Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 3 (of 8): English Explorations and Settlements in North America 1497-1689
History
Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 3 (of 8): English Explorations and Settlements in North America 1497-1689
America -- Discovery and exploration; America -- History; United States -- History
By the end of July Pring had loaded the “Discoverer” with sassafras,
when Jones sailed in her for England, leaving Pring to complete the
cargo of the other ship. Soon the Indians became troublesome, and,
armed with their bows and arrows, surrounded the “baricado,” evidently
intending to make an attack; but when Pring’s mastiff, “greate Foole,”
appeared, holding a half-pike between his jaws, they were alarmed, and
tried to turn their action into a jest. Nevertheless, the day before
Pring sailed for England, they set the forest on fire “for a mile
space.” On August 9 the “Elizabeth” departed from Whitson Bay, and
reached Kingsroad October 2. Thus two years before Champlain explored
Plymouth Harbor, naming it Port of Cape St. Louis, ten years before
the Dutch visited the place, calling it Crane Bay, and seventeen years
before the arrival of the Leyden Pilgrims, Englishmen became familiar
with the whole region, and loaded their ships with fragrant products of
the neighboring woods.
* * * * *
We next approach the period when the French came to seek homes on the
coasts of the ancient Norumbega, as, in 1604, De Monts and Champlain
established themselves at St. Croix,—the latter making a voyage to
Mount Desert, where he met the savages, who agreed to guide him to the
Penobscot, or Peimtegoüet, believed to be the river “which many pilots
and historians call Norembegue.” He ascended the stream to the vicinity
of the present Bangor, and met the “Lord” of Norumbega; but the
silver-pillared mansions and towers had disappeared. The next year he
coasted New England to Cape Malabar, but a full account of the French
expeditions is assigned to another volume of the present work.
The voyage of Waymouth, destined to have such an important bearing
upon the future of New England colonization, was begun and ended
before Champlain embarked upon his second expedition from St. Croix,
and the English captain thus avoided a collision with the French.
Waymouth sailed from Dartmouth on Easter Sunday, May 15, 1605 evidently
intending to visit the regions south of Cape Cod described by Brereton
and Verrazano. Upon meeting contrary winds at his landfall in 41°
2´ north, being of an irresolute temper, he bore away for the coast
farther east; and on June 18 he anchored on the north side of the
island of Monhegan. He was highly pleased with the prospect, and hoped
that it would prove the “most fortunate ever discovered.” The next
day was Whitsunday, when he entered the present Booth’s Bay, which he
named Pentecost Harbor. He afterwards explored the Kennebec, planting
a cross at one of its upper reaches; and, sailing for England June 16,
he carried with him five of the Kennebec natives, whom he had taken by
stratagem and force.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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