d its origin in
Great Herring Pond in the Plymouth woods and flowed by a rather
circuitous route into Buzzards Bay at a point near the present
railroad bridge over the canal.

It was in 1627 that the colonists established a trading post on the
banks of this river, the exact point being known and marked. It was
on the south side of the river a short distance south of the Bourne
bridge spanning the canal. This structure was built for the purpose
of facilitating their intercourse with the Narragansett country, New
Amsterdam (New York), and the shores of Long Island sound. By
transporting their goods up the creek from Scusset harbor (Sandwich)
and transferring them to what is now Bournedale by land, they
reached the boatable waters of the Manomet (or Monument) river and
the open waters of Buzzards Bay.

Governor Bradford says; "For our greater convenience of trade, to
discharge our engagements, and to maintain ourselves, we built a
small pinnace at Manomet, a place on the sea, twenty miles to the
south, to which by another creek on this side, we transport our
goods by water within four or five miles and then carry them
overland to the vessel; thereby avoiding the compassing of Cape Cod
with those dangerous shoals, and make our voyage to the southward
with far less time and hazzard. For the safety of our vessel and our
goods we also there built a house and keep some servants, who plant
corn, raise swine, and are always ready to go out with the bark--which
takes good effect and turns to advantage."

The first communication between the Plymouth colony and the Dutch at
Fort Amsterdam was through this post. With a ship load of sugar,
linen and food stuffs, De Razier, the noted merchant, arrived at
Manomet in September, 1627, and Governor Bradford sent a boat to
Scusset harbor to convey him to Plymouth. There the trading was done
and the first merchandising venture of New England consummated.

In 1635 a tidal wave swept over this part of the Cape on the 15th of
August, destroying the trading post and partially filling the river
with sand.

When the white men came Bourne contained other Indian hamlets beside
Manomet. At the south was Pokesit (Pocasset) and still to the south
was Kitteaumut (Cataumet), while to the north of all these was
Comasskumkanit, the home of the Herring pond Indians.

Bourne is the first town reached when driving Capeward. After
passing through Wareham from the west and nearing Buzzards Bay, Cape
Co