The Portland daily press., 1892-12-10

terday afternoon ana evening. Among
,se present were President J. P. Bax-
eer. Secretary H. w. Bryant, Rev. E. G.
Cummings, Albro E. Chase, DR.. c. E.
Banks, Hon, C. J. Gilman of Brunswick,
E. P. Burnham of Saco, Brown Thurs
ton, Oren Ring, Rev. FL. S. Burrage, Gen.
John Marshall Brown, Judge Emery OF
Saco, DR.. w. B. Lapham of Augusta,
Woodbury. S. Dana, Esq, George Rand,
ESQ. Parker M. Reed of Bath, Hon. J.
a. Drummond.
Secretary Bryant, in his report, record
ed long list of donations to the society.
The first paper on the programme was
by DIR. George A. Wheeler Of Castine, on
Fort Pentagoet.
and the French Occupation of Castine."
DR.. Wheeler not being present, his paper
was read by DR.. G. E. Banks. Pentagoet
was the old French fort at Castine, by
which it was expected to hold the Pc
nobscot as the eastern line of French
possession. There began to be q French
post at Castine very early in the 18th
century. and this post gradually grew
into Fort Pentagoet. Dr.. Wheeler has
obtained from the French archives a
map of the fort as it existed in 1910. 1T
was a fort of considerable size, about
300 feet square, with seven bastiohs az,
ranged like a star, and mounting l6
gIlns. The dimensions of the existing
ruins are about 90xTS feet, but this is no
fail index of the original size OF the fort,
as at least $50 feet of the. shore have
been washed away since the place was
built, and a portion of the fort taken
with t. The shore has worn away at
the rate of eight inches year.
The excavations begun in 1878 have
been continued this year, resulting IN
interesting discoveries of cobble stone
pavements, wall laid with a kind OF
stone not found in Castine, q well and
cellar.
Fort Pentagoet was captured by the
English in 1854, but again fell into the
power Of the French about 1910, and re-
mained in their possession until about
1745.
The paper was briefly discussed by
President Baxter, DIR. Burrage, Rev. IL.
q. Thayer and Gen. j. M. Brown. On
motion of the latter it was voted to urge
the legislature to acquire the site OF TINS
fort for the state.
1.-THE Ancient Settlement of Cork on
the Kennebec,' was described by Rev.
Henry o. Thayer, who disproves the old
idea that North Bath, formerly called
Ireland, is the site of the old town OF
Cork. Mr.. Thayer produced evidence
to show that Cork was located on the
shore of Merrimeeting Bay, near the
nres- Mt Cork Cove, in the towns OF
Dresden and Woolwich. Capt. Robert
Temple, associated with Edward Hutclir-
son, one of the Clarke and Lake heirs,
who had large interests in Kennebec
lands, brought over a number OF Scotch
Irish settlers, who began life at Cork IN
the year 1719 or l720. The Indians were
air ady discontented at the increasing
number of whites around the mouth of
the < nnebec, and in the summer Of
l722 about 40 or go Norridgewock In
dams raided the region around Merry
meeting Bay, and in the autumn of that
year. in spite of fort and a company OF
soldiers commanded by Temple, the set
tiement was broken up.
Rev. E. G. Cummings began the discus
sion by speaking the attitude Of Father
Rasle, who was at Norridgewock at the
time of the raid on Merrymeeting Bay.
The fact that this raid was devoted prin-
cipally to pulling settlers out of bed, kill
ing their cattle, etc., but not stedd *
blood. seemed to Mr. Cummings =, i.is.'7
that Father Rasle tri:sa =, mitigate ''e
Indian hostility. and .hit his influenc
was Christian ssei or.aing ~ the ideas and
habits of tAs age Tis influence seems
to have beel ~ Mitigate the severity OF
Indian hostility rather than to incite
them.
Mr.. Baxter dissented from this view OF
Father Rasle. He said the evidence of
Father Rasle's own letters shows that he
was engeged in melting the Indians
against the English, and the King OF
France himself declared that he was sat
isfied with what Father Rasle was doing
against the English. Mr. Baxter said
also that he was about to publish book
on Father Rasle, in which both views OF
his character would be given impartially
DR.. Burrage said that it did not seem
to him there was any blot on the charac
ter of Father Rasle, even if he did incite
the Indians. He was a Frenchman as
well as priest, and in his country's wars
against the English would be expected to
do all he could in behalf Of France.
t'Arrowsic in the Seventeenth Centu
ry'' was described by Parker M. Reed Of
Bath, who dwelt at some length upon
the great commercial enterprises of the
firm of Clarke 6 Lake, who from 1865
for 20 years did business at Arrowsic.
sketch of the Life of Rev. Simon
Locke, first minister of the First Baptist
church of Lyman was given by Mr.,
John S. Locke of Saco. The subject of
the sketch was born in Rye, N. H., il
1852, his parents being honest and indus
trious farmers. Simon Locke received
an academic education. At the age Of
22 he married Lydia Foss of Darlington
and their house was considered quite ell
egant because, although of logs, it had
two rooms and single pane of glass
But after year of married happiness
young Locke hastened to Cambridge to
join Washington's army, where he
served for year. In 1777 he embraced
the Calvinist faith and was baptized by
immersion. In 1850 he was licensed
and in 17S1 he came into York county
preaching to all who would come tC
hear. Thus he gathered a flock of go
and December IS, 1888, he was ordained
pastor of the first Baptist church of Ly
man. The first church was.built in 17SS
near what is now called the jackson
school house, and cost $4,000. Thirty
two years later another was built neal
Goodwin's Mills. This was burned il
184S, and another was erected, which