Early explorers of Plymouth Harbor, 1525-1619Howe, Henry F. (Henry Forbush)
History
Early explorers of Plymouth Harbor, 1525-1619
Howe, Henry F. (Henry Forbush)
Discoveries in geography; Plymouth Harbor (Mass.) -- Discovery and exploration
extending a short distance inland, where the land is only in part
cleared up. Running into this is merely a brook not deep enough for
boats except at full tide. The circuit of the Bay is about a league. On
one side of the entrance to this Bay there is a point which is almost
an island, covered with wood, principally pines, and adjoins sand
banks which are very extensive. On the other side the land is high.
There are two islets in this bay, which are not seen until one has
entered and around which it is almost dry at low tide. This place is
very conspicuous from the sea, for the coast is very low excepting the
cape at the entrance to the bay. We named it Port du Cap St. Louis,
distant two leagues from the above cape and ten from the Island Cape
[Gloucester]. It is in about the same latitude as Cap St. Louis.”
[Illustration: NEW ENGLAND
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH’S MAP OF NEW ENGLAND, 1614
Reproduced from the Pequot Collection, Yale University Library
]
Champlain’s map of Plymouth Harbor, which is reproduced herewith, was a
quick sketch which he drew from the end of Long Beach after his vessel
went aground there, probably during the afternoon of their arrival.
Since the expedition stayed in Plymouth Harbor only over one night, too
much accuracy of detail must not be expected of it. Saquish Head is
represented as an island, and no distinction is made between Eel River
and Town Brook. Plymouth Harbor has probably shoaled a good deal since
the early seventeenth century, since it would now be impossible to find
a seven-fathom anchorage anywhere except immediately around Duxbury
Pier Light; yet Champlain’s anchorage in the middle of Plymouth Bay is
so designated. Martin Pring had even described a _landlocked_ anchorage
in seven fathoms. The chief value of Champlain’s little map, aside from
confirming the locality, is its evidences of very extensive Indian
houses and cornfields occupying much of the slopes above the shore all
the way around from the Eel River area through Plymouth and Kingston to
the shores of Duxbury Bay.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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