of all burthens, secured from all
winds which are 80 necessarye ard incom
parable . benefit that in few places
In Eoglsnd. or In any parts Of Christendomr.
art with great changes can make like.
And the wodd she besreth 10 not shrubbish
fit only fuel but goodly cake, birch. FIRE
and spruse. The woddes here are full OF
deare, hares. and other beasts and reasonably
we'll inhabited by the natives Of y lid ana good
conditions.
To take possession Of this land and soodlv
river for this Majestic. Capt Wsym )uth
thought IL ftt to take mp to the head OF
i
in hi. barge, and n, the stream
tended wr.tsaid into ia. msvne and
height Vt bev,ii 10 narrow. so there he set 10
n cross Win his Mai. site, ip.crI ption there
on"
Tn, de.rr, ,,i,p hcre given doe, apply fairly
will Ia ,,rt r,-t an of m. Kenr,n,c which
III. Iu,ltan. called -S.,hna.boc'' namely
that pot,,un from the sea 10 Merrvmecting
E.y lni above ibn,. II ample, to neither the
K.nneb,c nor Aoiro covyin. But without
.torp.ny % con mept. viii Introduce what
Stra,k,, liza. /, .,y Il Captain Gilberts
.ren,,ioo IN ,l,r same river that il, IN the
Saeha,l. hoe:
Sent. 2at lnn6. Canaan Gilbert. accoupa.
MED with nineteen other.. d,parted in hi.
,b.Ilop 10 no. tor III. head Of the river
Secbsdehoc Thpy said aIi thj. day and
,h. 2i,h the Ike, until .ir Of the clock In
the sft, .,n.. wb.r they landed on the
rivers side. where they found "A champion
land and very fertile. where they remained
ali ni,ht.
SEN, % - H. the morning they Jep.rteJ
from theme, snj .ayIcd uo III. river and
CAM, Ia n astt low island who. y. great
cstarar, or downf.li OF wate-. which runnetb
by hath s.tss of the island very sholi and
swift. 10 thi. island they found great store
of yrapes. both red and white; good hopp.,
~ also ch,bslls anil gsrlike; they hailed their
huat With A strong rome through this downfall
psrforc,. and wen, n,cre a I,suc further
up. and here they Law all night: and in the
tir.t of thu night there called c.rtxlpe Sal
wages on the further sid. of tn. river unto
them in broken English; they susw cred
them aganc AMI PARKED long with them hen
towards morning they departed.
Sept. pc In the morning there came
csnoa unto Il u, and in her S,,smo and
tour Salvages, some Of those which ,pase
b them Il night before The Sevamo call ID
b,s name srbsno,. and told Ii. how he va. lord
of the river Ssch.dsho,. They enterta yped
him friendly and ,ooke him into their boat
and presented him with come ,r,fipg thing.
which he accepted; howbeyt. he desired
some one Of our men 10 b. mn, into hi,
canoa asa pswne of hi. safety. wbereupon
CAPTAIN Gilbert sen, in a man OF his. when
p,e.ently the canox rowed AWAY from them
with all the speed they could make. up the
river Thev foliowed with rho .bs,lon
having srea, care that the s.v,mo .bouid
not leans overbo,,j Tn. ,,n,. ouickly
made to their bou.e. o,,uy peere n League
on the land from the river. side. and carried
our man with th,m The shalIop mad. GOOD
way. a, leu.,, cam, IN ano.ber ,Iownef.Il
which "a. "a .h.llove and ACE wifi that h,
no mean,. tLey eould n.., any fpr,her 10,
which Cap.ain Cilb.r, with nine o,hs,,
landed AMI ,,ols tb,;, fsrs IN. ..Iv.J,,
S.y.mo with them .,d wan, 4, coach .s,s,
thos, other salvage. whose house. the
S,ysmo told C,p,.in G,lber, xs,, ma, Ear,