Thursday, September 4, 2014

Assonet to Dighton Rock

I'd last visited Dighton Rock in June of 2012 when I paddled there from Weir Park in Taunton only to find the doors to the museum locked.  Yesterday I paddled to the Dighton Rock Museum (at left) from the village of Assonet (in Freetown, MA) and arrived to find that the door was open.  Well actually a park employee was just locking it but graciously allowed me some additional time.

I'd launched at Hathaway Park and paddled the Assonet River through Assonet Bay to its confluence with the Taunton River at Conspiracy Island...
Some say the island is named for secret plotting that may have occurred here prior to the outbreak of King Philip's War.

Numerous jellyfish such as this one were seen along the way...


Once in the Taunton River, I traveled with the incoming tide to my destination, the museum that houses Dighton Rock.  After signing the register I checked out some of the informational wall boards ...


Finally, in the rear of the building is the encased rock...
The photo shows the upper right section where I could make out what appears to be a thunder bird and a couple of faces.  Other images along with some kind of text cover the rock's face.

Now the images will swirl around inside my head and, with some beneficial fermentation, the mystery should soon be solved. 

On my return trip back to Assonet, I couldn't resist the temptation to enter into Broad Cove.  Up to this point trash of any kind had been very scarce.  However, this changed when I beached my boat where the Old Colony Railroad tracks between Taunton and Fall River, long ago, crossed the cove's mouth...

These days the area looks to be frequented by shore fishermen, and their refuse was not so well hidden amidst the shrubbery...

There were also these 3 Mylar balloons which can't be blamed on fishing...

At Conspiracy Island I hung a left and ascended the Assonet River with the last of the flooding tide.  This allowed me to reach and pass under the approximately 200 year old  Elm Street Bridge...
A closer look at the bridge's construction...

At the head of tidewater, just past the bridge, I looked up at the Assonet River's fresh water cascading down from the dam...
Shortly I was back at Hathaway Park and reflecting on a pleasant day spent messing about on the water.  Ospreys, gulls, and cormorants were plentiful.  Aside from the trash collected at Broad Cove, the shorelines of both rivers were relatively spotless.

Favorite abode seen...


As to the meaning of the inscriptions on Dighton Rock, I believe the local Native Americans created a multi-lingual message to their visitors: "We hope you enjoyed your visit.  Please have a safe trip home".

1 comment:

PenobscotPaddles said...

A beautiful site, worth it for the amazing stone bridge alone. Wonderful translation of the mystery rock, but I think you. Forgot the part that offers blessings on those who keep the waters clean.