New-York daily tribune., 1858-09-21

h.ad We anchored In a narrow channel between
the Island and the mainland. The seaInen -et -
WORK "a compound chowder for dinner, :" me We
took n. dory and went FIRST 70 Tie leland 70 gather
crabs for bait. intended 20 hsh for talt"s'
4 large Boston Yacht was al anchor not Tar from
u. and d party of gentlemen from her "efe al
ready on the island fishing for tsn'og with RODS
The Island j. of rocks quarter oi ME IN
length, uninhsb.ted. and covered with thin
growth of grass and bushes.
The Professor being expert az crab-eatbns, We
,cOn had bait IN plenty. Selecting place n tl.
north end Of the i.land. where an eddy whrled and
.ee,hed around a huge isolated rock. We anchored
and began to tish. tunners of a large size soon
gathered around our boat in -lch multitude that
caught them nearly - ia-t az We could beit.
We threw back into The sea all but the largest,
which would weigh .omeW hat Iuore than pound
piece. OF tautog We caught ony seven. the
largest of which weighed three pounds, and was
sixteen inches in length.
The tsutog or blsckfsh. a. il Z commonly called
in New-York-iGEtog in the Mohegan language
/ meaning Hack-naturally ranges only from the
Capes OF the Delaware 10 Cape Cod. But twenty
or thirty yeas ago some gentlemen Of Boston caused
a number to be- brought in well-boats around Cape
God and set free in Massachusetts, Bay. They have
since multiplied rapidly, and have extended north
west far the coast Of New Brunswick. Nr.
Perley say. that in l-.l many OF them We're exhlb
tied for sale in the f.h market of - John, the
largest of which weighed eight pounds. The larg-
est specimen OF Whch Dr. >torer hsd any hRowl-
edge. twenty years ago, weighed sixteen pounds.
They are now caught plentifully at Nshant. at
Plymouth and at Ma .hfed-so plentifuly, indeed,
at Narshfeld. that they used there for lobster
bait and are little esteemed for f,-jd probably be-
cause they are improperly cooked. Frank F0res-
ter in the earlier editions of bis " Fish and Fishing
in North America says that on the table hi- excel
leDce depends mainly on the cook. But in the re-
4 i. -. IL. - 49, IN tt..
than on the hook, and better the table than IN
the pan"
The chowder was excellent. and after doing hbe
raj Justice 10 it, about , p. III. We ho-ted sail for
Narbehead, with tiff breeze from the northeast,
which swept Us with rush into the harbor OF that
fsmou. fishing town. We came 70 anchor pretty
close 10 the wharyes, with a huge elf rising ab-
ruptly from the water about hundred yards ahead
of us. The harbor which is separated from the
ocean by narrow, rocky peninsula i 3 mllesnd
a.half long and hali-a-mle wide. II il easy ot ac-
cess with depth enough for the largest vessels and
Il perfectly safe except in northeast storm, when
the waves roll In with such force that said the old
pilot, 80 ! have twenty vessels ashore at once
''on wonder beach" He was native of Marble
head and had sailed from IL port for quarter ofa
century. Nearly every body in the town knew him.
. though he had lived for many years past IN swamp
scott. Soon after anchored We were surrounded
BY swarm of boats filled with enterprising young
sferr, VINO. IN accordance WIN tnt l1duI-
tional habit of the youth of the place,
had come of to chat with Uncle Widger.
and TO - haze" the strangers. They paid special
attention 10 my gold spectacles. And when the
professor and the artist with their eyes srrayed in
the same manner appeared On deck, there was
general shout Of amazement and delight. The
Assyrian hearing the uproar and learning III occa
sion, borrowed spare pare of spectaces which
! the Professor had provided in case of accident,
aud putting them on though his eyes are like those
of hawk, came out Of the cabin and gravey con-
templated our noisy visitors, whose exultation at
. this fourth apparition was loudly manifested. lt
was evident that a vessel navi gated BY men in red
shirts and wearing gold spectaces had not been
seen in Marblehead Hsrbor within the memory Of
/ the present generatiOn.
After a while these ingenious youth departed
and betook themselves 10 skimmng 10 and fro in
their dories the surface of the harbor for
7 amusement. Make EN- give you pair of gold
barnace-, Uncle Widger," was their parting salu-
taton, 90 and then the whole crew will be in uni
form"
We witnessed glorious sunset, which set of 10
great advantage the picturesque old town with It's
quaint houses and ragged nights. As i sat on deck
gazing at it, / repeated the lines which Whttier's
ballad in The Atlantic Monthly have made familiar
to the public;
Skipper Flood Ireson for his hard heart,
/ Wa. tsrrrd snd eaihered and carried in a cert"
." was in that scrape," said the old pilot who
overheard me.
The deuce YOU We're, "Why. il happened
long before you were born" said I, with an indis-
tinct impression that the " scrape," he called it,
I was prc-rey youtionary affair."
Z" IL happened fifty years ago, when | was l.
years old, and d! was of them that dragged
Ireson in his dory over to Salem after he tarred
aud feathered."
The old man proceeded TO relate what he re-
membered of the transaction. Skipper lresOn,
il will be recolected, basely passed wreck
/ which were four or hye men appealing IN him to
/ rescue them. He left them TO perish, his towns
people of NIarblehead thought, because he be-
grudged the cost of keeping them on board his
/ vessel tor even the short passage from Cape Cod
to Cape Ann. The circumstances becoming knwn,
| the indignant Marbleheaders tarred and feathered
T him, put him in the boat of his vessel, aud
/ dragged him far the entrance of Salem.
There they were stopped by the Selectmen OF
i Salem, Who informed them that all enrsged mob
/ was waiting for them in that town with the nten-
tim of hanging Ireson According to our pilot,
upon hearing this the Marblehesd mob turned
: back and took their victim home, because ueg had
been strictly charged By the Seleofmsn of Mdrbiehead
10 take that he Sustained no serious injury
. a circumstance which indicates strange mixture
of order and lawlessness in the proceeding. The
traditional story used by Whittier that lre-on re-
Pested. a. he was carried along the verses:
l. Flood rreson, for ny hard heart,
An tarred, aud iesiheEed, and carried IL a cart
the pilot pronounced untrue The verses We're
made afterward BY the boys Ireson endured his
punishment with fortitude sitting like statue and
uttering not word except once, the weather being
extremely cold. he asked for some gr0g t0 warm
him. when about half way on the road Ia Salem
I Iii. request was granted, and he made the rest of
hi. unpleasant expedition IN silence. He lived 10
I within few years. and Was commander Of SHIPS
almost 10 the time Of his death, the nerchnats Ia
yoring him, because he was noted for successful