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LETTER
OP
THOMAS DERMER,
DESCRIBING
HIS PASSAGE FROM MAINE TO VIRGINIA,
a.d. 1619.
FROM PURCHAs’s PILGRIMS,
London; 1625
INOTE
The author of the following Letter is noticed in Holmes’s Annals,
a work of high reputation for historical accuracy, in the following
manner:—
“ A. D. 1619. Thomas Dermer, employed by Sir Ferdinando
Gorges on a fishing voyage to New England, loaded a ship of two
hundred tons with fish and furs at Monahiggon, and despatched it
for England. Proceeding in a small bark for Virginia, he sailed
between the main land and Long Island, and was the first person
who ascertained this to be an island.”
Prince, in reference to the same navigator, had previously said,
that he “ steered along the coast between Long Island and the
main, being the first who passes through and finds it to be an island
thirty leagues in length, before accounted part of the main : thence
sails along the coast, arrives at Cape Charles Sept. 7, and next day
at the mouth of James river.”*
Monahiggon, or, as the name is now written, Monhegan, is an
island on the coast of Maine, a few leagues east of Kennebec river,
to which the English resorted as a fishing station before the settle-
ment of the country. Dermer sailed from thence along the coast
to Virginia in an open boat, in the summer of 1619; and had it
been stated by the learned authors above cited, that he was the first
Englishman who passed through Long Island Sound, and ascer-
tained that Long Island was not a part of the main, as his country-
men had previously supposed, there would have been some ground
for the assertion. But the Dutch navigators, as we have seen, had
fully explored the Sound several years before, and sailed on all
sides of Long Island.
Dermer’s trip was nevertheless an important link in the chain of
discovery, as it made known to the friends of American coloniza-
tion in England many parts of the American coast that had escaped
* New England Chronology. Boston, 1736. p. 64. Dr. Belknap is more
cautious in speaking of this matter, merely stating that Dermer is said to have
been the first, &c. Am. Biog. i. 362.NOTE,
345
previous navigators among their countrymen. He seems to have
been in the employment of the Plymouth Company, chartered by
King James in 1606, which afterwards assumed the title of the
4‘ Council established at Plymouth in Devonshire, for the planting,
ruling and governing of New England in America.” In a sort of
manifesto published by this company in 1622, setting forth their
operations from the year 1607 to that date, they mention that Der-
mer was despatched by them in a ship sent to New England “ for
the fishing business,” and that “ leaving the fishermen to their la-
bour [at Monhegan], he coasted the shore from thence, searching
every harbour, and compassing every cape-land till he arrived in
Virginia.” They go on to state that he hoped to obtain some sup-
plies there from a vessel sent out by the company to meet him, “ as
also to lay a deck upon his pinnace that before had not any, and
he was now taught by experience the necessity of having that
defect supplied.” After despatching his business in Virginia, Der-
mer “ put himself to sea again, resolving to accomplish in his jour-
ney back to New England what in his last discovery he had omitted.
In his passage he met with certain Hollanders, who had a trade in
Hudson's river some years before that time, with whom he had
a conference about the state of that coast, and their proceedings
with those people, whose answer gave him good content. He be-
took himself to the following of his business, discovering many
goodly rivers, and exceeding pleasant and fruitful coasts and islands,
for the space of eighty leagues from east to west; for so that coast
doth range along from Hudson river to Cape James,” [meaning
Cape Cod].*
It thus appears that Dermer was considered by the Council of
Plymouth as the original discoverer of the coasts lying between
our river and the southern shore of Massachusetts, on the route of
Long Island Sound. The following Letter contains a brief descrip-
tion of his passage to Virginia, but not of his return, as it was
written soon after his arrival in that colony, at the plantation of
* The publication above quoted is entitled, “A Brief Relation of the Dis-
covery and Plantation of New England, and of sundry accidents therein oc-
curring, from the year of our Lord 1607 to this present 1622,” &c. Dedicated
by the President and Council of New England to the Prince’s Highness. It
is reprinted entire in Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. i. 3d series.
44346
NOTE.
Capt. John Martyn * But it appears that in the following summer,
after his return to New England, Dermer wrote another letter>
dated June 30th, 1620, in which he described more particularly the
results of his observations. Of this we have only a few extracts*
contained in an early history of the Plymouth Colony, the author
of which was a nephew of Governor Bradford, and had access to
all his papers, consisting of a manuscript history of the colony, now
unfortunately lost, and various other documents relating to the dis-
covery and settlement of the country. Among these was Dermer’s
second letter, of which this writer gives the date, and adds that
Dermer was at Plymouth in the same year that the Pilgrims ar-
rived, “ as appears by a relation written by him, bearing date June
30, Anno 1620, and they arrived in the country in the month of
November following, so that there was but four months difference;
in which relation to his honoured friend he hath these passages of
this very place where New Plymouth now is.”i* The author then
goes on to cite portions of Dermer’s letter descriptive of the place
where the Pilgrims soon after established their colony, called by
the Indians Patuxet, but named by Capt. Smith, on his map of
New England published in 1614, Plymouth—“ one of the few
names,” says the learned editor of Morton, “ given by that dis-
tinguished adventurer which remains unchanged.” It is not a little
remarkable that in this letter Dermer recommends this place for
“ the first plantation, if there come to the number of fifty persons
or upwards,” and within five months after the date of the letter, the
Pilgrims, landing fortuitously on the coast, selected the same spot
as a suitable location for their colony.
It is probable that the second letter of Dermer was addressed to
Sir Ferdinando Gorges, an active and efficient member of the Coun-
cil of Plymouth, and a special patron of the enterprise in which
he was engaged. Gorges says that Dermer sent him. “ a journal
of his proceeding, with the description of the coast all along as he
* Martyn had the charge of one hundred colonists in the country of the Nan
semonds, on the south side of James River. Purchas, 1. ix. c. 6.
f “ New England’s Memorial,” &c., by Nathaniel Morton. Cambridge,
N. E., 1669. A new edition was published a few years ago under the care of
Judge Davis, of Boston, who has enriched it with many valuable notes and
illustrations*NOTE.
347
passed.”* The object of his voyage may be understood from the
following statement.
It appears that an Englishman of the name of Hunt, who com-
manded one of the ships with which Capt. Smith came to New
England in 1614, remained on the coast after Smith’s departure,
and succeeded in kidnapping a number of Indians, chiefly from Pa-
tuxet, afterwards Plymouth, whom he carried to Malaga, in Spain,
and endeavoured to sell for slaves. As soon, however, as the cir-
cumstances became known, a sympathy was excited in behalf of
the unfortunate captives, and through the benevolent efforts of the
monks of that city, many of them were rescued from slavery, and
found their way back to their native forests. Among them is said
to have been a chief named Tisquantum, or as more commonly
written, Squanto, who reached London, where he was received by
a merchant of the Newfoundland company, and sent out to that
island. There he was noticed by Capt. Mason, the governor of
the colony, with whom he remained until, on the arrival of Dermer,
he returned with him to England.
The outrage of Hunt had excited a general distrust of Europeans
among the natives of New England, and it occurred to Dermer that
the services of Squanto might be profitably employed in removing
the prejudice from the minds of his countrymen. He wrote to this
effect to the Plymouth Company, who at once entered into his views,
and the following season despatched Capt. Rocraft to meet him in
New England. But Dermer had in the meantime sailed for Eng-
land, taking Squanto with him; and the Company, desirous of avail-
ing themselves of his aid in conciliating the Indians, fitted out
another ship for a fishing voyage, in which they sent him and
Squanto to New England with the hope of their meeting Rocraft.
But on their arrival at Monhegan, not finding him, Dermer took a
pinnace, and left the fishermen to pursue their business, while he
sought the native country of his savage companion. His subsequent
adventures, until his arrival in Virginia, are briefly related in the
following Letter. The result of his mission appears to have been
quite satisfactory to his employers, who in their published mani-
festo gave him the credit of making peace between the savages of
* “A brief Narration of the original undertakings of the advancement of
Plantations into the parts of America, &c. Written by the Worshipful Sir
F. Gorges, Knight, &c, London, 1658.” Reprinted in Mass. Hist. Coll. vi.
3d series.348
NOTE.
those parts and the English, of which, it was intimated, the colony
of New Plymouth afterwards reaped the benefit.
There seems to have been, however, another object which Der-
mer proposed to himself in undertaking this voyage. A few years
before an Indian named Epinow, belonging to Martha’s Vineyard,
who had been forcibly carried to Europe, came into the possession
of Gorges, and induced him to believe that there was a valuable
mine in his country, which he would discover if sent home. A ship
was accordingly fitted out for the voyage, and sailed with Epinow
and two other Indians, in the summer of 1614. But it was a mere
ruse on the part of the wily savage to effect his return, and soon
after their arrival in New England he contrived to make his escape
from the ship. Notwithstanding what had occurred, Gorges seems
not to have doubted the truth of the story, imagining that Epinow
feared the consequences of betraying “ the secrets of the country
and when Dermer proposed to him to employ Squanto, he consented
without doubt for the purpose of again endeavouring to discover the
hidden treasure. Some hints of the kind are given in the following
Letter.
The prevalence of a mortal disease among the natives of New
England by which the country within certain limits was almost
entirely depopulated, is often alluded to in the accounts of that pe-
riod. It is supposed to have commenced its ravages about the year
1616, and to have continued for two or three years. Dermer calls
it the plague, from its desolating effects, but writers seem not to
agree as to the character of the disease. What must have been the
emotions of the savage chief on arriving at his native place, and
finding his people utterly extinct—kindred, friends, the companions
of his youth, all gone, and not a solitary survivor left with whom he
could condole in the general calamity—not one to greet him upon
his return from a long captivity in a far distant land I The sequel of
the story of this Indian belongs to the history of the Plymouth colony.
The imperfect knowledge he had acquired of the English language
was sufficient to enable him to act the part of interpreter with the
neighbouring tribes, and his familiarity with the country rendered
him an excellent guide in threading the mazes of the wilderness.
His services thus became of great importance to the colony, and his
name often occurs in the simple narratives of their early struggles
with the disadvantages of their situation.NOTE.
349
Dermer did not long survive his last visit to New England. Visit-
ing Martha’s Vineyard, he there met with Epinow, who at first en-
tertained him with an amusing account of the means by which he
had effected his escape, but afterwards suspecting that the English-
man had come for the purpose of betraying him, he conspired with
some of his nation to make him a prisoner. “ Thereupon,” says
Sir Ferdinando Gorges, “ they laid hands upon him, but he being
a brave, stout gentleman, drew his sword and freed himself, but not
without fourteen wounds.” This encounter caused Dermer’s speedy
return to Virginia, where he died soon after, from the effects of his
wounds, as stated by Smith,* but according to Sir F. Gorges, “ he
had the misfortune to fall sick and die of the infirmity many of our
nation are subject unto at their first coming into those parts.”
Editor.
* Hist. Virginia, ii. 219.LETTER, &c.
TO HIS WORSHIPFUL FRIEND, M. SAMUEL PURCHAS,
PREACHER OF THE WORD,
At the Church a little within Ludgate, LONDON.*
It was the nineteenth of May before I was fitted for my dis-
covery, when from Monahiggan I set sail in an open pinnace of
five tons for the island I told you of. I passed along the coast
where I found some ancient plantations, not long since popu-
lous, now utterly void ; in other places a remnant, remains, but
not free of sickness. Their disease is the plague, for we might
perceive the sores of some that had escaped, who described the
spots of such as usually die. When I arrived at my savage’s
native country, finding all dead, I travelled a long day’s journey
westward, to a place called Nummastaquyt,j* where finding in-
habitants, I despatched a messenger a day’s journey farther
west to Poconaokit,X which bordereth on the sea ; whence came
to see me two kings, attended with a guard of fifty men, who
being well satisfied with what my savage and I discoursed unto
them, (being desirous of novelty,) gave me content in whatso-
ever I demanded, where I found that former relations were
true.
Here I redeemed a Frenchman, and afterwards another at
Mastachusit, who three years since escaped shipwreck at the
north-east of Cape Cod. I must [be brief] (amongst many things
worthy observation) for want of leisure ; therefore hence I pass
(not mentioning any place where we touched in the way) to the
island which we discovered the twelfth of June. Here we had
good quarter with the savages, who likewise confirmed former
reports. I found seven several places digged, sent some of the
earth, with samples of other commodities elsewhere found,
sounded the coast, and the time being far spent, bore up for
Monahiggan, arriving the three and twentieth of June, where
* Purchas was rector of St. Martin’s church, Ludgate, London, and chap-
lain to the archbishop of Canterbury.
t The native place of Squanto was Patuxet, afterwards Plymouth. Num-
mustaquyt, commonly written Namasket, was an Indian settlement in the
present town of Middleborough, about fifteen miles west of Plymouth.
t Commonly written Pokanoket., now included in the town of Bristol,
Hhode Island, about forty miles from Plymouth. Massassoit, chief of the
Wampanoags, for many years the unshaken friend of the Pilgrims, resided at
this place. The ‘ two kings' with whom Dermer had the interview, are sup-
posed to have been Massassoit and his brother.dermer’s letter.
351
we found ship ready to depart. To this isle are two others
near adjoining, all which I called by the name of King James’s
Isles, because from thence I had the first motives to search for
that (now probable passage) which may hereafter be both hon-
ourable and profitable to his Majesty.
When I had despatched with the ships ready to depart, I
thus concluded for the accomplishing my business. In regard
of the fewness of my men, not being able to leave behind me a
competent number for defence, and yet sufficiently furnish my-
self, I put most of my provisions aboard the Sampson of Capt.
Ward, ready bound for Virginia, from whence he came, taking
no more into the pinnace than I thought might serve our turns,
determining, with God’s help, to search the coast along, and at
Virginia to supply ourselves for a second discovery if the first
failed. But as the best actions are commonly hardest in effect-
ing, and are seldom without their crosses, so in this we had our
share, and met with many difficulties ; for we had not sailed
above forty leagues but we were taken with a southerly storm,
which drove us to this strait, either we must weather a rocky
point of land, or run into a broad bay not less dangerous. Inci
dit in Scyllamr &c. The rocks we could not weather, though
we loosed till we received much water, but at last were forced
to bear up for the bay, and run on ground a furlong off the
shore, where we had been beaten to pieces had we not instantly
thrown overboard our provisions to save our lives, by which
means we escaped and brought off our pinnace the next high
water without hurt, having our plank broken, and a small leak
or two which we easily mended. Being left in this misery,
having lost much bread, all our beef and cider, some meal and
apparel, with other provisions and necessaries, having now little
left but hope to encourage us to persist; yet, after a little de-
liberation, we resolved to proceed, and departed with the next
fair wind.
We had not now that fair quarter among the savages as be-
fore, which I take it was by reason of our savage’s absence,
who desired (in regard of our long journey) to stay with some
of our savage friends at Sawahquatooke* for now almost every-
where, where they were of any strength, they sought to betray
us. At Manamock, (the southern part of Cape Cod, now call-
ed Sutcliffe’s Inlets,) I was unawares taken prisoner, when they
sought to kill my men whom I left to man the pinnace ; but
missing of their purpose, they demanded a ransom, which had,
I was as far from liberty as before ; yet it pleased God at last5,
after a strange manner, to deliver me, with three of them into-
* An Indian settlement in the present town of Brewster, on the peninsula
of Cape Cod.352
dormer’s letter.
my hands, and a little after the chief sachem himself, who see-
ing me weigh anchor, would have leaped overboard, but inter-
cepted, craved pardon, and sent for the hatchets given for ran-
som, excusing himself by laying the fault on his neighbours ;
and to be friends, sent for a canoe’s lading of corn, which re-
ceived we set him free. I am loth to omit the story, wherein
you will find a cause to admire the great mercy of God even in
our greatest misery, in giving us both freedom and relief at one
time.
Departing hence, the next place we arrived at was Capaock
[Martha’s Vineyard], an island formerly discovered by the Eng-
lish, when I met with Epinow, a savage that had lived in Eng-
land, and speaks indifferent good English, who four years
since, being carried home, wTas reported to have been slain
with divers of his countrymen by sailors, which was false.
With him I had much conference, who gave me very good satis-
faction in every thing almost I could demand. Time not permit-
ting me to search here, which I should have done for sun-
dry things of special moment, the wind fair, I stood away,
shaping my course as the coast led me, till I came to the most
westerly part, where the coast began to fall away southerly.
In my way I discovered land about thirty leagues in length,
heretofore taken for main, where I feared I had been embayed,
but by the help of an Indian I got to the sea again, through
many crooked and straight passages. I let pass many accidents
in this journey occasioned by treachery, where we were com-
pelled twice to go together by the ears ; once the savages had
great advantage of us in a strait, not above a bowshot, and where
a multitude of Indians let fly at us from the bank ; but it pleas-
ed God to make us victors. Near unto this we found a most
dangerous cataract amongst small rocky islands, occasioned by
two unequal tides, the one ebbing and flowing two hours before
the other.* Here we lost an anchor by the strength of the cur-
rent, but found it deep enough. From hence were we carried
in a short space by the tide’s swiftness into a great bay, (to us
so appearing,) but indeed is broken land, which gave us light of
the sea. Here, as I said, the land trendeth southerly. In this
place I talked with many savages, who told me of two sundry
passages to the great sea on the west, offered me pilots, and
one of them drew me a plat with chalk upon a chest, whereby
I found it a great island, parted by the two seas. They report
the one scarce passable for shoals, perilous currents ; the other
no question to be made of.
Having received these directions, I hasten to the place of
greatest hope, where I proposed to make trial of God’s good-
* Probably Hell gate.dermer’s letter.
353
ness towards us, and use my best endeavours to bring the truth
to light; but we were but only showed the entrance, when in
seeking to pass, we were forced back with contrary and over-
blowing winds, hardly escaping both [with] our lives. Being
thus overcharged with weather, I stood along the coast to seek
harbours, to attend a favourable gale to recover the strait; but
being a harbourless coast, for aught we could then perceive, we
found no succour till we arrived betwixt Cape Charles and the
main, on the east side of the bay Chestapeak, where in a wilde
(wide ?) road we anchored; and the next day, (the eighth of
September) crossed the bay to Kecoughtan, where the first news
struck cold to our hearts—the general sickness was over the
land.
Here I resolved with all possible speed to return in pursuit
of this business, so that after a little refreshing, we recovered
up the river to James city, and from thence to Capt. Ward’s
plantation, where immediately we fell to hewing of boards for
a close deck, having found it a most desired course to attempt
as before. As we were thus labouring to effect our purposes,
it pleased Almighty God, (who only disposeth of the times and
seasons wherein all works shall be accomplished,) to visit us
with his heavy hand, so that at one time there were but two of
us able to help the rest; myself so sore shaken with a burning
fever, that I was brought even unto death’s door, but at length,
by God’s assistance, escaped, and have now with the rest al-
most recovered my former strength. The winter having over
taken us, (a time on these coasts especially subject to gusts
and fearful storms,) I have now resolved to choose a more tem-
perate season, both for the general good and our own safeties.
And thus I have sent you a broken discourse, though indeed
very unwilling to have given any notice at all, till it had pleased
God to have b essed me with a thorough search, that our eyes
might have witnessed the truth. I have drawn a plot of the
coast, which I dare not yet to part with for fear of danger ; let
this therefore serve for confirmation of your hopes, till I can
better perform my promise and your desire. For what 1 have
spoken I can produce at least mille testes, (a thousand wit-
nesses,) far separate, of the sea behind them, and of ships,
which came many days’ journey from the west, and of the great
extent of this sea to the north and south, not knowing any
bounds thereof westward. I cease to trouble you till a better
opportunity offer itself, remembering my best love, &c, - I rest
yours to command,
THOMAS DERMEE.
From Captain Martyn’s Plantation,
27th December, 1619.
45354
dermer’s letter.
The following extract from the Brief Narration of Sir F. Gorges,
quoted above, shows his connexion with Dermer. Gorges acted
on behalf of the Council, by whom Dermer was employed.
“ Captain Dermer being disappointed of his means to come
from New-found-land to New England, took shipping for Eng-
land, and came to me at Plymouth [1619], where I gave him
an account of what I had done, and he me of what his hopes
were to be able to do me service, if I pleased to employ him. —
Hereupon I conferred his informations together with mine own
I received by several ways, and found them to agree in
many particulars of highest consequence and best considera-
tions. Whereupon I despatched him away with the company
he had gotten together, as fast as my own ship could be made
ready for her ordinary employment, sending with him what he
thought necessary, hoping to have met Captain Rocraft, where
he was assigned to attend till he received further directions from
me. But at the ship’s arrival, they found Captain Rocraft gone
for Virginia, with all his company, in the barque he had taken,
of which before. Captain Dermer arriving, and seeing Ro-
craft gone, was much perplexed. Yet so resolved he was, that
he ceased not to follow his design with the men and means
which I had sent him ; and so shaped his course from Sagada-
hock in forty-four degrees, to Capawike, [Martha’s Vineyard,]
being in 41° 36', sending me a journal of his proceeding, with
the description of the coast all along as he passed. Passing
by Capawike, he continued his course along the coast from
harbour to harbour till he came to Virginia, where he expected
to meet with Rocraft.” Chap. xv.
Smith has the following notice of him :—“ Master Thomas
Dermer, an understanding and industrious gentleman, that
was also with me amongst the Frenchmen, having lived about a
year in Newfoundland, returned to Plymouth, (Eng.) went for
New England in this ship, and so much approved of this coun-
try that he staid there with five or six men in a little boat; find-
ing two or three Frenchmen among the savages, who had lost
their ship, augmented his company, with whom he ranged the
coast to Virginia, where he was kindly welcomed and well re-
freshed ; thence returned to New England again, where having
been a year, in his back return to Virginia he was so wounded
by the savages that he died upon it ”—Hist. Virg. ii. 219..