The Portland daily press., 1890-05-22
MAINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
Interesting Papers Read at Yester-
days Meeting.
Some Remarkable Curios Given the
Society.
Entertaining Description of the Battle
of Pequawket.

The Maine Historical Society held very
interesting meeting at its hall in the Baxter
building yesterday afternoon. In the alb
sence of Mr.. Baxter, Mr.. K. III. Elwell pre-
sided.
Mr.. Williamson Of Belfast was unable to
be present, and the opening paper was read
by Rufus K, Sewall of Wiscasset on
ROCK WRITINGS ON THE COAST OF MAINE.
Mr.. Sewall said the purpose of his paper
was to invite investigation of the facts
gathered from the researches of others in
history. From the earliest period of the
worlds history tablets of stone were used to
record important events. North America
has a rock-written history. In Maine rock
writings have been found in Monhegan,
Pemaquid and Damariscove. the latter
thought to have been of Runic or Ph9nlcian
origin. Icelandic and Morsemen settlements
were made on our shores more than 1000
years ago, and all antiquity points TO the
coast east of the Kennebec. 1t is an interest
ing speculation that centuries before the
Christian era the blue and purple ships of
the Ph9ncians were waited to our shores,
and that the mysterious characters In the
rocks at Damariscove may be the relics OF
history lost, made by Phenician sailors or
possibly castaways
Mr. Parker M. Reed of Bath read valu
able paper on
WILLIAM KING"
William King was the first governor of
Maine. For over fifty years VIM. King was
citizen OF Bath, and Bath lays claim to him
for his manly character, his honorable and
statesmanlike qualities. With natural and
intellectual ability and possessing energy in
a marked degree, he represented the general
court in Massachusetts from Topsham in
1895 at the early age of 81. But his repu-
tation rests on his efforts to make the dis
trict state, and for seven years he worked
for that end, and was one of the trainers of
the constitution of the state, and he was
unanimously elected its first governor. His
administration was very acceptable. Like
all prominent citizens of Bath he was en-
engaged in shipping. both in the East and
West India trade. His residence was where
the present custom house now stands. His
home was the resort Of many eminent men
and women. Although often abrupt in his
speech to men, to women and children he
was always courteous. Governor King died
in 1852 at the age of "a. Many interesting
anecdotes were told illustrating the pecu-
lidIly StIUuS CudTdCtcI VI LILO HAL, SOME Vi
them showing him to have been liberal in
his re ligious and temperance views.
1t was voted to request Mr. Reed to en-
large this paper for the society.
REMARKABLE CURIos.
A glass case in the room having been as
signed recently for the reception of relics to
be presented to the society by Mr.. VIM. D.
Hayden, Rev. Mr.. Hayden in few remarks
explained briefly the character of some of
the principal articles
1. The London Times's ten reprints at the
Caxton celebration, 1877. comprising the
newspaper publishing. for July %. 1888, an
nouncing the appearance Of the Spanish
Armada" off the coast; the weekly News"
for Jan. 81, 1000, describing the execution of
Guy F., Faw dssts The Gazette" Sept; s. 1893
Nerves." July 6, 1866, giving the regulations
in regard to the great plague. and the Lon
don Gazette" for Sept 10, 1866, with an ac-
count OF the great fire. Brief extracts from
these papers We're read. The other five re-
prints are of the Times's own issues during
the Napoleonic war, beginning with the bat
tie of the Nile and ending with Waterloo
2. The next is box containing plaster
casts OF the eleven most important engraved
these were spoken Of. The oldest, a small,
hard gem, with spirited representation of
Hercules in combat with the Nemean Lion;
archaic Greek. very. ancient. Next, strik-
ing head oi.Demosthenes, in deep intaglio.
The largest is an emerald. bearing. the. head
belonging to the Augustan age of Rome.
While the most valuable of the
whole British collection is superb head of
Julius Caser, deeply cut, giving strongly
sumed to have been taken from life by
Greek artist living in Rome. A powerful
magnifying glass brings out from scarcely
visible line at the side. the name of the ar
1t is valued at $4,000: The frmness and
minuteness of much of this ancient gem work
is marvellous, and said to be beyond the at
tainment of modern lapidaries.
ga pair OF shoes. leath er, wood and iron
Accrington, Lancashire, England.
"A chip from the stump OF the last apple
tree in the orchard planted by Gov. Bradford
insPlymouth Colony.
"a photograph of Broom Hall, the an
Gent seat of the Jessup family at Sheffield,
Eng, from a picture of it, as is supposed. as
it appeared about 1475, in the reign of
Henry VII.
6.-Perhaps the most interesting of these
is small piece of the skin of the famous
Siberian Mastodon, discovered many years
ago frozen in the ice. This piece was sent
from st. Petersburg to the late Prof. Still
man of Hew Haven and presented to Mr..
Hayden by his s0n-in-law, Prof Hubbard of
Dartmouth.
A resolution regretting the serious illness
of Hon. VIM. Goold, of Windham, who was
to have read paper at this meeting, was
offered by Geo. F. Emery, ESQ.
A committee consisting of Messrs. Drum
mond, king, Burnham, and Rev. Mr.. Hayden
were appointed to prepare memorial of the
late VIM. ID. Smith, for the society,i and the
meeting adjourned to SPIN.
Evening Meeting.
In the evening Mr., James P. Baxter, the
president, read paper giving an account of
the battle at Peguawket, with some newly
discovered letters written by Father Rasle
Mr.. Baxter read the titles of about % docu-
ments relating to the Indians and the con-
lection that the French had in this war.
Encroachment upon their land was pre-
text for the cruel wars which the savages
waged upon the English in New England,
but Mr.. Baxter showed in very able man.
ner the responsibility of the Jesuits
i IN melting 9g., the th Indians by making
the English was more profitable than hunt
ing. The savages attacked York. and Dunn
mer. the minister, was shot. On their re.
turn from this expedition the Indians were
IedSL6Q Dy Tie rT6ucu. lU6 uupllclIy Oh The
French who melted the Indians to hostility
in violation of the treaty existing between
France and England was shown. Father
Rasle melted the Indians at Norridgewock in
1921 not to suffer the English to establish
themselves on their land.
Among the men yersed in Indian warfare
were Captains Harmon and Moulton, who In
1924 left Fort Richmond, opposite Swans
Island and marched toward Norridgewock
Arriving there they attacked the place and
so Indians, men, women and children were
killed. Father Rasle was among the slain.
Emboldened by this success a memorial
to the general court was presented by
John Lowell, asking for assistance to exter-
inmate the Indians. Permission being
granted on certain terms, Lowell left Dun
stable, Mass, with 80 men. The country Of
the Pequawkets was the objective point, on
the Saco. Into the domain lof this warike
race Lowell and his band advanced.
The details of the campaign were given
from the time they left Dunstable till they
were on the shores of the pond which bears
Lovel's name. and where the battle was
fought which resulted in victory for the
English. The Importance of a battle can
only be judged by its results. The battle at
Pequawket was decisive, in that the Indians
lost their chief. The lecturer paid a de-