History of York County, Maine. With illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers

Preface

. The present volume is the first published History of York County, Maine. Although materials have existed for such a publication, they have not been found in any special or general collection, and the labor of collecting them chiefly from original sources, and of arranging them in a harmonious and consecutive narra tive of events extending through a period of more than two hundred and fifty years, has been by no means a light or trivial task. How well or ill the labor has been performed is now left to the judgment of the intelligent reader. Doubtless some errors have crept into the work in spite of our utmost care and vigilance, but we trust that none are of so grave a character as to impair the general accuracy and value of the history. With regard to the plan of the work, it is only necessary to say that it has been arranged with reference to the most economical use of space, with a general and local department.

The general history, embracing that which is common to the county at large, has been placed in a department by itself in the forepart of the book ; this has been followed by separate histories of the cities, towns, and villages of the county, interspersed with numerous biographies, portraits and other illustrations, and the whole carefully indexed to facilitate reference. To the citizens of York County who have aided us in the work, we take this opportunity to return our thanks. Our acknowledgments are especially due to Hon. Edward P. Burnham, of Saco, a member of the Maine Historical Society, for a ready fund of valuable statistics which has been cordially placed at our command, and for information on several topics, rendering our labors less difficult than they otherwise would have been.

Hon. Nathaniel G. Marshall, of York, has kindly reviewed considerable por tions of our general history, and aided us materially in the preparation of the history of his native town. Like acknowledgments are due to Edward E. Bourne, Esq., and Daniel Remich, Esq., of Kennebunk ; to Hon. John M. Goodwin and Thomas Quinby, Esq., of Biddeford ; to Rev. John G. T. Nichols, D.D., Rev. William J. Alger, George F. Calef, Esq., and Horace H. Burbank, Esq., of Saco. The York Institute, through its president and members, has furnished some valuable materials and given hearty encouragement to our enterprise. We also tender our acknowledgments to the members of the county press, and to the county aud town officials generally. The following-named gentlemen have been consulted and have rendered more or less assistance in matters pertaining to their respective town histories : Charles M. Came, Esq., and Asa L. Ricker, Alfred ; M. C. Hurd, Esq., Hon. Zebulon G. Horne, Horace Bodwell, Acton ; John H. Stillings, Frederick A. Lord, Richard L. Goodwin, Berwick ; Hon. Samuel A. Hill, Robert A. Bradbury, Hon. Charles E. Weld, Bux ton; Howard Brackett, Dr. W. B. Swasey, Hon. Caleb R. Ayer, Cornish; John W. Clark, James K. Huntress, William R. Buzzell, Dayton ; George E. Ireland, John L. Jenks, Joseph Hammond, Jr., Eliot ;

PREFACE.

. Deacon James Moulton, Melville B. Smith, Hon. H. K. Bradbury, Hollis; Dennis M. Shapleigh, J. R. Philbrook, M. F. Wentworth, M.D., Kittery; Hon. James W. Grant, John R. Chamberlain, John E. Moody, Esq., Lebanon; F. W. Libby, Hon. A. Burbank, J. C. Lane, Limerick; Dr. S. M. Bradbury, Gen. William M. McArthur, W. G. Lord, M.A., Limington; Hon. Dimon Roberts, Hon. Hiram Waterhouse, C. W. Murphy, Esq., Hon. James Nason, Lyman ; Roscoe S. Holmes, J. M. Moulton, Stephen Adams, M.D., Newfield; Hon. John Hall, Haven A. Butler, Esq., Deacon Ebenezer Hobbs, North Berwick; Silas H. Cartland, Hon. John Brackett, Parsonsfield ; John A. Dennett, Hon. Howard Frost, Deacon Stephen Dor man, Sanford; Edwin A. Moulton, Esq., John Hemingway, Hosea Merrifield, Shapleigh; Charles C. Hobbs, Esq., Hon. John B. Nealley, E. R. Mclntire, South Berwick ; E. H. Hobbs, Isaac N. Deering, Henry Gowen, Waterborough ; Barak Maxwell, Wells ; and Hon. Enoch Cousens, Kennebunkport. w. w. c. January 24, 1880.

CONTENTS HISTORIC^- Ij. HISTOEY OP YORK COUNTY, MAINE. OHAPTEB PAGE I. — Early Discoveries and Settlements .... 9 II. — Patents Granted by the Plymouth Council 14 III. — First Civil Government in Maine . . . .17 IV. — Administration of Thomas Gorge? . . . .20 V. — Government under Alexander Rigby ... 23 VI. — Administration of Edward Godfrey . . * 27 VII. — Jurisdiction of Massachusetts ..... 29 VIII— Revival of the Gorges Claim 33 IX. — Indians of York County ...... 36 X.— The First Indian War 40 XI. — Government under Danforih . . . . .45 XI L— French and Indian War, 1088-92 . .48 XIII. — Continuation of Iudian Hostilities .... 51 XIV.— Civil Affairs under the Charter of 1691 . . . 55 XV. — Progress of Settlements after the War ... 58 XVI.— Fourth Indian War 59 XVII. — War between France and England .... 62 XVIII. — Conquest of New France ..... 65 XIX.— Division of the County 68 XX. — Period of the Revolution ..... 69 XXI. — Under the Constitution of Massachusetts 74 XXII. — Bench and Bar of York County .... 75 XXIII.— Bench and Bar— (Continued) SI XXIV.— Bench and Bar— (Continued) 91 XXV.— York County Civil List 103 XXVI. — Legislatures of Maine ...... 107 XXVII.— York County Press 113 XXVIII.— Medical Profession 116 XXIX. — War of the Rebellion (with rosters of the regiments) . 120 PAGE CITY (IF SACO 150 CITY OF BIPDEFORI) 188 HISTORY OF THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF YORK COUNTY.

Town <>s York .......... 215 " Kennebunk ......... 2012 Buxton 24'J " Alfred 261 Kittery 276 " Berwick 291 North Berwick 30 1 " South Berwick . . . . . . .314 Parsonsfield 324 " Limerick ......... 332 " Cornish :: I" " Newfield 347 " I.yman .......... 35 1 •' Hoiiis ; ■• t ; l " Sanford 367 '■ Kennebunkport ........ 017^ " Waterborough 3S8 •• AVells 395 *' Lirnington . . f ..... 401 Eliot 407 " Lebanon . . . . . . . . .412 " Dayton Ii':: Acton 426 " Shapleigh . . . . . . . . .431 SUPPLEMENT 441 IB I O G IR, .A. IPIEtT I o -A. m. . l'AGE PAGE William A. Hayes 94 Charles N. Cogswell 94 William P. Preble 95 Ether Shepley 95 Philip Eastman ......... 96 Daniel Goodenow ......... 97 Xathan D. Appleton 99 Rufus P. Tapley 99 John M. Goodwin 100 Samuel Bi-adley facing 100 John Shepley 101 Samuel W. Lucjues facing 101 James M. Stone "102 Xathaniel G. .Marshall "103 Charles Trafton, M.D " 116 John A. Berry, M.D "117 Horace Bacon, M.D 118 Francis G. Warren, M.D. ...... facing 119 Orren Ross, M.D .... 119 Roscoe G. Dennett, M.D faciDg 120 Gen. William M. MoArthur 121 Coopt.

George A. Deering ........ 121 'Col. Horace H. Burbank 122 Nouh Emery .......... 75 David Sewall 76 Moses Emery ........ facing 76 Daniel Sewall .......... 77 James Sullivan .......... 77 Judge George Thacher 78 Dudley Hubbard 78 Prentiss Mellen .......... 79 Edward P. Haymnn 80 Cyrus King .......... 80 John Holmes .......... 81 William Lambert ......... 84 Benjamin Greene ......... 84 Judge Joseph Howard . . . . . t . 84 George W. Wallingford 85 Nicholas Emery .......... S5 Judah Dana .......... 86 Joseph Dane .......... 86 Samuel A. Bradley ......... 87 Edward E. Bourne, LL.D 88 Joseph Bartlctt 91 William B. Sewall 92 Samuel Hubbard ......... CONTENTS. BIOOI^^-miO^L. PAGE facing 243 Palmer Walker _,, _ . , ... 244 Daniel Remich .■•■■' „ . . . . 245 James R. Remoch n , . . 24b James Osborn Joseph Hatch ...••• Stephen H. Berry i6q Aaron McRenney ...■•■• " Mark P. Emery ,. t n ■ ■ 260i Abram L. Came mi ... 260* Aaron Clark ..-•••■• Benjamin J. Palmer • 260i Joel M. Marshall 260i William Emery facinS 261 Sylvester Littlefield "264 J.B.Vance facing 2«8 Moses A. SafTonl 27ci Wilson llammons ... 275 Asa L. Ricker 276 Lorenzo R. Hersom ... ... facing 298 William J. Copeland between 302, 303 Brackett Hall ... .... facing 304 James L. Prescott .......

" 310 Isaac Varney ....-.■•■• 312 William Hill 312 .Albert C. Butfum 313 Benjamin Nason facing 316 Hon. John H. Burleigh 323 Samuel G. Dearborn facing 330 Maj. Thomas Churchill .331 Hon. Abner Burbank 339 Samuel C. Adams 354 Abijah Usher _ facing 364 Hon. Ellis B. Usher .366 Hon. Nathaniel J. Miller 367 William Emery ........ facing 368 George A. Frost "370 Hon. B. F. Hanson "371 George Nasson " 372 Jeremiah Moulton ....... " 373 Darling H. Ross " 374 Thomas Goodall 376 John Storer .......... 377 Joseph Ridley .......... 378 Hon. Enoch Cousens ....... facing 378 Charles W. Smith ....... " MSS The Strout Family 393 Barak Maxwell ......... facing 400 Arthur McArthur between 402, 403 William M. McArthur " 402, 403 Sylvester Bartlett facing 40S Hiram Jones ........ " 416 Newell Goodwin ........

" 418 Melvin Wentworth 422 Thomas M. Wentworth ........ 422 Joel G. Hersom .......... 422 Edmund Goodwin I etween 432, 433 Ivory and Levi Bragdon facing 434 Henry Ross Thing ......... 437 Rensselaer W. Thing 437 Charles F. Sanborn 442 Col. John Smith 442 PAGE Capt. James F. Miller 122 Horace Woodman facing 152 Stephen and William Littlefield "154 Hon. John Fairfield between 156, 157 Tristram Jordan facing 158 Capt. Samuel and J. F. Hartley "159 Rev. John T. G. Nichols, S.T.D 162 Abraham Cutter "166 David Fernald "167 Benjamin Patterson ....... " 168 John Johnson ........ " 172 Thomas Quiriby "174 Ebenezer C. Staples 176 Josiah Calef 178 Edward P. Burnham 179 George Scamman . . . . . . • • .180 Oliver Dyer 180 Cornelius Sweetser . . . . . ■ • ■ .181 Aaron MeRenny ......... 182 George A. Carter ......... 183 James M. Deeiing ......... 183 Moses Lowell ........... 184 Samuel A. Milliken ......... 185 John Gilpatric .......... 185 James D. Patten 185 Paul Choidbourne ......... 186 Daniel M. Owen 186 Eli Edgecomb faeing 186 Heni-y Simpson ........

" 186 Ira C. Doe 187 Abel II. Jelleson facing 18S Barnabas E. Cutter "190 Simon Neweomb " 191 Timothy Shaw, Jr "192 James A. Strout "193 Charles Hardy "194 Leonard Andrews between 196, 197 James Andrews " 196, 197 Simeon P. McRenney ...... facing 198 Esreff II. Banks "204 Joshoia Moore . between 204, 205 Deacon Thomas H. Cole . 205 Seleucus Adams 206 Samuel Peirson .......... 207 Hon. William Berry 209 Jeremiah Goldsbrough ........ 209 William P. Haines 209 Col. Josiah Hobbs 210 Reuben M. Hobbs 211 Enoch II. McRenney 212 John T. Smith 212 Dr. Thomas Haley 213 Capt. Jotham Benson ........ 214 Simon M. Blake .......... 214 Capt. Charles O. Clark facing 220 Hon. E. C. Moody " 224 George Donnell 231 James A. Bragdon ......... 232 Horace Porter facing 234 Seth E. Bryant « 237 James G. Cousens .......

" 238 Rev. Daniel Little ....... , CONTENTS. 7 ILLUSTRATIOlSrS. PAGE Outline Map of York County (colored) . . . facing 9 Portrait of Moses Emery " 76 " John Holmes (steel) .... " 81 " Edward E. Bourne (steel) ... "88 " William B. Sewall 93 " Philip Eastman ..... facing 96 " Daniel Goodenow (steel) .... "97 " Rufus P. Tapley ....... 99 " Samuel Bradley ..... facing 100 " Samuel W. Luques " 101 " Col. Jas. M. Stone "102 Residence of N. G. Marshall (with porirnit) . " 103 Portrait of Dr. Charles Trafton " 116 " Dr. John A. Berry " 117 " Dr. Horace Bacon ..... "118 " Dr. Francis G. Warren .... "119 " Dr. Orren Ross 119 " Dr. R. G. Dennett facing 12n CITY OF SACO. Residence of Joseph G. Deering .... facing 150 " Horace Woodman (with portrait) . . " 152 Portraits of Stephen and Wm. Littlefield ...

" 154 Portrait of Hon. John Fairfield . . between 156, 157 " Tristram Jordan ..... facing 158 " John F. Hartley "159 " Rev. John T. G. Nichols (steel) . " 162 " Abraham Cutter "166 " David Fernald " 167 " Benjamin Patterson ..... " 168 " John Johnson ...... "172 " Thomas Quinby ..... "174 " Ebenezer C. Staples 176 " Josiah Calef (steel) facing 178 " Edward P. Burnham (steel) ... " 179 " George Scamman ..... " 180 " Oliver Dyer (steel) "181 " Cornelius Sweetser 181 " Aaron McRenny (steel) . . . between 182, 183 Residence of Aaron McRenny .... " 182, 183 Portrait of James M. Deering ..... faeing 183 " George A. Carter 183 " Hon. Moses Lowell faeing 184 " John Gilpatrie "185 " Samuel A. Milliken 185 " James D. Patten 1S6 •' Daniel M. Owen 1S6 " Eli Edgecomb facing 186 " Henry Simpson ..... " 186 " Ira C. Doe 187 CITY OF BIDDEFORD.

Portrait of Abel H. Jelleson ..... facing 18S " B. E. Cutter "190 Residence of Simon Newcomb (with portrait) . . " 191 Portrait of Timothy Shaw, Jr " 192 " James A. Strout " 193 " Charles Hardy "194 " Leonard Andrews .... between 196, 197 Residence of James Andrews (with portrait) . " 196, 197 Portrait of Simeon P. McRenney .... facing 19S " Hon. E. H. Banks " 204 " Joshua Moore between 204, 205 " Deacon Thomas H. Cole (teel) . . facing 205 " Seleucus Adams (steel) . " 206 " Samuel Peirson 208 " Jeremiah Goldsbrough .... facing 209 PAGE Portrait of William Berry facing 209 " William P. Haines ..... " 210 Portraits of Josiah and Reuben M. Hobbs . " 211 Portrait of Enoch II. McRenney 212 " John T. Smith 213 " Dr. Thomas Haley ....... 213 Capt. Jotham Benson . . . . . .214 Residence of Simon M. Blake (with portrait) . . facing 21 t YORK.

Residence of Theodore Weare, Jr facin» 216 " C. C. Barrell "218 Portrait of Capt. Charles 0. Clark .... "220 " Hon. E. C. Moody " 224 Marshall House, and other Views .... " 226 Portrait of George Donnell . . * 231 Residence of James A. Bragdon (with portraits) . facing 231 KENNEBUNK. Portrait of Horace Porter faeing 234 " Seth E. Bryant "237 " James G. Cousens " 238 " Palmer Walker " 243 " Daniel Remich (steel) .... " 244 " James R. Remich (steel) .... " 245 " James Osborn (steel) .... " 246 " Joseph Hatch ........ 247 BUXTON. Residence of the late Capt. S. H. Berry (with portrait) facing 249 " B. J. Palmer (with portraits) . . " 252 " A. L. Came (with portrait) ... •• 254 Aaron McRenney (with portrait) . . " 258 Portrait of Mark P. Emery (steel) . . . between 260, 2604, Residence of the late Thomas Emery (with portraits) " 260, 200} " Aaron Clark (with portraits) . . facing 260J Portrait of Joel M. Marshall 260$ ALFRED.

Residence of William Emery (with portrait) . . facing 261 Portrait of Hon. Sylvester Littlefield. ... " 264 View of the Shaker village '• 266 Portroiit of J. B. Vance " 268 Portraits of Moses A. Safford, Wilson Hammons, omd Asa L. Ricker " 275 KITTERY. View of the Pepperell House, etc. .... facing 284 BERWICK. Residence of George Moore ..... facing 291 " Lorenzo R. Hersom (with portrait) . " 298 " William J. Copeland (with portrait) between 302, 303 NORTH BERWICK. Portrait of Brackett Hall ...... facing 304 Views of the Residence and Mills of William Hill between 306, 307 Portraits of James L. Prescott and Wife . . . facing 310 Portrait of Isaac Varney (steel) . . . between 312, 313 " William Hill (steel) ... " 312, 313 Portraits of Albert C. Buffum and Wife 313 SOUTH BERWICK. Residence of the late Hon. J. H. Burleigh facing 314 Portraits of Benjamin Nason and Wife ...

"316 CONTENTS. ILLTJSTBATIOITS. KENNEBUNKPORT. PAGE Residence of Hon. Enoch Cousens (with Portrait) . facing 378 " Charles E. Perkins .... "380 " C. C. Perkins "380 View of the Parker House, etc. .... 382 Residence of S. H. Gould (with portrait) ... " 384 View of Ocean Bluff Hotel 441 WATERBOROUGH. Portrait of Charles W. Smith facing 388 Residence of H. L. Strout (with portrait) ... " 393 WELLS. Portrait of Barak Maxwell facing 400 LIMINGTON. Portrait of Arthur McArthur . . between 402 and 403 " Wm. M. McArthur ... " 402 and 403 ELIOT. Residence of Sylvester Bartlett (with portrait) . faoing 408 LEBANON. Residence of the late Thomas M. Wentworth . . facing 412 " Joel G. Hersom " 414 " Hiram Jones (with portrait) . . " 416 " Newell Goodwin (with portrait) . . " 418 " Melvin Wentworth (with portraits) .

" 422 SHAPLEIGH. Residence of Edmund Goodwin (with portrait) . bet. 432 and 433 Portraits of Ivory and Levi Bragdon . . . facing 434 " Henry R. anol R. W. Thing . . « 437 PARSONSFIELD. PAGE Residence of C. F. Sanborn (with portraits) . . facing 324 " Maj. Thomas Churchill (with portraits) between 326, 327 T. S. Churchill (with portraits) . " 326, 327 Portrait of Samuel G. Dearborn . . . facing 330 Wm. D. D. Churchill .... "331 Portraits of C. 0. Nute and Wife 331 LIMERICK. Portrait of Abner Btirbank 339 NEWFIELD. Portrait of Samuel C. Adams ....... 354 HOLLIS. Residence of the late Ellis B. Usher .... facing 362 " " " Nathaniel J. Miller ... " 362 Portrait of Abijah Usher "364 " Ellis B. Usher (steel) .... " 366 " Nathaniel J. Miller (steel) ... " 367 SANFORD. Portrait of William Emery facing 368 " George A. Frost " 370 Residence of B. F. Hanson (with portrait) . .

" 371 " George Nasson (with portrait) . . " 372 " Jeremiah Moulton (with portrait) . " 373 Portrait of Darling H. Ross ..... " 374 Residence of Joseph Ridley (with portraits) . . " 375 Portrait of Hon. Thomas Goodall (steel) ... " 376 " John Storer (steel) 0 . . . . " 377 " Dr. Alvah Dam 37S HISTORY OP YORK COUNTY, MAINE. BY W. W. CLAYTON.

Chapter I

west to the country of Florida, and runs along for a good five hundred leagues, which coast was discovered fifteen years ago. by Master Gio vani da Verrazano, in the name of the King of France and Madame la Regente: and this country is called by many 'La Francais,' and even by the Portuguese themselves. Its end is towards Florida, under 78° west and 3S° north. The inhabitants of this country are a very pleasant, tractable, and peaceable people. The country abounds with all sorts of fruits. There grow oranges, almonds, wild grapes, and many other fruits of odoriferous trees. The country is named by the natives ' Norumbega/ and between it and Brazil is a great gulf in which are the islands of the West Indies discovered by the Spaniards. "f EARLY DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS. Maine Discovered in 1524 — Charts of Ramusio — Champlain's Voyages — Charter of Acadia — French Settlements in Maine — English Explorers — First English Charter — Popham Colony — Voyages of Capt. John Smith.

Maine was undoubtedly the first portion of New Eng land taken possession of by any European nation. Aside from the discoveries of the Scandinavians and Northmen, who at a very remote period of antiquity are said to have penetrated to these shores and made a settlement in Rhode Island, we have positive evidence that Maine was discovered by Giovani da Verrazano, an Italian navigator, under the auspices of Francis I., king of France, in 1524. This was seventy-eight years before the first English navigator, Gosnold, had arrived on the coast of Maine. Verrazano took possession of the country in the name of the king of France and carried the news of his discovery to Europe, in consequence of which Crignon, the French geographer, was sent out in company with Capt. Parmentier, in 1529, to obtain accurate information respecting the country.

Sailing southwestward from Cape Breton " a good five hundred leagues towards the country of Florida," they took accurate observation of the direction of the coast, determined the latitude and longitude, noted the natural products of the country, and the character and habits of the natives. In formation was thus obtained for the first valuable contribution to the cartography of Maine, which was published in the celebrated collection of Ramusio, in Italy, iu 1556. Thus it appears that the French and the Italians were the first geographers of the coast of New England, and that students in those countries were studying the geography of Maine more than half a century before the subject had awakened any interest in England. Ramusio says he had compiled his maps and charts, " such as they were, not be cause he thought them perfect or complete, but because he wished to satisfy the desire of Italian students, entertaining the hope that in some time to come they would be im proved."* This remarkable passage is, no doubt, historically as well as geographically correct, and overturns the theories of some of our English writers with regard to the discovery of this country, and the nation to whom that honor be longs.

J It was known to the Portuguese, the Spanish, and the French navigators, who made various voyages to the northern part of the coast during the first half of the six teenth century. The latter nation laid claim to the country southwestward from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, including Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and Maine, and their right seems to have been generally recognized by the other nations of Continental Europe. It is called New France in all the earlier charts and collections, and also in the Latin geography of John De Laet, which was published at Ley den as late as 1614. § Andre Thevet, a French navigator, visited the Penobscot in 1556. He gives the following description of his entrance into that river : " Here we entered a river which is one of the finest in the world. We call it Norumbega.

It is marked on some charts as Grand River. The natives call it Agoncy. Upon its banks the French formerly erected a small fort, about ten leagues from its mouth. It was called the Fort of Norumbega, and surrounded by fresh water."|| We learn from this that the French, at a very early day, claimed the eastern part of Maine ; that charts had been made of its coast and principal rivers ; and that they had f Ibid., p. 231. J Folsom says (Saeo and Biddeford, p. 9), "The discovery of New England may justly be ascribed to Bartholomew Gosnold, an enter prising and intelligent navigator, who, in the year 1602, performed a voyage to this part of North America, be/ore unknown to the civilized xcorld." He also says (page 15), " The French were somewhat behind the English in making voyages of discover}' to the American continent."

The truth is, they were nearly a century ahead of them, if we except the voyages of the Cabots, who, so far as we know, merely passed by the coast of New England, without setting foot on any por tion of it. Crignon, who wrote the descriptive portion accompanying the map of New France in Ramusio's collection, says, — "Going beyond tho Cape of the Bretons, there is a country contig uous thereto, the ooast of which trends to the west a quarter south- \ Novus Orbis (New World), etc., lib. ii. c. 19. Singularities of Antarctic France, otherwise called America * Maine Historical Collections, vol. i. p. 227. 9 course which Champlain had taken, diligently explored the south and north shores of the Bay of Fundy, but without determining upon a place for their settlement. Pro ceeding westward from the mouth of the St. John, they discovered the cluster of islands now known as "Ihe Wolves" and the island of Grand Menan, called, as Champlain says, by the natives, " Manthane."

Passing by the present site of Eastport, they entered Passama quoddy Bay, and ascending the St. Croix River, disem barked on an island and began the necessary preparations for their winter's residence. The settlement called the » Holy Cross," which gave its name to the river, was the first attempt to plant a colony on the shores of Maine. The island on which it was made is now called Neutral or built a fort upon the Penobscot, ten leagues above its mouth, before the year 1556. The first movement of the French towards the establishment of a colony in this territory was made near the beginning of the seventeenth century. On the Sth of November, 1603, Henry IV. of France granted to De Monts the charter of Acadia, embracing all the country on the North American coast from the fortieth to the forty-sixth degrees of north latitude.

There can be do doubt but that the English charter of 1606 was an infringement upon this grant, the French having the prior right as the discoverers and occupants of the country. De Monts having obtained a com mission as Lieutenant-General of New France, fitted out his expedition for the establishment of a colony in Acadia in 1604. He was accompanied by Samuel de Champlain, who four years later founded the city of Quebec, and who had previously explored the river St. Lawrence. De Monts' Island. On the last day of August, De Poutrincourt was sent back to France with Secretary Ralleau, the former to make arrangements for his adventure at Port Royal, the latter to put in order some of the affairs of the company. What follows we give, as far as space will allow, from Gen. Brown's excellent translation of Champlain's own account: Champlain was commissioned to join the expedition of De Monts as royal geographer, with instructions to make discoveries, prepare maps and charts, and report directly to the crown.

He remained three years in the Gulf of Maine, faithfully executing these orders under circumstances of great hardship and peril ; and the record he has left is a marvel of accuracy, patience, and indomitable courage. The entire coast line of Maine was reconnoitred and described, and charts made of the principal harbors, which were published in Paris, under his own personal supervision, in 1613. "After the departure of the vessel the Sieur de Monts determined to send an expedition, without loss of time, along the coast of Norum begae, and this he committed to my charge, which was much to my liking. To this end I left St. Croix the 2d of September, 1604, with a pattache of seventeen or eighteen tons, twelve sailors, and two savages as guides. This day we found the vessels of the Sieur de Pou trincourt, which were anchored at the mouth of the river on account of the bad weather, and from this spot we could not move until the 5th of the same month, and then, when two or three leagues at sea, the fog came up so thickly that we soon lost their vessels from sight.

Continuing our course along the coast we made this day some twenty five leagues, and passed by a great quantity of islands, shallows, and reefs, which extend seaward in places more than four leagues. We have named the islands ' Les Isles Rangees.' . . . This same day we passed quite near an island, which is some four or five leagues long, and were nearly lost on a little rock just under water, which made a small hole in our bark near the keel. . . . The island is very high. and so cleft in places that at sea it appears as if seven or eight moun tains were ranged side by side. ... I have named this island ' L'ltle des Mants-deserts ;' its latitude is 44J°. The next morning, 6th of September, we made two leagues, and perceived a smoke in a creek which was at the foot of the mountains, and saw two canoes propelled by savages, who came within musket-shot to reconnoitre us."

The expedition of De Monts was prepared with great deliberation, and its composition arranged with thoughtful reference to the needs and possibilities of the future colony. The company numbered on its rolls soldiers inured to for eign service, sailors who were familiar with American waters, skilled mechanics, and gentlemen of rank. De Monts sailed from Havre de Grace on the 7th of April, 1604, in a ship commanded by Capt. Timothee, in com pany with the Sieurs de Poutrincourt, Champlain, and other gentlemen. On the 10th of April, the other vessel, commanded by Capt. Morel, of Honfleur, with the Sieur de Pont-Grave and the rest of the company, sailed with stores to join De Monts at Canseau, which had been selected as the place of rendezvous. While at sea De Monts changed his purpose, and directed his course farther to the westward.

On the 1st of May he sighted Sable Island, on the 8th the mainland at Cape la Heve, and on the 10th made a harbor at the present Liverpool, called by him " Port Rossignol." On the 13th the party disembarked at " Port au Mouton," and proceeded to erect shelters, having determined to await here the arrival of their consort, in search of whom a small party was sent towards Canseau in a shallop, with letters of advice. This narrative of Champlain's is exceedingly interesting, because it names and locates many places on the coast now quite familiar to the modern traveler. At Mount Desert, on the southwestern side of which he appears to have anchored and stayed overnight, he had an interview with the savages, who, after receiving presents in exchange for fish and game, consented to guide them to their home at Peimtegouet, where they said their chief, Bessabez, was.