Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast — John Shaqi
Nooks and Corners of the New England CoastDrake, Samuel Adams
History
Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast
Drake, Samuel Adams
New England -- Description and travel
Singularly enough, it now fell out, as seven years later it happened to
the Leyden Pilgrims, that the pilot refused to carry them to their
actual destination at Kadesquit,[15] in Pentagoët River. He alleged that
the voyage was completed. After much wrangling the affair was adjusted
by the appearance of friendly Indians, who conducted the fathers to
their own place of habitation. Upon viewing the spot, the colonists
determined they could not do better than to settle upon it. They
accordingly set about making a lodgment.[16]
The place where the colony was established is obscured as much by the
relation of Biard as by time itself. The language of the narration is
calculated to mislead, as the place is spoken of as "being shut in by
the large island of Mount Desert." The Jesuit had undoubtedly full
opportunity of becoming familiar with the locality, and his account was
written after the dissolution of the plantation by Argall. There is
little doubt they were inhabiting some part of the isle, as Champlain in
general terms asserts. Meanwhile the grassy slope of Fernald's Point
gains many pilgrims. The brave ecclesiastic, Du Thet, could not have a
nobler monument than the stately cliffs graven by lightning and the
storm with the handwriting of the Omnipotent. The puny reverberations of
Argall's broadsides were as nothing compared with the artillery that has
played upon these heights out of cloud battlements.
During the summer of 1613, Samuel Argall, learning of the presence of
the French, came upon them unawares, and in true buccaneer style. A very
brief and unequal conflict ensued. Du Thet stood manfully by his gun,
and fell, mortally wounded. Captain Flory and three others also received
wounds. Two were drowned. The French then surrendered.
Argall's ship was called the _Treasurer_. Henri de Montmorency, Admiral
of France, demanded justice of King James for the outrage, but I doubt
that he ever received it. He alleged that, besides killing several of
the colonists and transporting others as prisoners to Virginia, Argall
had put the remainder in a little skiff and abandoned them to the mercy
of the waves. Thus ended the fourth attempt to colonize New England.
Argall, it is asserted, had the baseness to purloin the commission of La
Saussaye, as it favored his project of plundering the French more at his
ease, the two crowns of England and France being then at peace. He was
afterward knighted by King James, and became a member of the Council of
Plymouth, and Deputy-governor of Virginia. During a second expedition to
Acadia, he destroyed all traces of the colony of Madame De Guercheville.
It is pretty evident he was a bold, bad man, as the more his character
is scanned the less there appears in it to admire.
Brother Du Thet, standing with smoking match beside his gun, was worthy
the same pencil that has illustrated the defense of Saragossa. I marvel
much the event has not been celebrated in verse.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account