Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-18


of Plymouth have so little to say of the
Kennebec trading post and of the life OF
the man who occupied it for SO many
years. And it is surprising, too, con-
sidering the early dependence of the
Pilgrim Fathers upon the resources of
Maine 1t has been intimated that the
Pilgrim traders did not care to ad-
vertise this very profitable source of
their supplies, and so were purposely
reticent on the subject. But had they
been SO disposed, Edward WinslOw,
Governor Bradford, Myles Standish or
John Alden. all of whom were sum-
GENTLY educated, as well as were many
of their associates, could have written
accounts of their observations and ex-
periences in this section which would
be priceless today. What wonderful
stories they could have told us Of the
folk lore of the Akenakis, that gentle
and hospitable race which had its
ralIying place at KoussinOc and here
held their solemn councils and per-
formed their sacred rites and cere-
monies. The fragments which we have
Of their legends and myths make all
Indian scholars long for more. But the
English traders made no record of
these things, nor of the life and GUS
toms of the Indians. Nor did they tell
posterity how they passed the days
and nights of the "a years that they
occuoied this remote outpost of civili-
cation. They simply put on record a
few historic facts giving but a meagre
framework for the later historian to
build upon.
1t is also noteworthy that the
Pilgrim Fathers who came to the
Kenncbec contented themselves with
trade and made no attempt to civilize
or christianize the Abenakis. How
ever, they seemed very willing that the
French should do this and they had a
cordial welcome for Father Druillettes
when he came here and took up his
abode with them in 1647. There was
warm personal friendship between him
and John Winslow, then the COM
mander of the post here. This John
Winslow was one of the ablest and
wealthiest men of Plymouth and had
married Mary Chiffon who, according
to tradition, was the first of the May
flower emigrants to set foot on
Plymouth rock. 1t may be-whO
knows that she came with her hus-
band to Koussinoc, and perhaps Pris-
ella, the bride of John Alden, accom-
panied him on some of his numerous
trips to this post. Father Druillettes
was not only on the best of terms with
the Pilgrim Fathers here. but he also
visited Plymouth where Governor
Bradford entertained him. and Boston
where he was the guest of John Eliot,
the apostle to the Indians. Perhaps
there was not so much religious bigotry
in those days. as has generally been
represented.
In touching upon the frequent visits
of Myles Standish to the Koussinoc
trading post, Mrs. Mason finds curl
Gus interest in the alleged Catholic ten
denotes of the doughty Pilgrim cap
tain. 1t is rather hard for us to con-
ceive of this bluff old soldier telling his
mission chapel BESIDE the Kennebec, and
yet it is we'll known that he came of
Catholic ancestry in England and that
he never united with the Pilgrims in
their church covenant. 1t has therefore
been suggested by some historians that
in his heart Standish chung to the faith
of his ancestors and that he found COM
fort to his soul in visiting the black
coated priest at Koussinoc. Possibly it
was Myles Standish whom John Wins
low had in mind when he told Father
Druillettes that if he established his
mission on tne henIleDeC SOME Eng
lish would come to see him.
These things and many others of in
terest, Mrs. Mason deals with in her
article on the Pilgrim occupancy of the
Kennebec trading post, a period that
seems like a peaceful pastoral prelude
preceding the long century of Indian
wars BY 1861 the game was getting
scarce; the pick of the Abenakis were
killed off by their enemies, the Iroquis,
and the remaining chiefs realized that
the white traders were getting the long
end of the bargain. The post was
abandoned. and the buildings fell into
decay. Then ruin and solitude reigned
for a century, until the English. push
ing their frontier northward, built Fort
Western in 1854.
In closing, Mrs. Mason quotes
Maurault who tells us in his History
A COUGH
~NAYY DYynR