A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2

261
June Wensday 9.
Winthrop, John

1630-06-09

In the morninge the winde Easterly, but grewe presently calme, now we had verye faire weather and warme about noone the winde came to S: w: so we stood w: n: w: with a handsome gale and had the maine lande vpon our starbord all that daye about 8: or 10: leagues off: it is verye highe lande, lyinge in many hilles verye vnequall. At night we sawe manye small Ilandes beinge lowe lande betweene vs and the maine about 5: or 6: leagues off vs. and about 3: leagues from vs towardes the maine a small rocke a little aboue water. At night we sounded and had softe oazy grounde at 60: fath oms so the winde beinge nowe skant at w: we tacked again and stood S: S: w: we were now in 43: ½. This highe lande which we sawe we iudged to be at the w: Cape of the great Baye which goeth towardes porte Royall, called mount desart or mount mansell, and no Ilande but part of the maine In the night the winde shifted ofte.

Thursdaye 10:
Winthrop, John

1630-06-10

In the morninge the winde S: and by w: till 5: in the morninge a thick fogge. then it clered vp with faire weather, but somewhat Closse. after we had runne some 10: leagues w: and by S: we lost sight of the former lande but made other highe lande on our starre board as farre of as we could descrye. but we lost it again 1 The winde continued all this daye at S: a stiffe steddy gale, yet we bare all our sayles and stood w: s: w: about 4: in the after noone, we made lande on our starbord bowe, called the 3: turks heades, being a ridge of 3 hilles vpon the mayne, wherof the Southmost is the greatest, it lyes neere Aquamenticus. we descryed also an other hill more * called Boone Ile.2 northward which lyes by Cape Porpus. we sawe also a head of vs some 4: le agues from shore a small rocke,* not aboue a flight shoot ouer, which hathe a dangerous shoal to the east and by S: of it some 2: leagues in lengthe. we kept our luff and weatherd it, and left it on our starbord about 2: miles off. towardes night we might see the trees in all places verye playnly, and a small hill to the Southward of the Turks heades; all the rest of the lande to the S: was plaine lowe lande: heere we had a fine freshe smell from shore. Then least we should not get Cleere of the Ledge of rocks which 262lye vnder water from within a flight shoot of the said rocke (called Boone Ile which we had nowe brought n: E: from vs) towardes Pascataquay: we tacked and stood S: E: with a stiffe gale at S: by w;

1.

The White Mountains.

2.

This marginal note is in paler ink.