Glimpses of the Past: History of the River St. John, A.D. 1604-1784Raymond, W. O. (William Odber)
History
Glimpses of the Past: History of the River St. John, A.D. 1604-1784
Raymond, W. O. (William Odber)
New Brunswick -- History; Saint John River Valley (Me. and N.B.)
The business of Simonds and White was not confined to St. John,
they had quite an important post for the Indian trade and the
fishery on an island adjacent to Campobello, now known as Indian
Island. And it may be observed in passing that this was an island of
many names. James Boyd, a Scotchman who lived there in 1763, called
it Jeganagoose--evidently a form of Misignegoos, the name by which
it is known to the Indians of Passamaquoddy. A French settler named
La Treille lived there in 1688, and this explains the origin of the
name Latterell Island, applied to it in early times. In the grant of
1765 it is called Perkins Island. This place owing to its proximity
to New England had been the first to attract Mr. Simonds' notice.
The smaller vessels of the Company, such as the sloops "Bachelor" and
"Peggy & Molly" and the schooners "Eunice" and "Polly," were for
several years employed in fishing at Passamaquoddy from April to
October. The masters of the vessels received L4 per month for their
services. The crews employed were for the most part engaged by Hazen
and Jarvis and at the close of the season returned to their homes in
New England. It was the custom for a year or two for one of the
partners, Simonds or White, to attend at Passamaquoddy during the
fishing season. From 1765 to 1770 Isaac Marble of Newburyport was
their principal "shoresman." The partners had a keen eye to
business; on one occasion they purchased a whale from the Indians
and tried out the oil, but this seems to have been merely a stray
monster of the deep for, in answer to the query of Hazen & Jarvis,
James Simonds writes, "With respect to whaling, don't think the sort
of whales that are in Passamaquada bay can be caught."
It was from Passamaquoddy that the first business letter extant of the
company's correspondence was written by James Simonds to William Hazen
on the 18th August, 1764. The business was then in an experimental
stage, and Mr. Simonds in this letter writes, "If you & Mr. Blodget
think it will be best to carry on business largely at St. John's we
must have another house with a cellar; the latter is now dug and
stoned & will keep apples, potatoes & other things that will not bear
the frost, for a large trade; this building will serve as a house and
store, the old store for a Cooper's shop. If the lime answers well we
shall want 150 hogsheads with hoops and boards for heads; also boards
for a house, some glass, etc., bricks for chimney and hinges for two
doors. I think the business at St. John's may be advantageous, if not
too much entangled with the other. We can work at burning Lime,
catching fish in a large weir we have built for bass up the river at
the place where we trade with the Indians, trade with the Soldiers and
Inhabitants, etc. Next winter we can employ the oxen at sleding wood
and lime stone, Mr. Middleton at making casks; don't think it best to
keep any men at Passamaquada [for the winter]."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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