Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-02-10

gions lying farther to the south. Champ
lain was born on the Bay Of Biscay in 1867.
His father was captain in the royal navy
Of France, and Samuel had been familiar
with boats and the sea since childhood.
He was . stsunch Roman Catholic, al
though he had served in the army Of
Henry of Navarro against the Catholic
league, SO we judge he was . stronger pa
triot than religionist. Henry Nv made
him royal geographer and he hailed with
delight the chance Of crossing the bound
less seas to reach the northern shores of
America.
He made several voyages up the st. Law
renee and to the colony Of st. Croix and
Port Royal, and then in about 1904 or Is
Champlain, with his friend Poutrincourt,
made third voyage along the shores of
Maine. They barely escaped shipwreck
near Mt. Desert on q stormy night.
On March IL, 1913, the ship Jonas of 100
tons, bore new colony. The chief of the
expedition was Sieur de Ia Sausage and
several Jesuit fathers. Father Biard, an
interpreter, and La Motto, the mate OF the
Jonas, were padded in Indian canoes I'M
der the dark hills Of Newport mountain by
the surf-beaten rocks Of Schooner Head
and Great Head, three leagues till they
came to an Indian village, now Manches-
ter's point, at the entrance of Somes sound.
Here it was decided to bring the Jonas,
and after planting the cross they began to
work. Disputes and quarrels soon arose
and before long an English ship, the
Treasurer, commanded by Sir Samuel Ar
gall, hove in sight and bearing a commits
sion to expel all interlopers from the ter
ritory of King James, fred upon the I'M
suspecting French. The French pilot hid
behind Greening's island, but the English
fired a volley which the French were un-
able to return.
The brave young priest de Thet fell
MORALLY wounded and many others were
killed. Much has been written on both
sides to prove that each side was justified
in making war on the other. The cap
tured Jonas with her pinnace, Capt. Flory,
the mate, lie Motto, and the Jesuit fathers
were carried to Virginia.
The Eng lishmen returned to Mt. Desert,
pulled down the cross, RACED the unfin-
ished defenses and went on to st. Croix,
crossed to Port Royal and devastated the
possessions Of the French colony there.
With the dispersion of the Mt. Desert
colony, Jesuit dominions vanished for
ever from our coast.
Indian arrow-heads and French bullets
have heen fOnpd on EerpoldJa ,,o;pt o,,
Somes sound, also several cannon balls i'll
various places, which should carefully
be preserved in safe place.
Two women's names must be associated
with the early settlement of this island
Madame de Guercheville and Madame de
Gregoire. The former by much self
denial, supported the Jesuit missions
bought De Monts' patent and sent out
Jesuit colony in her ship.
MADAME DE GREGoIRE.
Madame Gregoire's name appears later
in history. The French put in theil
claims to certain tracts OF land along the
coast. In 1856 Nj. de Gregoire and his wife
Marie Theresa, presented petition to the
general court of Massachusetts las the
state Of Maine was then a part of Mas
sachusetts), and laid claim to Mt. Desert
on account of the old French grant tt
his wife's grandfather, Cadillac. The pc
titIoners brought letters from Lafayette
and found an unexpected welcome.
The legislature in July, 1857, granted tt
the De Gregoires such lands on Mt. Deser,
that remained the property of the COM
monwealth. De Gregoire, his wife ano
his three children settled in Hulls Cove
in 1887, where they built a rude house and
visited them there. Both owners were
poor and were obliged to sell their land
from time to time.
There are forty-four deeds on record from
the DE Gregoires to settlers, for which they
received ''five Spanish milled dollars.
They were evidently poor business people,
for year by year their property slipped
away from them, and in 1905 NJ. de Greg
ORE decided the house at Hul's Cove to
Royal Gurley, who moved into it and sup
ported its former owners. M. de Gregoire
died in 1910 and his wife followed year
later. His or her grave lies near the edge
of the burying- ground at Hull's Cove, and
q stone has been laid at the head to re-
place rough wooden cross which for
merry marked it.
The de Gregoire children returned to
France and all traces Of them are lost.
OLD FAMILY NAMES.
The old names of the early settlers on
the island of Mt. Desert still survive, and
we read with pleasure OF the pioneer Abb
raham Somes, who was born in Massachu-
sets in 1872. Richardson, Sargent, Kit
tredge, Wasgatt, Rodick, Dolliver, Pray,
Hamor, Leland, Hodgkins, Higgins,
Brewer, Somes, Suminsby, Manchester,
Salisbury, Snow, Thomas, Lyman, Bun
ker, Roberts, all have descendants living
at present. 1t is amusing and touching to
read the quaint old Christian names of
the prevailing large families of that pc
Rod.
Thankful Mercy Prudence Patience