Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-08-07

Darius Weeks as mate and crew, we sailed
the ocean blue" with all the sense Of freedom,
ownership and lordly independence to be felt
by Jay Gould and Ben Butler combined In
their hundred thousand-dollar yachts. Our
course lay first to Nantucket where we found
in Col. Austine an enthusiastic advocate Of the
charms of this quaint old place and ready
and welcome help in seeing all its leading
points of interest in the few hours at our
command Its narrow, crooked, cobble-
paved streets which run every whittier and
no whittier, its stiff, prim, ugly Quaker
houses its rOomy, substantial mansions, each
with its roof look out for the home coming
whalers "reminiscences Of an old-time pros
perity its atheneum its handsome modern
cottages, the windmill of LAG where a Port
ugee," almost az antiquated, still grinds a
little native corn when the winds are favora-
ble and sells "relcs" to those who will buy
all these and long list of other attractions
were seen and thoroughly enjoyed Greatest
delight Of all, it WAS our rare good fortune TO
be taken up into the Unitarian church tower,
which is also the town look -out, by the town
crier the veiitable William Clark himself,
bell and horn in hand 10 be shown town
and island in hird'seye and to be told by him
all about the old bell and the new town clock,
the night watch for fires, the day watch for
incoming steamers, and how on stormy win
ter mornings this faithful public servant
climbs at daybreak into the tower ito discov-
er the wrecks" and how when one is found
and reported the wicked wreckers cheat him
out of his just share of the proceeds by de-
claring with lying mouths that they have
themselves made the discovery even while his
feet have made haste to descend the stairs
As at all other resorts the present season is
comparatively quiet, but the island neverthe-
less Las large number of visitors, and of that
sensible, desirable sort who leave dress and
show and society life behind and look only
for real summer rest and recreation.
Next day we sailed to Vineyard Haven
The wind may have been Just q trihe light
and the sun may have been Just a trihe hot
but there was at least the compensation of
having all the more time to take in sea sights
and sounds to watch the steamers come and
go, and to look with eyes, tinged sometimes
with the merest shade of envious green, at
the trim, beautiful yachts of the New York
fleet as they spread every sail to catch the
slightest breath of wind, or dropped anchor
to wait for the morning breezes. At disused
wharf in the Haven the iron plates from the
hull of the wrecked City of Columbus lie in
great piles brown with rust.
Saturday morning fair tide, little wind,
sklllful skipper and the mates oar brought
us to the little wharf mentioned in the begin
ming. On the way down Vineyard Sound we
had passed Nobsks Head and Tarpaulin Cove
on the west shore, while away to the south
on the opposite side was the bold, rocky head
land of Gay Head, our land of desire, the
abode of the alleged Gay Head Indians, the
scene of the Columbus disaster and its light
house landmark and beacon for all that re-
gion. 1t was delight to feel our feet under
us, with strange land before US, and
strength enough to tramp the seven miles TO
Gay Head, leaving the boat to come for us
when the wind should be favorable. A dis
used mandatory of some sort and a quaint
old dwelling conveniently near we're first to
be explored, and then we set off to follow
where the suggestion of a road, mere track
through the sand and turf, might lead, with
stunted pines and scrub oaks on either side,
!
ries for ample refreshment The land of the
island for the most part lies high and bare,
succession of hills and ravines, with here and
there farmhouse, desolate looking enough,
but, it must be confessed, with its surround
ing patches of corn, potatoes and beans
showing asurprising degree of thrift and lux
uriance of growth Through the sand we
saw the track of moving machine, but did
not discover the place large enough and
smooth enough TO set it down and put 1t to
work. Perhaps its owner keeps II as his most
available vehicle of travel. The "three-miles-
and. a-half to the crick," which our first in
formant told us of, grew long "a We trudged
through the sandy burrows, feeling strange
sense Of far-away ness-of being in a foreign
land or on another planet as each succeeding
undulaton was passed, bringing some new
phase of the landscape into view, but finally
the last half mile was covered and the tradi-
tional fisherman set US across 'the crick"
which leads down to Mnemsha Blight Then
began new struggle with the sand on the
shores of creek and blight with the salt grass
for carpet. The lighthouse tower began
to be plainly visible, and presently we reach
cd row of squald little ishermen's huts on
the south bank of the blight where in sum
mer lobstermen and others ply their calling.
A strong, calm faced, self.contained fisher
man said, "You had better go with me, in
answer to our enquiry for the nearest way TO
the lighthouse, and directly he took us to
his boat, hoisted sail, and sped away, we TO
Gay Head and he to his daily task OF pulling
nd hail 10 Lob Al
of the weekly visit of the lobster-boat from
New York. As we pushed off two girls of .
or 10 years were playing about boat up to
their arm-pits in water and their mother was
shouting from one of the huts, "Here, you
children, come away, or you'll get wetl"
The fisherman told US as we sailed of the
virtues Of his peculiar shaped boat, of hard
work and rough weather. of a poor catch
thus far in the season and of better one
hoped for in September and when wo asked
him of the money return which he got for his
lonely way of life said, with a true philoso-
piers spirit, that ''it might be worse, and
some folks never would be contented any.
where" Soon we were set down at the wharf
and then We climbed up over the steep bluff
to the light finding on the way unique speci.
mems Of the Gay Head Indians" who piled
their craft with boat-loAd of excursionists
as sellers of Indian" pottery and alleged rel
les and ouriosites. The truth must be told
no matter how it smashes Illusions, and the
sober fact is that the Gay Head Indians most
ly have thick lips, fiat noses and curly hair
in other words they are mixed with negro
blood no that it is not easy always TO tell
where the Indian leaves off and the Negro
begins.
The scene from the weather beaten head.
land where the lighthouse stands is one to
make lasting impression on the memory. To
the north and west lie the Elizabeth Islands
-Naushon, Pasque, NAshawAna, and Guilty
hunk. To the south No Mans Land ia seen
a practically uninhAbited spot which we hop
ed to reach, but time, tide and wind decreed
otherwise. The scene was pleasant in the
bright sunshine and cool breeze, but the sup.
gestion was inevitable of cold, stark, barren
desolation when the brief summer has Oone
by. No trace is left of the wreck of the Col.