New-York daily tribune., 1858-11-30
NktuQurk Dailu @ibr,re
A SUMNER CRUISE ON TIE COAST OF
NEW-ENGLAED ...X.

a group Of eight small rocky isets lyng close
together, about nine miles from the Portsmouth
lighthouses. The largest Of them Appledorc, has sa
area Of $50 acres or little more than half square
mile. Star Island, the next in size, comprises 80
FIVE other ises are mere rocks, the largest messur
ING not more than eight acres in extent.
These islands were discovered in l6l4 by Cspt.
John Smith, the founder Of Virgins, and seem At
one time TO have been Of some Importance. II Is
on record, believe. that session of the Proyin-
cisl Legislature Of New Hampshire was ouce held
here; and on Appledore there was once court
house ard church, though nov the only building
on the island is a Summer sea. side hotel and or
two deserted houses For a century before the
Revolution the population of the grouphsd risen 10
six hundred Now il numbers only hundred. who
live chiefly in village Star Island, oh which our
vessel lay. William Pepperell, an ancestor of Sir
William Pepperell the taker of Louisburg was
among the hrst settlers at the Shoals, and There,
in the fisheries, became rich, and laid the iounda-
tion of the fortunes OF his family.
The neghborhood of the Isles is famous fishing
ground. and soon We had east snchor We got
out our lines. The water was very deep and We
caught plenty of pollock, weighing two or three
pounds piece, cunners foot in length and sew
era cod and haddock. After fishing awhile the
Professor determined TO try his luck with the
dredge in the harbor. The Arts. and got the
pilot TO row us in the dory TO Appedore, whose
huge fve-storied hotel perched on the western
SIDE, excited our curiosity. We landed with dli'i-
Guilty on the steep aud slippery rocks, and the po,
returned to the sloop TO take the Professor and his
dredge.
The artist and rambled for an hour or two''oyer
Appledore which is nothing but a huge rock,
nearly mile iu length, with all elevation at the
highest Of sixty feet above the sea- Ii is scanned
with assures, apparently the work OF earthquakes,
for no other power is adequate 10 their production.
The vegetation is of the scantiesta little grass,
few bushes, an elm aud cherry tree, and patch
of potdoes few rods square, being all that We
could discover. 4 small green snake was the only
wild animal saw. The tame ones were COW aud
few sheep.
We found the landlord of the hotel, the proprie-
tor and prince of tie Island, sitting on the broad
veranda watching the western sky. He was I'M
mensely stout and jolly, and tacetous as becomes
a Bonitace. He told rs he had not been oil the
Island for thirteen years and pre- ended 10 be much
surprised at our iondness for wandering about,
when We might stay quietly at home. Our pro-
iected visit to Grand Mansn, he spoke OF as one
would voyage to Felix Boothla or the Antarctic
Continent.
Returning to the shore of the island fronting the
harbor, We saw afar off the Professor, IN his red
shirt, busily dredging, with the pilot rowing the
dory We had. of course, To wait their pleasure
TO be- taken off, tor the Assyrian and the skipper
had no boat So, after exploring ruined hoisc
near BY. We seated ourselves On the rocks aud
watched the purple sunset behind the blue
mountains on the mainland. In the course at
half an hour the Professor returned to the sloop
with the spoils of his dredging and, after putting
him ON board the pilot came and took Us OF the
rocks-not without difficulty. So steep and slip
perry with seaweed was the shore.
Among other things, the Professor had dra" n
up from the bottom specimens of the HPpofyte, q
beautifully painted shrimp, which lives IN groves
of lsminarla and other seaweeds; of the sea-cu-
lender broad, rounded or cblong Nat leaf with
barrow mld.rib, and perforated throughout with
small round holes like those OF culcnder o
strainer; of the eaballOon Beroe piieus), beat
tiful, transparent, bulet-shaped creature, Of the
size of Il common walnut, ornamented with egh
rows of minute hippers, arranged like the ribs OF Il
melon or the merdiuns OF globe; these clippers.
striking in the proper direction, enable the animal
to move through the water, TO change its directIo
and to turn over. 1t is provided with two iong
ciated arms, which are often stretched ,ut to ii Z
or eight times the length of the roi,n,rs body.
These arms are thrust out fro.n two cylindrical
cavities, extending obliquel, upward from the
circumference TO the cer..er. These sea.balloons
are among the most b,.sutitul of the many curious
objects that may % seen floating in the waters Of
the ocean Oh summers day.
lhers " -s also specimen of the Botna atdto,
an ahirial of tho same family aud habits as the
Rtrce p,f,us, but much larger and more elongated.
ll is fatened in shape, and has eight pcctinated
ribs but no long arms. A large opening at tho
lower extremity forms the mouth.
From the depth of ten iatbOms the Professor
drew up s9me specimens of the HyaS coarctata, or
Northern spider crab. This creature is very dag.
gish, and consequently becomes so Overgr0wn with
sea-weeds and polypes a. to resemble walking
forest rather tlan crab. Its covering serves,
howeser, for concealnIent, and two glistening eyes
am01g the foliage, forever on the watch for prey,
enable him to espy aud seize many an unlucky
mollusk who creeps unsuspectingly near.
Night caIne, and with II slight mist, which gl0-
rifed while it partially vailed the surrounding OBJ
k cts. There were several mackerel jiggers in the
harbor fr.m Swampscott and Cape Ann, and their
officers visited US to inquire for news. As We sat
on deck chatting and smoking, i was struck with
the wildly picturesque nature Of The scene. The
moon was up and her light blending aud struggling
with the soft, floating aud drifting mist disclosed
imperfect, irregular glimpses OF the rocky ribs
against which the low role of the sea was sound
ing. Souttrward, at no great distance, White Isl
and light Was revolving, Tightening ~ II now ap-
peared and Low disappeared, the welred impression
OF the moonlight aud the mist. Presently large
schooner came gliding into the harbor starting out
from the mist with silent ghost-like suddenness,
the effect OF which upon the Imagination is unlike
any phenomenon OF the land. that have ever Wit.
messed.
Next morning Saturday, July IL, we all went,
after breakfast, 20 visit SwampscOtt nackerel
schooner, the + Pluribus Unum, which lay at an
chor not far of. On our way 10 her, we saw horse
mackerel swimming about the harbor with their
sharp back fins sticking out of the water. This
huge fish is tie funny OF the Mediterranean, where
it Swims in large schools, and is caught in great
H. ~ 81. =. a