The journey to the Azores and thence westwards to the coast of Maine is uneventful except for a brush with some Dutch ships near Santa Cruz who demand to see their papers and are within an ace of taking them as prizes. However, after some beers in Captain Gilbert’s cabin the Dutch captain having some English in his crew and fearing mutiny thinks better of it and lets Gilbert and Popham continue their journey. So, in early August the English reach the many islands off the Maine coast, sight Monhegan and others which they name St George’s Islands. On one they find the cross that Weymouth left two years ago (see 1605 panel). Further on at Sagadahoc another island will be called Parkers Island after William Parker, honouring the Plymothian who is one of the four Company leaders named in their Charter.

As the settlers journey on they are amazed at the teeming abundance of fish in the waters. They also will soon discover and relish the delicious lobsters that are part of the native American coastal dwellers’ diet. The same fishing paradise awaits them up the inland waterways for on Monday, 17th August, as the English sail up the river at Sagadahoc, the Kennebec, ‘A most gallant river very brod and of good depth we never had lesse wattr then 3 fetham when we had least and abundance of great fyshe in yet leaping above the wattr on each syd of us…’