 This
is the fifth in a continuing series of entries from the Voyages
of Samuel de Champlain, first published in 1613. To view Part I,
click here. For Champlain's
account of the discovery of the lake that bears his name, click
here...
Original
translation from the French by Charles Pomeroy Otis, Ph.D.
Republished by the Prince Society, Boston: 1878.
MEMOIR OF SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN
Volume II
1604-1610
CHAPTER V.
OF THE COAST, INHABITANTS, AND RIVER OF NORUMBEGUE, AND OF ALL THAT
OCCURRED DURING THE EXPLORATION OF THE LATTER.
After the departure of the vessels,
Sieur de Monts, without losing time, decided to send persons to make
discoveries along the coast of Norumbegue; and he intrusted me with
this work, which I found very agreeable.
In order to execute this commission, I set out from St. Croix on the
2d of September with a patache of seventeen or eighteen tons, twelve
sailors, and two savages, to serve us as guides to the places with
which they were acquainted. The same day we found the vessels where
Sieur de Poutrincourt was, which were anchored at the mouth of the
river St. Croix in consequence of bad weather, which place we could
not leave before the 5th of the month. Having gone two or three
leagues seaward, so dense a fog arose that we at once lost sight of
their vessels. Continuing our course along the coast, we made the
same day some twenty-five leagues, and passed by a large number of
islands, banks, reefs, and rocks, which in places extend more than
four leagues out to Sea. We called the islands the Ranges, most of
which are covered with pines, firs, and other trees of an inferior
sort. Among these islands are many fine harbors, but undesirable for
a permanent settlement. The same day we passed also near to an
island about four or five leagues long, in the neighborhood of which
we just escaped being lost on a little rock on a level with the
water, which made an opening in our barque near the keel. From this
island to the main land on the north, the distance is less than a
hundred paces. It is very high, and notched in places, so that there
is the appearance to one at sea, as of seven or eight mountains
extending along near each other. The summit of the most of them is
destitute of trees, as there are only rocks on them. The woods
consist of pines, firs, and birches only. I named it Isle des Monts
Déserts.[92] The latitude is 44° 30'.
The next day, the 6th of the month, we sailed two leagues, and
perceived a smoke in a cove at the foot of the mountains above
mentioned. We saw two canoes rowed by savages, which came within
musket range to observe us. I sent our two Savages in a boat to
assure them of our friendship. Their fear of us made them turn back.
On the morning of the next day, they came alongside of our barque
and talked with our savages. I ordered some biscuit, tobacco, and
other trifles to be given them. These savages had come
beaver-hunting and to catch fish, some of which they gave us. Having
made an alliance with them, they guided us to their river of
Pentegoüet, [93] so called by them, where they told us was their
captain, named Bessabez, chief of this river. I think this river is
that which several pilots and historians call Norumbegue, [94] and
which most have described as large and extensive, with very many
islands, its mouth being in latitude 43°, 43° 30', according to
others in 44°, more or less. With regard to the deflection, I have
neither read, nor heard any one say any thing. It is related also
that there is a large, thickly settled town of savages, who are
adroit and skillful, and who have cotton yarn. I am confident that
most of those who mention it have not seen it, and speak of it
because they have heard persons say so, who knew no more about it
than they themselves. I am ready to believe that some may have seen
the mouth of it, because there are in reality many islands, and it
is, as they say, in latitude 44° at its entrance. But that any one
has ever entered it there is no evidence, for then they would have
described it in another manner, in order to relieve the minds of
many of this doubt.
I will accordingly relate truly what I explored and saw, from the
beginning as far as I went.
In the first place, there are at its entrance several islands
distant ten or twelve leagues from the main land, which are in
latitude 44°, and 18° 40' of the deflection of the magnetic needle.
The Isle des Monts Déserts forms one of the extremities of the
mouth, on the east; the other is low land, called by the savages
Bedabedec, [95] to the west of the former, the two being distant
from each other nine or ten leagues. Almost midway between these,
out in the ocean, there is another island very high and conspicuous,
which on this account I have named Isle Haute. [96] All around there
is a vast number of varying extent and breadth, but the largest is
that of the Monts Déserts. Fishing as also hunting are very good
here; the fish are of various kinds. Some two or three leagues from
the point of Bedabedec, as you coast northward along the main land
which extends up this river, there are very high elevations of land,
which in fair weather are seen twelve or fifteen leagues out at Sea.
[97] Passing to the South of the Isle Haute, and coasting along the
same for a quarter of a league, where there are some reefs out of
water, and heading to the west until you open all the mountains
northward of this island, you can be sure that, by keeping in sight
the eight or nine peaks of the Monts Déserts and Bedabedec, you will
cross the river Norumbegue; and in order to enter it you must keep
to the north, that is, towards the highest mountains of Bedabedec,
where you will see no islands before you, and can enter, sure of
having water enough, although you see a great many breakers,
islands, and rocks to the east and west of you. For greater
security, one should keep the sounding lead in hand. And my
observations lead me to conclude that one cannot enter this river in
any other place except in small vessels or shallops. For, as I
stated above, there are numerous islands, rocks, shoals, banks, and
breakers on all sides, so that it is marvellous to behold.
Now to resume our course: as one enters the river, there are
beautiful islands, which are very pleasant and contain fine meadows.
We proceeded to a place to which the savages guided us, where the
river is not more than an eighth of a league broad, and at a
distance of some two hundred paces from the western shore there is a
rock on a level with the water, of a dangerous character.[98] From
here to the Isle Haute, it is fifteen leagues. From this narrow
place, where there is the least breadth that we had found, after
sailing some seven or eight leagues, we came to a little river near
which it was necessary to anchor, as we saw before us a great many
rocks which are uncovered at low tide, and since also, if we had
desired to sail farther, we could have gone scarcely half a league,
in consequence of a fall of water there coming down a slope of seven
or eight feet, which I saw as I went there in a canoe with our
savages; and we found only water enough for a canoe. But excepting
the fall, which is some two hundred paces broad, the river is
beautiful, and unobstructed up to the place where we had anchored. I
landed to view the country, and, going on a hunting excursion, found
it very pleasant so far as I went. The oaks here appear as if they
were planted for ornament. I saw only a few firs, but numerous pines
on one side of the river; on the other only oaks, and some copse
wood which extends far into the interior.[99] And I will state that
from the entrance to where we went, about twenty-five leagues, we
saw no town, nor village, nor the appearance of there having been
one, but one or two cabins of the savages without inhabitants. These
were made in the same way as those of the Souriquois, being covered
with the bark of trees. So far as we could judge, the Savages on
this river are few in number, and are called Etechemins. Moreover,
they only come to the islands, and that only during some months in
summer for fish and game, of which there is a great quantity. They
are a people who have no fixed abode, so far as I could observe and
learn from them. For they spend the winter now in one place and now
in another, according as they find the best hunting, by which they
live when urged by their daily needs, without laying up any thing
for times of scarcity, which are sometimes severe.
Now this river must of necessity be the Norumbegue; for, having
coasted along past it as far as the 41° of latitude, we have found
no other on the parallel above mentioned, except that of the
Quinibequy, which is almost in the same latitude, but not of great
extent. Moreover, there cannot be in any other place a river
extending far into the interior of the country, since the great
river St. Lawrence washes the coast of La Cadie and Norumbegue, and
the distance from one to the other by land is not more than
forty-five leagues, or sixty at the widest point, as can be seen on
my geographical map.
Now I will drop this discussion to return to the savages who had
conducted me to the falls of the river Norumbegue, who went to
notify Bessabez, their chief, and other savages, who in turn
proceeded to another little river to inform their own, named Cabahis,
and give him notice of our arrival.
The 16th of the month there came to us some thirty savages on
assurances given them by those who had served us as guides. There
came also to us the same day the above named Bessabez with six
canoes. As soon as the savages who were on land saw him coming, they
all began to sing, dance, and jump, until he had landed. Afterwards,
they all seated themselves in a circle on the ground, as is their
custom, when they wish to celebrate a festivity, or an harangue is
to be made. Cabahis, the other chief, arrived also a little later
with twenty or thirty of his companions, who withdrew one side and
enjoyed greatly seeing us, as it was the first time they had seen
Christians. A little while after, I went on shore with two of my
companions and two of our savages who served as interpreters. I
directed the men in our barque to approach near the savages, and
hold their arms in readiness to do their duty in case they noticed
any movement of these people against us. Bessabez, seeing us on
land, bade us sit down, and began to smoke with his companions, as
they usually do before an address. They presented us with venison
and game.
I directed our interpreter to say to our savages that they should
cause Bessabez, Cabahis, and their companions to understand that
Sieur de Monts had sent me to them to see them, and also their
country, and that he desired to preserve friendship with them and to
reconcile them with their enemies, the Souriquois and Canadians, and
moreover that he desired to inhabit their country and show them how
to cultivate it, in order that they might not continue to lead so
miserable a life as they were doing, and some other words on the
same subject. This our savages interpreted to them, at which they
signified their great satisfaction, saying that no greater good
could come to them than to have our friendship, and that they
desired to live in peace with their enemies, and that we should
dwell in their land, in order that they might in future more than
ever before engage in hunting beavers, and give us a part of them in
return for our providing them with things which they wanted. After
he had finished his discourse, I presented them with hatchets,
paternosters, caps, knives, and other little knick-knacks, when we
separated from each other. All the rest of this day and the
following night, until break of day, they did nothing but dance,
sing, and make merry, after which we traded for a certain number of
beavers. Then each party returned, Bessabez with his companions on
the one side, and we on the other, highly pleased at having made the
acquaintance of this people.
The 17th of the month I took the altitude, [100] and found the
latitude 45° 25'. This done, we set out for another river called
Quinibequy, distant from this place thirty-five leagues, and nearly
twenty from Bedabedec. This nation of savages of Quinibequy are
called Etechemins, as well as those of Norumbegue.
The 18th of the month we passed near a small river where Cabahis
was, who came with us in our barque some twelve leagues; and having
asked him whence came the river Norumbegue, he told me that it
passes the fall which I mentioned above, and that one journeying
some distance on it enters a lake by way of which they come to the
river of St. Croix, by going some distance over land, and then
entering the river of the Etechemins. Moreover, another river enters
the lake, along which they proceed some days, and afterwards enter
another lake and pass through the midst of it. Reaching the end of
it, they make again a land journey of some distance, and then enter
another little river, which has its mouth a league from Quebec,
which is on the great river St. Lawrence. [101] All these people of
Norumbegue are very swarthy, dressed in beaver-skins and other furs,
like the Canadian and Souriquois savages, and they have the same
mode of life.
The 20th of the month we sailed along the western coast, and passed
the mountains of Bedabedec, [102] when we anchored. The same day we
explored the entrance to the river, where large vessels can
approach; but there are inside some reefs, to avoid which one must
advance with sounding lead in hand. Our Savages left us, as they did
not wish to go to Quinibequy, for the savages of that place are
great enemies to them. We sailed some eight leagues along the
western coast to an island [103] ten leagues distant from Quinibequy,
where we were obliged to put in on account of bad weather and
contrary wind. At one point in our course, we passed a large number
of islands and breakers extending some leagues out to sea, and very
dangerous. And in view of the bad weather, which was so unfavorable
to us, we did not sail more than three or four leagues farther. All
these islands and coasts are covered with extensive woods, of the
same sort as that which I have reported above as existing on the
other coasts. And in consideration of the small quantity of
provisions which we had, we resolved to return to our settlement and
wait until the following year, when we hoped to return and explore
more extensively. We accordingly set out on our return on the 23d of
September, and arrived at our settlement on the 2d of October
following.
The above is an exact statement of all that I have observed
respecting not only the coasts and people, but also the river of
Norumbegue; and there are none of the marvels there which some
persons have described. I am of opinion that this region is as
disagreeable in winter as that of our settlement, in which we were
greatly deceived. [104]
ENDNOTES:
92. The natives called this island Pemetiq. _Isle que les Saunages
appellent Pemetiq.--Vide Relation de la Nouvelle-France_, par F.
Biard. 1616. Relations des Jésuites, Quebec ed. 1858. p. 44. When
the attempt was made in 1613 to plant a colony there on the
Marchioness de Guercheville, the settlement was named St. Sauveur.
This island was also by the English called Mount Mansell. But the
name given to it by Champlain has prevailed, and still adheres to
it.
The description here given of the barrenness of the island clearly
suggests the origin of the name. Desert should therefore be
pronounced with the accent on the first syllable. The latitude of
the most northern limit of the island is 44° 24'.
93. Penobscot. The name of this river has been variously written
Pentagoet, Pentagwet, Pemptegoet, Pentagovett, Penobskeag,
Penaubsket, and in various other ways. The English began early to
write it Penobscot. It is a word of Indian origin, and different
meanings have been assigned to it by those who have undertaken to
interpret the language from which it is derived.
94. The Abbé Laverdière is of the opinion that the river Norumbegue
was identical with the Bay of Fundy. His only authority is Jean
Alfonse, the chief pilot of Roberval in 1541-42. Alfonse says;
"Beyond the cape of Noroveregue descends the river of the said
Noroveregue, which is about twenty-five leagues from the cape. The
said river is more than forty leagues broad at its mouth, and
extends this width inward well thirty or forty leagues, and is all
full of islands which enter ten or twelve leagues into the sea, and
it is very dangerous with rocks and reefs." If the cape of
Norumbegue is the present Cape Sable, as it is supposed to be, by
coasting along the shores of Nova Scotia from that cape in a
north-westerly direction a little more than twenty leagues, we shall
reach St. Mary's Bay, which may be regarded as the beginning of the
Bay of Fundy, and from that point in a straight line to the mouth of
the Penobscot the distance is more than forty leagues, which was the
breadth of the Norumbegue at its mouth, according to the statement
of Alfonse. The Abbé Laverdière is not quite correct in saying that
the river Norumbegue is the same as the Bay of Fundy. It includes,
according to Alfonse, who is not altogether consistent with himself,
not only the Bay of Fundy, but likewise the Penobscot River and the
bay of the same name, with its numerous islands. Alfonse left a
drawing or map of this region in his Cosmography, which Laverdière
had not probably seen, on which the Bay of Fundy and the Penobscot
are correctly laid down, and the latter is designated the "_Rivière
de Norvebergue_." It is therefore obvious, if this map can be relied
upon, that the river of Norumbegue was identical, not with the Bay
of Fundy, but with the Penobscot, in the opinion of Alfonse, in
common with the "plusieurs pilottes et historiens" referred to by
Champlain.--_Vide copy of the Chart from the MS. Cosmography of Juan
Alfonse_ in Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, in Mr. Murphy's Voyage of
Verrazzano, New York, 1875.
95. An indefinite region about Rockland and Camden, on the western
bank of the Penobscot near its mouth, appears to have been the
domain of the Indian chief, Bessabez, and was denominated Bedabedec.
The Camden Hills were called the mountains of Bedabedec, and Owl's
Head was called Bedabedec Point.
96. Isle Haute, _high island_, which name it still retains.
Champlain wrote it on his map, 1632, "Isle Haulte." It has been
anglicized by some into Isle Holt. It is nearly six miles long, and
has an average width of over two miles, and is the highest land in
its vicinity, reaching at its highest point four hundred feet above
the level of the sea.
97. Camden Hills or Mountains. They are five or six in number, from
900 to 1,500 feet high, and maybe seen, it is said, twenty leagues
at sea. The more prominent are Mt. Batty, Mt. Pleasant, and Mt.
Hosmer, or Ragged Mountain. They are Sometimes called the
Megunticook Range. Colonel Benjamin Church denominates them "Mathebestuck's
Hills,"--_Vide Church's History of King Philip's War_, Newport,
1772, p. 143. Captain John Smith calls them the mountains of
Penobscot, "against whose feet doth beat the sea." which, he adds,
"you may well see sixteen or eighteen leagues from their situation."
98. This narrow place in the river is just above Castine, where Cape
Jellison stretches out towards the east, at the head of the bay, and
at the mouth of the river. At the extremity of the cape is Fort
Point, so called from Fort Pownall, erected there in 1759, a step
rocky elevation of about eighty feet in height. Before the erection
of the fort by Governor Pownall, it was called Wafaumkeag
Point.--_Vide Pownall's Journal_, Col. Me. His. Soc., Vol. V. p.
385. The "rock" alluded to by Champlain is Fort Point Ledge, bare at
half tide, south-east by east from the Point, and distant over half
a mile. Champlain's distances here are somewhat overestimated.
99. The terminus of this exploration of the Penobscot was near the
present site of the city of Bangor. The small river near the mouth
of which they anchored was the Kenduskeag. The falls which Champlain
visited with the Indians in a canoe are those a short distance above
the city. The sentence, a few lines back, beginning "But excepting
this fall" is complicated, and not quite logical, but the author
evidently means to describe the river from its mouth to the place of
their anchorage at Bangor.
100. The interview with the Indians on the 16th, and the taking of
the altitude on the 17th, must have occurred before the party left
their anchorage at Bangor with the purpose, but which they did not
accomplish that year, of visiting the Kennebec. This may be inferred
from Champlain's statement that the Kennebec was thirty-five leagues
distant from the place where they then were, and nearly twenty
leagues distant from Bedabedec. Consequently, they were fifteen
leagues above Bedabedec, which was situated near the mouth of the
river. The latitude, which they obtained from their observations,
was far from correct: it should be 44° 46'.
101. The Indian chief Cabahis here points out two trails, the one
leading to the French habitation just established on the Island of
St. Croix, the other to Quebec; by the former, passing up the
Penobscot from the present site of Bangor, entering the Matawamkeag,
keeping to the east in their light bark canoes to Lake Boscanhegan,
and from there passing by land to the stream then known as the river
of the Etechemins, now called the Scoudic or St. Croix. The
expression "by which they come to the river of St. Croix" is
explanatory: it has no reference to the name of the river, but means
simply that the trail leads to the river in which was the island of
St. Croix. This river had not then been named St. Croix, but had
been called by them the river of the Etechemins.--_Vide antea_, p.
31.
The other trail led up the north branch of the Penobscot, passing
through Lake Pemadumcook, and then on through Lake Chefuncook,
finally reaching the source of this stream which is near that of the
Chaudière, which latter flows into the St. Lawrence, near Quebec. It
would seem from the text that Champlain supposed that the Penobscot
flowed from a lake into which streams flowed from both the objective
points, viz. St. Croix and Quebec: but this was a mistake not at all
unnatural, as he had never been over the ground, and obtained his
information from the Indians, whose language he imperfectly
understood.
102. Bedabedec is an Indian word, signifying cape of the waters, and
was plainly the point known as Owl's Head. It gave name to the
Camden Mountains also. _Vide antea_, note 95.
103. Mosquito and Metinic Islands are each about ten leagues east of
the Kennebec. As the party went but four leagues further, the voyage
must have terminated in Muscongus Bay.
104. An idle story had been circulated, and even found a place on
the pages of sober history, that on the Penobscot, or Norumbegue, as
it was then called, there existed a fair town, a populous city, with
the accessories of luxury and wealth. Champlain here takes pains to
show, in the fullest manner, that this story was a baseless dream of
fancy, and utterly without foundation. Of it Lescarbot naïvely says,
"If this beautiful town hath ever existed in nature, I would fain
know who hath pulled it down, for there are now only a few scattered
wigwams made of poles covered with the bark of trees and the skins
of wild beasts." There is no evidence, and no probability, that this
river had been navigated by Europeans anterior to this exploration
of Champlain. The existence of the bay and the river had been noted
long before. They are indicated on the map of Ribero in 1529. Rio de
Gamas and Rio Grande appear on early maps as names of this river,
but are soon displaced for Norumbega, a name which was sometimes
extended to a wide range of territory on both sides of the
Penobscot. On the Mappe-Monde of 1543-47, issued by the late M.
Jomard, it is denominated Auorobagra, evidently intended for
Norumbega. Thevet, who visited it, or sailed along its mouth in
1556, speaks of it as Norumbegue. It is alleged that the aborigines
called it Agguncia. According to Jean Alfonse, it was discovered by
the Portuguese and Spaniards.--_Vide His. de la N. France_, par M.
Lescarbot, Paris, 1612, Qvat. Liv. p. 495. The orthography of this
name is various among early writers, but Norumbegue is adopted by
the most approved modern authors.
This
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