A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2

260
Legends on Winthrop's Sketches of Points on the Coast of Maine.
Winthrop, John

1630-06

Left-hand corner: Tuesday June 8. about 3: in the afternoone. the lande appeared thus to vs in the Center of this circle

Legend over left-hand hills: thus it semed at first in the evening

On diagonal line below: 12 15: leg:

Legends on right-hand hills: thus it seemed next daye this lyes in 44.

To the right of vertical line: 10: leg, n: b: w:

Legends below right-hand hills: 5. or 6: lowe ilandes lye thus this rock lyes thus a litle aboue water. neere no lande by 3: or 4: leg,

Legend at top, left half: when the great hill in the maine Lande laye n: & b: E: from vs. the rock laye E: by n. & the 5: or 6: small Ilandes of low land laye the foremost n: & the rest more w: eache after other & seemed to be middwaye, towardes the mayne

Legend at top, right half: then we sawe other verye highe lande to the n: w: which seemed muche neerer then the other highe lande: & other broken landes to the w: of indifferent height. we were at this tyme in 43: ½ June 9. & had 60: fath: water softe oaze.

Below left-hand hills: the 3: Turkes heades. some 4: le: from the litle rock.1

1.

These legends and the accompanying sketches, together with the entries in the Journal for June 8, have been studied by S. E. Morison in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, XXVII. His conclusion is, briefly, that the center of the circle represents the point at which Mount Desert was sighted at 3 P.M., June 8, distant about twelve leagues; and the upper left-hand sketch represents Mount Desert as it then appeared. Thence the Arbella steered W.S.W. through the night of June 8–9. The upper right-hand range of hills represents either Mount Desert or the Camden Hills as they appeared on June 9, distant about ten leagues. The legend on the upper left-hand corner of Winthrop's sketch, together with his entry for June 9, enables us to identify the “litle rock” “a litle aboue water” as Matinicus Rock. It is this rock, together with Matinicus and Ragged Arse Islands, which are depicted on the sketch, just to the N.E. of the circle, and described in the adjoining legends. On June 10 the Arbella sailed W. by S., well off the Maine coast, descrying in the afternoon “the 3: turkes heades” (Mt. Agamenticus near York), which is depicted on the sketch to the left of the circle.

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