Morning journal and courier., 1891-02-17
CCopyrighted.)
NEW ENGLAND COAST.

lade In new England q southern coast-une
ince Admiral Blocks explorations, de-
lvered recently before the New Haven
,olony Historical society by Captain
J. H. Townshend, of this city:
In the chart of the southern New Eng
and coast, including Cape Cod, made by
Admiral Block, which was in part the
basis of my preceding paper read before
his society, the south shore Of Long Is |
and and the coast surrounding eastward |
from Sandy Hook to Nantucket are fairly |
accurately shown, also the south shoal of |
eighte IN miles south-southeast
Of this island Gin latitude 40 rs north and
longitude go 20 west), and lying directly
in the pathway of ocean steamers bound to
the port of New York, showing only a
depth of four feet NOW eight feet), with
bottom of white shells and sand. To the
northward Of Nantucket and off the ap
proach of the entrance to Southack channel
as laid down on this chart and now called
Natucket sound which lately it has oc-
Cured to me may be one of the advance
charts constructed aboard ship by aparty
under the charge of Captain Cypian
Southack, who surveyed Boston bay about
sea, the day of the moons southing to be
8 o'clock and the variation of the compass
at Nantucket Island g 30 west (now, 1891,
1879 sounding 10, 20, 25 and 20 fathoms,
fine sand and shells on meridian six
miles east of line projected north and
south from point on shoal of five
fathoms, called the New Rose and Crown,
in latitude 41.OS north and longitude
69. 25 west, to point on the Grab bank in
So fathoms of stony bottom, latitude Al. AZ
and longitude 1890 west, and distance of
about thirty miles.
The Rose and Crown shoal then 1717
marked dry, has at this date, 1891, twelve
feet of water over it, giving positive proof
that the whole system of banks, many of
which about this passage, now the en-
trance to Nantucket sound are on this
chart marked dry, and locates the base of
former islands which have been used by
the element in the construction Of Cape
Cod by filling in the numerous passages
of which have spoken, with their debris.
The main passage used by small vessels
which is here shown once existed was
plainly laid down through the towns of
Eastman, Chatham, and Orleans on Cape
Cod This passage was much used in
early colonial times by small vessels and
boats when making voyages from the bay
of Maine to Virginia It is shown on the
early Dutch and French charts, and on the
one sketched by Schipper Adrian Block,
and this may have been the passage men
toned by Captain Thomas Dermer in 1919,
when he was making his boat voyage from
Monchiggan (Maine) to Virginia. 1t is in
teresting also to note that in this very pas
sage, in salt marsh has lasely been dis
covered the remains of an ancient ship,
which was exhumed by the actions
of the sea, May 6, 1868. 1t lay within the
lands of what is now the town of Orleans.
These voyages with the well sustained
tradition handed down to us from the
to Quinnipiac in 1887 8 after voyage of
fourteen days in boats via passage across
Cape Cod, and the fact Of the return of
Rev. Ezekiel Rogers from Quinnipiac to
Rowley, Massachusetts, the next year in a
pinnace which he sent to fetch them, is
abundant proof to me of the then existence
of this passage or others and the investi-
cations of the late Professor Agassis, give
also conclusive evidence thereof. These
| memorable passages were closed up, as
| have been told by Captain William Foster
| of Brewster, Massachusetts, about Isl
years ago, during a furious gale of wine
which was accompanied by tidal wave
| This herculean effort of the elements
| changed the whole east and south shore O.
| of the Cape and deposited in the salt
marshes and low lands, sand hills sixty
feet high, and completed y washed away
sand point off Nausit where to this day a
extreme low tides, stumps of former tree
have been laid bare which have been see1
by men now living who visited the spot 70
that purpose.
The discovery Of this original chart ha
not only hydroRraphical value but ha
ence of one of the closed passages that ira
dition says existed in early times through
Cape Cod, and sustained Gosnold's repor
in 1902 that Cape Cod was then an island
and that as late as 1717 the last one c
these passages remained open as is show
| by margin note commenting on the los
Of the pirate ship, "Whido," which I Civ
verbatim aye place where I cam
through with whale boat, being ordere
by ye Governor to look after ye pirate shi
"Whido," Bellany Commander, castawa
| ye Goth day of April, 1717, where burie
one hundred and two men drowned"
| But will not linger on the subject c
these closed up passages as outlines c
| their course across the towns of Brewster
Dennis and Yarmouth and Sandwich, [th
latter the route Of the Cape Cod canal, no'
| in course of construction), are still extant
my object in referring to them has bee
to substantiate theory as to th
| formation of Cape Cod, and I will nov
follow the navigable approach to Lon
Island Sound as shown on this char
| through the waters Of Nantucket an
Martha's Vineyard sounds and the $50
called on the chart "Sea of Rhode ls
land" making brief mention of the fac
that the islands of Nantucket on Martha
Vineyard of our day are on this chal
ch0 OF oil do ilII1Gtraf1nO hOT
the wash of the past two centuries "a
: nodded the shore. e..u given food TO-
thonoht and e..uy for our United State
coast apd aeodetic survey as to the tide
, and -urrents which govern many of tn
Nv unsolved photographic problems, an,
I suggesting reasonable solution of tn
action of the watershed of the Southern
New England coast. On this origina
chart, the numerous islands at the eastern
entrance of the Sound are located as sur
rounded by rocky lodges and at Watcl
Point Watch Hill numerous lodges O
rocks are laid down, showing the founda
ton of the now Sickel shape sand spit ex
tending therefroln into the Stoningto1
harbor of our day, and which gives evi
dence of its having recently been con
structed from the beach of the Rhode Is
land shore, eastward of Watch Hill, by
combination of forces that meet on this
section of the coast
Across the east entrance of the sound is
given the name of numerous islands wiz
Forbes Island, Gall Island, Plum Island)
forming on with sunken reefs continuou
chain, which must in the near future b.
used as basis for sea coast defenses, ant
protection to this most important approach
to the metropolis of this country, Lon,
Island and Gardeners sound having
stragetio Importance unequalled on the
North American continent.
OF the many marginal notes on thi.
chart will notice few, leaving the 9th
ers for careful mention when published
in more extended form. The site of the
Pequot fort, now in the town of Groton
and marked with the Mason monument, is
called Lamthorn Hill, and New London i,
here mentioned as follows: GA small
river, but with good harbor and farms
navigable for ships and small vessels; {
place of great trade; they build many yes
Pine Island off the east point and Bart
lett's reef off the west point of the harbo,
are located with the mention of tide, full
and change of the moon at 10 O'Clock
sounding outside twenty-five fathoms OF
| Blue Owse. Here at Winthrop Poin
is given sketch of Governor Winthrop's
house and the governors name is noted