Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-07-30

about eleven of the clock The same day"
August l7th they sailed up the river 10 the
shAilop and boas fourteen lesgaes (erson-
eously given forty by Strache,) in search
of the most convenient place for their plan
tation. AT 8 in the evening they started on
thsir return to the ships snd arrived at two
o'clock the mex. afternoon. Immediately
after their return they went ashore and
made choice Of place for our plantation
which is at the very mouth or entry OF the
river Sagsdahock on the west side OF the
river, being almost on an islsnd of good
bigness" Strachey adds to this, "being 10
q province called BY the Indians, Sabine. )"
This peninsulsr projects from the west bank
of the Sasadahock and is about three miles
from the island OF Seguin. 1t seems to
comprise the land nearly surrounded by the
waters Of the Kennebec, Atkins Bay and
the estuary known IS Morse's River. The
northern end of the high, rocky hill run
ming north and south through this peninsu-
lar is called Sabine Head. Whilst they
we're on the shore "there came in three
canoes but would not come near Us but
rowed up the river and 90 passed away
The 18th they again went ashore where they
had made choice for their plantation. The
"2Oth of August all our company landed
and there began to fortify." Ofthe location
of the fort there is no further mention only
Incidentally; neither does it tell the kind OF
land it was on. whether wooded or clesr, or
what the surroundings were. 1t could not
have been ( great distance from the river
The site of the Tort or front of it at least
seems to have been clear land ss the jour
nal says: "Capt. Popham set the first spit
a ;rtn - as up him, q III tho Ynae
followed and labored hard in the trenches
abou. it," The next it speaks Of "some in
the trench ard some for faggotts.' In no
place is there any description Of the material
used, the size or shape Of the fort. II Is
always spoken Of as "the fort" There is
today probably no vestige or trace Of the
work and we are forced to conclude 1t was
built OF perishable material which has long
since disappeared. That the material was
found near the site lie highly pro-
bable and the structure itself weak
affair. Willis says it was "a mere stock
ade to repel the sggressions of the Indians,
which was probably the case though Georges
feared the inuusions Of the French as
shown in his letter Of Dec. 1, 1907 As to
the houses he speaks Of them as lodgings,
Another writer, withe ut giving his authority
says they were log huis.
Where the trenches were. how wide, how
deep and on how many tides we are not
told. The changes Of nearly three cen
turtles have obliterated them 90 far as
known. That tho fort WAS on Atkins Bay
there seems to be no well founded doubt.
S.raehey says: Sept. s. The savages
came into the entranc, OF the river and so
unto u.s." implying that they were not at the
fort when they entered the river but had to
20 farther TO reach it. That it was on high
land seems plainly intimated when in the
same connection he says "tbey came up
into the fort That the beach was sandy
we also know. The same author under
date Of Oct. 8, says: "There came q cs1oe
unto some Of our people As they were fish
ing on the sand " Biard gives an account Of
his visit to it in 1911. He says: Straight
way alt our NJ opie lande DESTROYS to see the
fort of tie English, because we had learned
from the paths that no person was there
At first they begsu to praise and extol the
enterprise of the English, and to enumera'e
the advantages Of the place," soon. how
ever, he testifies they saw the situation was
badly chosen, in military view, as another
fort, properly plsced. would have cut them
eff from both the river and the sea. To
recapi,ulste briefly the points known before
the discovery OF the ZunSga place.
The fort was at the entrance of the river
about two Leagues above Seguin, and on
the west side; il was at a distance from
the river shore; it was on high
bank or bluff; the shore was sandy
and in location where another fort could
be built, cutting them Of from the sea and
river. which can but mean. that the colo
nisfs could not 20 with their vessels from
their fort to the river TO sail. either up or
down, showing that q fort could be built
which would command their fort and the
waterway to the river.
With this preliminary sketch, we pass to
the consideration 81 Zuni2a's drauQDt. 1t
is drsught Of a completed fort, with reg
ulsrly laid walls apparently Of stone ma
sopry, with three gates, one water gate on
the north side, land gate on the cas-;
aud west sides. The four tides OF the en-
closure are designated BY the four cirdi-
MI points of the compass. There is n
trench around 3 portion Of the west and
nth sides. The inside shows nine
PIECES Of muuoted ordnance, six,een
houses snd buildings besides q store
house and church. In the southess.
angle OF the fort high blu6 or clid, on
the north half of the east side and on the
north side high clids with navigaoie wafer
ct the base ~ shown BY . vessel uDder sail
Just west Of the cliff in the southeast angle
Of the fort stream 10 representa- running
through the fort and emptyins into the
water on the north eide. The direction Of
the stream 10 from south to north. A gar
den plot to the west surrounded by what
appears to be an iron fence, completes the
dfaueht The scale 10 hfty feet to an inch.
Length north to south $50 feet; breadth
east to west $50 feet.
In the upper left har d corner is the fol-
loving: The draughs OF S.. Georges
fort erected by Captain George Pop
ham, Esquire, GA the entry Of the famous
river Of Ssgadahock in Virginia taken out
by John Hun, the viii Of October 10 The
year Of our Lord 1907 The dfauehs. IS
slready stated, was sent to Philip III OF
Spain by his minister Zaniss 10 his Letter
of Sept. 10, 1908. Who the dRAuahssmAn.
J John Hunt, wM, we have no Knowledge. or
where he obtained the dfau-ht. II 10 Fog
Iahd it could not have come from Sasads-
hack at that date, - the Only bri ding
spoken Of - fnished at that time vas The
stoR.h house. This building sppears to have
been flashed Sept. rs, Is no meLtion 10
made Of work on IL after that time a7a The
Mary snd John was disehareipg her csrso
Ct provisions the same day. From the re-
Gently published letters Of Sir FerdinAn.o
0orges, We know the dates Of the vessel's
re,uIn. In all Other narratives published no
mention is made Of the Gyfse afser' The
Mary and John anchored BY her side Ia The
Sagsdahock, August is. 1907. lie Mary
and john ssiled for England sosn after The
Is Of Sept 1907 snd sriivsd in ri. m ,uth
hsrt OF Dec. I. % the .aIas ye.r. The Gyite
sAiird Dee. Is. 1907 and srlsed ia
Plymouth Feb. :. 1909 8 With these facts
before rs We have to believe be rss ors Of
the coionist.. which seems the oEij xs.s =
ton 1t ell plausible.
The query natural y sugsssied isis the