The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-25

His Thrilling Adventure In Maine be-
fore he Saw Pocahontas.

VIM. H. MeLan in Gardiner News.l
Very little indeed is known for certainty
by present day mortals in relation to the
noble race of aborigines who once inhabited
the beautiful valleys of the Kennebec river
and Cobbossee stream. We say noble race,
for they were in every way superior, intellec-
tually and physically to their brothers South
and North. OF the great and powerful tribe
of Remedies, who inhabited all the land
from New Hampshire to the Penobscot river,
not one single defendant now remains. Such
is the irony of fate; where once their wig
vans nestled now sits the busy mill of the
white man, and the shrek of the locomotive
is heard throughout these domains. This
tribe was presided over by great chief
called Bashaba, who resided on Swan
Island, near what is now Richmond, and to
him all the different clans of the tribe of
Abenakins, of which the Remedies were
one, submitted all their little differences for
arbitration.
Of all the many powerful branches of this
than the Cabassas. of whom we have more
particularly to deal, and who inhabited the
valley of the Cabbassa, or Cobbossee- contee
stream, from its source to its mouth. They
Cabbassa, and who had daughter named
Schools who was famed among her tribe for
her beauty and grace.
Capt. John Smith, of Pocahontas fame,
experienced an adventure, commencing at
the mouth of the Cobbossee, almost as thrill
ing as that with the Virginia maiden. Capt.
Smith was the first white man to visit the
Kennebec river. and at the time this trip was
made, 1914. he and his companions we're re-
ceived with great cordiality by the aborigiDes
OF this vicinity, in fact he was treated with
royal hOnOrs, given the best to eat and the
best of everything. In fact before he left
the vicinity of what is now Gardiner he was
given rather more than was intended by the
Indians
Schools. the chiefs beautiful daughter was
Immediately smitten with the gallant and
handsome CAPTAIN. and IL the nna-,nar NJ the
maidens OF her Tribe appropriated him as
hers and hers alone. To tell the truth, the
captain was not aware OF the intentions upon
his person, for he could talk no Indian and
she could not speak English, and he sup
posed her overtures were made merely In the
spirit that prompted those from the sterner
sex, and were for his comfort and ease of
mind. He and his party OF brave explorers
soon departed. with many regrets, but 1t
seems that one OF his lieutenants not satisfied
with the hospitality extended the party of
white men, unbeknown to Capt Smith, kid
mapped several of the Indians, and made
slaves of them. His party went in one direc-
tion, up the Kennebec. and Capt Smith with
larger party, started east, following the
WOTram0nt0gus stream. They camped that
evening about four miles from the river, and
the fires had just been kindled when Schools
appeared before Capt Smith, making wild
gestlculati0ns wholly unintelligible to the
Englishmen. They were not kept long in
suspense, sforIs0on there appeared upon the
scene large party of Cabbassa Indians in
full war dress and prepared to attack the
EnglishWen. They were led by Cabassa
himself who possibly did not see his daugh-
ter, but be that as it may he gave the order
to open fire and as he did so fifty or mere
bows twanged and fifty arrows sped on their
deadly mission. The party of Englishmen
dropped upon the ground as the missels
departed from the bows, and thus saved
much slaughter.
But the beautiful Schools, thinking of
nothing but saving the life of the man she
loved, fled with wild cry, before the Cap
tain and received III her breast the arrow
intended for ner beloved, the noble Capt.
John Smith. When the father saw the des-
tfuctlon he had wrought his hand was
palsled and his tongue almost refused to
work, but as Schools, not quite dead as yet,
oeckoned to him, he ordered his warriors to
| lay down their arms. Nobody knows the
exact words the daughter spake to her
fatner, but they were without doubt bit Of
| advice to him, that the Captain was not to
blame for the stealing of his men. But be
that as 1t may no further violence was offered
| the Englishmen, and Schools with gesture
TO Capt. Smith, brought him to her side,
where he remained to her death, few
moments later. She died no doubt as she
would have liked, in the arms of the man
| sue loved and whose life she had given hers
| to save. AT that moment John Smith was
shown the cause of her solicitations in his
behalf, he knew that Schools loved him and
| he was sorely grieved, not that he loved her
| IN return, no; but that such lovely and
| loveaDle, noble and self-sacri6cing being
should have come to such an untimely end,
| him.
He and his party went their way, while
the greved parent returned to his home with
the lifeless form of his beloved offspring
but he did not rest there. The dead was
| burned in the tribes burial ground, near
where the Randolph Methodist Church now
sets, and Cabassa, with his war party, imme.
| diately started after the party who was
really guilty of the grave charge of kidnap.
| ping his subjects, the search for whom had
cost Cabassa jewel almost as dear as his
| own life. The lieutenants name was Thomas
| Hunt, and was found by Cabassa and his
| braves near Norridgewock, where the In,
diabs fell upon the white men, nearly oblit
Grating the party, only three escaping. This
| little indiscretion of Hunts made the settle
| ment of this portion of Maine more difficult
| for while the Indians were yery well disposed
| to white men before they were after thal
| very bitter in their hatred of the white race
| The devotion Of the beautiful Seboois wa,
| always kept green in the memorv of .JohT
Smith, and though in after wears he received
many favors at the hands of Indians of boti
sexes, none were remembered with more feel
ing than this one, received "Way down il
1 MaiOa