The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1845-08-25
Cane G. 0 d..

I'd Z y o Il,
If man bend his arm, much in the way il is bent
when sitting down to write, he will have a toerahle
fair representation of the direction of that tongue Of
land the eastern coas! of Massachusetts, called
Cape Cod. This cape boldly pushes out into turbu-
lent Atlantic lis 40 miles Of sand aud rocks its hills
and valleys, its hamIels and Villages, though n
would give defiance TO the old roaring sea, and cha-
lenge its power punish its audacitY. And verify,
since the May flower anchored ualer its lee, and
how long before ~e say not has the cape stood the
ercest assaults Of the angry ocean; there stands
both shores marked by the waves, and often shaken
and trembling with the dreadful surges, shaking from
its battered coasts, undiminshed sill, the assang
pillows.
Multiplied professional calls have carried mo in
cry direction through every part of the cape, and
am familiar with all its scenery. l have witnessed
and enjoyed it when in the caImness Of a summers
day the great ocean slunbared and the cape, though
often roughly treated as an intruder seemed clnsped
us in a mothers arms, and though there could
never have been anything but peace along tho que.
shores Like, "a molten looking glass was spread
far and wide the unruilled waters, drinking in with
gladness the radiance Of the sun. And again,
! have stood upon the cliffs aud old Oceans
sunlbors broken. Those hlows and the awful fury
with which they rushed upon the shore, ana the deaf
ening thunder with which they broke there, has i'm
aged before the power Of God as nothing else has
done IT, In the presence Of such terrific scenery
there is no phrase eIOquen,or one giving sub
liner idea Of god in his awful greatness than-GoD OF
THE SEA And as have seen Of those tre-
mendous surges coming in, black with its vastness,
and swift Us the horse, with drowning all
other sounds, have Involuntary looked about to
see f rdocd the earth could be firm enough 10 resist
the shock And as the wave resisted in its fury and
its power broken su)enly retired, then has came up
that sublime appeal Of tho prophct-"Fear ye not
me- saith the Lord; will ye not tremble at my pres
cnce, which hsve placed the sand for the bound of
the sea by porpeiun! decree, that it cannot pass it,
and though tho waves thereof toss themselves, yet
they not pass over it,
That the cape should be peopled with scafarng
men would be inferred, Of course, from its location
Here found the homes Of about five thousand Of
the hardy sons oftho ocean, Travel in what drec-
ton you please, YOU will find constantly recurring
emblems of the The village tavern signs swing
in the breeze with the picture Of ship. Scarcely
any thing will DO for weather cock but the image
Of "A Goldfish The ponderous jlwbone Of the whale
must adon tho thoroughlase CT the town; ind the
boy that gets at the barndoor, fence with paint
brush or hot iron will not fail Of producing
blcm of something that swims or sails.
The cape is more profusey sprnkled with the hab
utions OF men than would have been supposed,
siderng the barrenness of the soil. The advantages
for employment in navigation make men content with
homes that have not much to boast Of in regard TO
agricultural interests. Tho houses mostly Of one
story, especially the lower parts of the cape,
higher elevation would give Old Doroas advantage
for his rude pranks, which the people think he had
better be denied.
Blu, in no part of New England is there more of
what may be called "substantal good living The
men that have had biscuit and salt beef for
large section of the year at sea, the men that
earn and will not be denied good table at home.
Those who have never visited the cape have
idea tina, it is little else beside an immense sand
bank, and that traveller must make up his mind to
a snail pace, ploughing constantly through heavy
roads, til, he shall thankfully return again TO terra
frma. But no must take part of that back A good
portion of the road to tho extremity is very tolerabie
and the traveller keep up quite dgnilied trot IN
his progress. 1t must BIO said, though, that II the
day is hot and the flies bite sharply, and the man Is
in a hurry, and has parted only with a small portion
of good temper, he will find that all the sand in the
world is no; to be found in the deserts of Africa.
Tho inhabitants Of this cape are not strangers TO
the perils of the sea. The average length OF life a.
mong seamen is much lower than that of any other
class of men And while at one time individual cas-
es of calamity by sea disasters, send sorrow into
bereaved family; at another the angry ocean makes
dreadful sweep, carrying great numbers at once TO
watery grave. Never will The October gale of 1871