FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK, 



Gloucester Harbor in 1606. 



On the opposite page is presented a map of Gloucester Harbor, as it 

 appeared to some French navigators who sought its shelter in 1606, repro- 

 duced from a map first published in France in 1613. The accompanying 

 account of this first visit to our harbor was translated from the " Voyages 

 of Champlain," for the columns of the Cape Ann Advertiser, and so far as 

 our knowledge extends has not elsewhere appeared in print in the English 

 language. 



The alphabetical references on the map are as follows (the figures denot- 

 ing the depth of water, probably in French metres, a metre being about 

 three and one-fourth feet) : 



A, The place where our bark was anchored. B, Meadows. C, Little Isl- 

 and. (Ten Pound Island.) D, Rocky Point. (Eastern Point.) E, The 

 place where we caulked our boat. (Rocky Neck.) /, Little Rocky Island. 

 (Salt Island.) G, Wigwams of the savages, where they cultivate the earth. 

 H, Little river, where there are meadows. (Brook and marsh at Fresh 

 Water Cove.) I, Brook. (Brook which enters the sea at Pavilion Beach.) 

 L, Tongue of plain ground, where there are saffrons, nut-trees and vines. 

 (On Eastern Point.) M, The salt water from a place where the Cape of 

 Islands turns. (The creek in the marsh at little good harbor.) N, Little 

 river. (Brook near Clay Cove.) O, Little Brook coming from meadows. 

 (This brook cannot now be exactly located.) P, A little brook where they 

 washed their linen. (At Oakes' Cove, Rocky Neck.) Q, Troop of savages 

 coming to surprise them. (At Rocky Neck.) R, Sand beach. (Niles' 

 Beach, at Eastern Point.) S, The sea-coast. (Back side of Eastern Point.) 

 T, The Sieur de Poutrincourt in ambuscade with seven or eight arquebusiers. 

 V, The Sieur de Champlain perceiving the savages. 



In 1603 Samuel de Champlain sailed on a voyage to Canada and ascended 

 the St. Lawrence as far as Cartier went in 1535. In 1604 he made a second 

 voyage, as pilot for De Monts, lieutenant-general of L'Acadie. They sailed 

 from Havre April 7, saw Sable Island May i, and fixed the place for their 

 winter residence on St. Croix Island in the St. Croix river. Sept. 2, Cham- 

 plain left St. Croix for a cruise, sailed up the Penobscot as far as Bangor, 

 and then returned to his winter quarters. June 18, 1605, De Monts and 

 Champlain, with a small company, left St. Croix and cruised along the coast 

 to the southward until July 16, when they reached "a cape, where there were 

 three islands* near the main land, full of trees of different kinds. We named 

 this place," says Champlain, "Cap aux Isles,t near which we perceived a 

 canoe containing five or six savages, who came near our bark and then went 



*The "Three Turks' Heads" of Capt. John Smith; now Straitsmouth Island, Thacher's 

 Island, and Milk Islalid. tNow Cape Ann. 



