St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-09-18

'dIt T-IlIibIH, ana tIret miles out
from Portland. All its cultivated land
is upon the west end and harborward
side, and scattered along this. command
Ing IL calmly beautiful view. are its
dwellings.
From our windows down To the shore,
Il field slopes slowly. dotted by clumps
of alder and sumach and thorn apples.
lidgcd with icdgcS over which the juni-
per has spread its thick mat. crossed by
sea rose and gnoshrrry. and broken
down into Il little brook channel. where
the water fingers among Shiny GRASSES
and pale weeds and over flat rusty
rocks, then lastcns down between
huShY banks to spread itself out in
numherlcSS channels on the beach. and
he Tapped mp 10y the tide.
At the right beyond IL few hotels and
dwellings, is Il great evergreen wood.
the iavnritc of picmicS and tcntcrS. and
the site oi the ST. .JohmShurN home. At
the left are 81 few summer boarding
and the cottages of the islanders.
Down in front of lis. but Il few rods
distant from the island. is IL long mar
row stretch of calm harhur: hcvuud
that. and parallel with This island, and
with the mainland. lies IL row of low
green islands. all divided when the va
ten is high. but two of Them united at
low tide 10y II thread like sand bar over
Which the cattle =" III II lon" line from
island pl>turc to island home.
BrNond these is .nnthcr stretch OF
Iarhor. washing further on the low even
mainland of Falmouth. behind which
rise the dim peaks of The White Noun
taIu>.
over these come the gorgeous sun
sets pn>Sihlr I" IN EXTENDED and iaI "ti
horizon. sunsets which hIin" "ut !h,.
Mountains with the di>tinrtnc>S oi close
lppIoach c"nr the clouds with most
each "t The two strips of haIlnI bet Wccu
themselves and us: often through fully
IN hour "i the Ion" twilight. illuminiug
Il third of the horizon with Il band ot
light. ruddl orange fading through
lemon to iainIcSt green. and drcpcuIu"
to >lEid, after slEld, oi blue
| At the right the haIi,nI reaches of
dark. and blue. and grim. /" rest sol
emily among drrarl islands. Al the
| left it hrnadcnS and is almost alwaN
bright. "lc.Hn" in one furnished sheet
>paIklin" in each wave. opalc>crnt. oI
striped with limiS of complctc>t drlicLcy.
rNond this sunny water with lis
forts. hrcakwatrr and lighthouse. l.
Portland fronting the islands. and coy
erin" Il whole hillside with lis roofs and
~piIc> and it> many trees. On still
S:lhhLlii> the h.lI,, rim" ont to u~ over
three miles of water. and >"mrtimr>
with them. Il faint call "i drums comes
from the forts which guard the harhor.
From the city vessels sail "Iit constant
lN. sometimes mnN ing mnrlhWald Among =
the islands, but ntlrHci passing through
Southrrl, channels "ui to sea.
The extreme southern and the east
crn sides "t the island IaNra view less
beautiful. hui far mor,. ..Nttndcd. reach
III" outward over pchhlN c"NrS int"
which the breakers chase 10y thlrr- and
tour- and iivcS: over rocky points
where the sea dlShr> INTO heights ut
Head. to the broad SEA. with it~ light
house and its ships.
The islands nnItlern edge is Wild i>
dcSolation. From II crest oi sprUrr>.
rocks shoot downward smoothly pre-
cipit"u>; or descend in SplintcrN jag
"rdmcS<: or in great buuldri>. balanced
on lodges. or wcd"cd III cr"viccS: some
| sheets of rock being quite perforated. "I
50 worn as to seem like misses of skulls
and bones. Then it seems. indeed,
No island. but only the skeleton
ora wrecked and vengeance smittrn one"
\ strong current ruShrS here through
the sunless channel hrtwccn this and Il
near island, and strikin" the ou.cr rocks
with Il heavy thug gmrglcS holl"wly in
| in the very chasms and crcviccs beneath
your feet. and passing by dies out in i
weak plaSh on the sca- weed beyond
Here, and on the most exposed shores
generally, quantities of ordinary shells
cocklcS. heroes. StaI-tish. Sea-urchinS
buckles and harnacles cling to tn,
rocks. or lie stranded on the beach. Will
weed and moss.
OF course this island shares in til,
long storms of the coast. but shower.
are said To he intrequcnt here. Within
the past month there has been no NOR,
than four rainy days. and two fogg>
ones Int with abundant drwS. and ai
atmosphere constantly humid. the field,
are still almost as green us III June. an,
being on an isIdnd which has too u,
road, and but one horse. and with it:
visitors each making his own path. if Il,
will, through the almost icncclcSS fields
they have the further charm of being
absolutely du>tless.
The land seems to bc but Indifferent.
ly cultivated. When open and neg
lccted it usually covers itself with 4;
growth of low. coarse-leaved alder. iuni
per. hayherry, hlucberry, whoItlebcrr,