Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-08-08
1nlSIruaIIrUu6.
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Mount Desert.


Not more than mile from Schoon-
cr Head, and along the same shore. is
Great Head. whose title, unlike that
OF its n"ighbor. is no misnomer. Here
the massive cliffs lift their bald from,
high IN the air. as if to challenge the
widest, most furious assaults OF wind
and wave. The grandeur and might
OF these huge cliffs were more impres-
slye when We crouched beneath their
overhanging walls. 1t is slippery dan
gerous toot-hold here, but I. point Of
view impressive aud thrilling. 1t is
gained by creeping down ravine and
then, by sliding and scrambling over
the steep cliff among the the loose
stones, we find ourselves actually un-
derneath Great Head. Below YOU
indeed at your fcet-,he waters come
swelling up in monstrous waves, not
broken as 10y the uneven shore. nor
arched and comblng as they fall along
the smooth beach, but here they rise
IN massive billows. as if lifted up by
some mighty hand and cast furiously
against the cliff.
The wagon road leading to Great
Head stops at farmhouse some miles
away. and when last visited that To-
cality little girl not more than six
years old volunteered As guide. She
had no covering to her head save a
wealth of flayen hair. Her eyes were
beautifully blue, her skin that delicate
pink and white which characterizes all
the children and women on the island.
encept the many .: the latter who are
pallid with consumption. The feet OF
our little girl were bare, and as she
picked her way along over the rough
ground, sliding down steep rocks.
climbing and scrambing over the ug-
liest projections, and always in danger
it seemed absurd that this little wind
| flower should be guiding oiir large par
tv of men and women. But she in re-
ality was more agile and sure-footed,
and ran less risk. than any of US. She
seemed TO be marked example of the
people of this region. who from earli-
est youth begin 10 act and think for
themselves, TO learn TO be self reliant,
however ignorant they may remain in
other ways.
At this point let me say that | do
not wish to be understood that the
people of the island are not as we'll
educated and as intelligent as those of
other parts of the Eastern States. for
the children here have equal advanta-
ges in the way of common schools. and
they appear to make use of them but
TO the scattered inhabitants along that
bleak and rough part of the coast of
which l have just now been writing,
! any kind of school education must be
attained under great difficulties. 1t is
ii long road from the cottage of the
fisherman TO the school house. In
| summertime even, when the strangers
| from more southern climes seek the is.
land in search of rest and cool brac-
| ing winds, the aspect of nature is
rough and sterile. Excepting the dark
| and sombre tones of the evergreen. the
| landscape is clad in a mantle of rus
set and gray; that luxuriai ce of foli-
age which fills the eve with varied tints
of green in the more temperate eli.
mates of other parts of our country
seems Impossible here. The air is
loaded with the salts of the sea The
island is mostly composed of rocks and
the scanty proportion of earth yields
a meagre supply Of yellow stunted
grass, while the farmer toiis in vain to
produce those harvests of corn or 9th.
er cereals which fill the granaries in
more favored lands. The means oi