New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-09-04
OLD COLONY LETTERS.
-, cprIsr IN CAPE COP BAY.

GATE LIGHT EAST DENNIS THE alSh
wEIRs- YARMOUTH AND BARNsrABLh-A
NIGHT TEMPEST-HOME AGAlN-FA AM N1"
TO THE OLD COLONY. ., |
tPRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THb IRibVNhr
PLYMOUTH, Aug. 19.-Tbere IS a iasclnatioh
IN extreme points We must roach the source oi 'io
Nile the topmost peaks Of the sierras lay hod upon '
Pole itself. seek ont every Atlantis ana Otma Anu'
and ia there not station pertaining to the GIea 0'u
Cspes to Lands End John O. Groats and an pans anu
Hoerbebas beyond the inherent quality OF tho Spots
themselves Travelling on the rolling Dn'o"S Pi"i"eo
beyond Missouri. ia continually ured along " '"o
feeling that on the top Of the next ridge tic WI" "' S
reach te loolineof place and endal OF creatloa-ahu
"a often lrked by the discovery upon gaming eaoh new
crest that another swes before it, and the bourne Is
never the nearer.
So. when, on clear days. have seen PrOvncetown
steepos upon "A hummock in the EXTREMIST East 1t mas
been vexation not to reach that distant ana hteraIy
outlapdish promOntory-not to perch, IKE GulllVer'
upon the Brobd gnagan fist wherewth it has been said
Massachusetts is forever sGuarDg OF at the rest OF 'he
world From desire at length came resolution 10 Dc
thus provoked no longer Nor would 50 hher by the
railroad, which. like PROBE has insinuated Itself
through sixty miles Of the Cape and within four leagues
OF the northern end but would voyage Ike primitive
explorer renewing myself the doubt and discovery
of those who sailed two centuries ago. Cape Cod Bay
should be ocean aud the Eastern Shore an unknown
continent. Thoreau said-did he noti-that ne had
Travelled consderably-aTOund Concord; and why might
Mentioning the stole OF Walden Pond am reminded
that he TOO visited Cape Cod, and in his book by that
title reached vigorous aud imaginative DISCUSSION
OF nature than In his forest essays The sight ana
sound OF the great oceanThaatta! Thaatta seemed
70 enlarge his nature and 10 lift him from the minute
realism Of his tramps along the woodpaths and bendngs
over vayside herbs and weeds. His journey, however
WAS afoot the length OF the ole Capes outer shore
our own was TO be around the inner circuit ana 10 Dc
made, from point to point within the compass OF
week What have here TO OF 1t includes nothing OF
the emotional Accomplishments and results Of such
voyage yet a bare record telling OF what we saw and
did may uninteresng to the reader who has but
ten minutes time in which to learn something OF re-
gion that nc has cared to visit, and to which his
general relation may be that of most Indifferent regard
Calling for volunteers TO make up crew, three Of my
here who at first were tempted to ac
company me, took second thought and refused to sign
the papers. Only two were determined not TO be left
behind-my adventurous, 'sea-oyng youngsters; 80
with Roman pride accepted their services, and pro
,noted them at once-Fred, the elder and Arty, the
younger berths of first and second mates respect
iyey initiating the example of the ingenious COM
rnander of the san Dolores Exploring Expedition,
and having all the Offices Of honor and emou-
ment in my family 1t must DO granted that those
who did not Join expedition could not he expected
10 have such confidence in the seamanshp Of the self
constituted skipper had the boys who had been with
him on many shorter cruise, aud each of whom could
say My fathers at the helm" As for the skipper HIM
self though he knew he was shOrhanded, yet his mates
constituted landubberish crew the first, an able
fellow haul sheets, reef Sails loosen hayards and let
30 the anchor In sQual assist in cookery, and keeping
things in ship-shape the second, good hand at the
helm in fair weather and in early watches making most
heroic conscientious efforts 10 hold his weary little head
upright
our own dainty sprit-saiI boat, the Maynower,
quito too small tor our proposed adyenure-not made
laugh at all disaster
And with wave and whirlwlnd wrestle."
So we chartered the only vessel at all available which
could DO found-a rather slow and weather-wOrn craft
the Peterson, IN length some 20 feet keelbuit two
master Carrying large Orcsan and smaller mansai
after the style of these waters centor-bOard boat
really needed for tie shallow harbOrs of Cape Cod Bay
but this the only craft neither too small for the voy
age largo for the which could be procured
Aft the Peterson has room for nearly dozen people
forward, she carries SMALL wet oldfashioned "cuddy
"a kind Of cabin, large enough for twOo coil themselves
in and miseraby sleep out watch below. We tOwed the
little May flower stern, tender TO go ashore
with when in port and TO use as hfeboat in case OF
peril the larger vessel. Tie 1atbOttomed dory, how
ever generally for these purposes in the hands
OF skiful oarsman it will stand any and stories
are green sh0remen, upon their first voyage to
the fishing banks endeayOring in storm to leave the
schooner and take TO their dorie for safety upon tie
open ocean.
We carried charcoal furnace afTyingpan, kettle, and
other cooking utensils, and prOyi. i)ned with ham,
potatoes Dredd nara TACK, cOuee ana LOT
weeks cruise Fresh water could procure from port
TO port and depended upon store OF rusty troll
ing aud drOpnes for daily catch OF cod buesh, and
tautog Behold then the clear morning Of Friday,
Aug gin defiance Of the Omens of that day-startng
from anchorage in PlymOuhs outer harbOr with all
sail 10 a six knot breeze quarter, and host
of welwlshers clustered the shore 10 us far
weather and God-speed.
circle with circumference OF 100 miles will include
the area of Cape Cod Bay. Threefourths Of this
are surrounded by the hooked peninsula whose 1t
bears commencing with Plymouth on the west shore,
and including the whole of Barnstable County to the
northern extremity of the Cape. The northern shores
near Plymouth aad Proyincetown, bold and rugged
the waters here deep, but dangerous with reefs
and rocks Within and down the Bay, the water
grows shallow, aud the bottom is composed Of
shifting sands. The tides higher and lower than
elsewhere this coast and at their ebb the southern
harsors left almost dry and sandy flats, shoals and
bars completely the shore. Navigation here tedi
ous often perous TO those not thoroughly familiar
with the region. Every allowance has 10 be made for
tidal depths and currents. 1t that only storm
from North roll up ocean waves or drive vessel
ashore but ugly choppng is frequent at all sea-
sons enough along the shoals One needs
the Survey charts 10 be at all sure OF his course
aud anchorage the only guide within reach was
rough transfer OF the map Of Barnsabe County in the
State Atlas. This gave the general outline Of the
coast and bays and depended upon observation and
soundings for the rest. Oceanbound vessels rarely
enter the Bay except at Proyncetown but pass by its
mouth TO and from Boston and other cities. The cape
towns however are sustained by the fishing interest,
and from several ports noble cod and mackee fleets
fitted out The fishing the Bay itself il also almost
unlimited Immense schools make In thither, and are
seined or caught in weirs along the lower Shore. eE
AS at Plymouth, the wind, for threefourths OF the