The Republican journal., 1912-10-10
Nova Scotian Ports.
IL. P, in the Boston Transcript


Before pushing the quest of the per-
feet port across Fundy Bay, it may be
well to inquire what the place will look
like when found. Of course it will look
differently to different people. Your
amateur, Who is keen on the scent of
coastlng schooners loading lumber at
wharf beside screaming sawmill, might
avert his nostrils from the wholesome
but presuming smell of fish. Still, there
are items on which most will agree.
The beach should be stony; if with
crescent of sand, too, so much the better,
But bold coast in some sort the most
of US require, even if only few outlying
Lodges, the plague of navigators. The
cottages (story-and-a- half, peaked gable,
two dormer windows fronting the
water) are preferably weathered dull
sea gray; otherwise fresh white or white
streaked with the pelting of winds and
SHOWS. There is an old church on the
hill, with, if possible, pair of wind
tortured willows spreading their boughs
across the belfry. Another church on
the shaver grass roll of the hill beyond
would be acceptable. The shops should
be small and mostly ship chambers, lit
tered with anchors, chains, ridnglights,
oars and hempen rope. The streets, as,
intimated, should be crooked and billy
diving by abrupt twists back down to
the beach when supposed to be ascend
ing, so that walking them is a continual
climbing and slipping back. Nets
should be spread to dry anywhere con-.
venient; tiny girls trotting barefoot.
mouths stained with bIueberries. little
boys whooping at their play among the
skiffs and dories. fire cracking under
the black tanning caldron, and all over
the beach the heavenly smell of fish,
kelp and brine.
This recipe may vary in few details
No one little port exactly satisfies two
persons. These are the outlines: you fill
in the details to suit yourself AS
weather. On fresh morning of April
blue, even Stonington has been known
to charm. Winter attracts many paint
ers of little ports who then set warm
lights in cottage windows shining across
SHOWS and lashing surf. Autumn lays a
gracious hand on little ports, when blue
bottomed clouds begin to blow down from
the northwest and fsherfolk lift an eye
of troubled inquiry aloft. Certain pill
grims to little ports would lie torpid on
smooth rocks in still sunshiny weather
listening to tapping waves and the tinkle
of cowbells; others prefer striding over
headlands against a screaming blast just
above the boil of roaring breakers.
Between Cape Sable and Cabot Strait
is variety of little ports among which
it will go hard if there are not two or
three to satisfy the most fastidious. The
violent tides of Fundy Bay fill the ports
of the inner side of the Peninsula with
dramatic contrasts of trimming basins
at noon and staring flats of red clay at
evening. The sea going away and for
getting these ports twice a day bares
to view all the graceful lines of vessels
undersi6es usually hidden beneath the
water. The ports of the ocean shore
rocky cove and steep headlano, spruce
one into another away to the WOODED
heights inland. Moreover, they are real
ports: Shelburne, halfway house for
our own Gloucester fleet; Lockport and
Lunenburg with fleets of their own;
Liverpool, a coasting harbor; and up
almost any of the deeply ipdented bays,
steel barque is generally loading ldm-
Der for South America. 1t is, however,
to pair of ports on the Strait of Canso
and one on the Bras dor lake that the
amateur turns back reflectively as the
sum of all things properly to be expect
ed of such spots. Up and down the
strait of Canso in this weather wing the
fleets of schooners between the high
green shores, and past the bristling
lump of Cape Porcupine, opposite whose
quilts are pair of little coast settle
ments on the grassy swells of hill above
roadsteads where fleets ride at anchor.
Noon sunlight strikes dazzling white
from cottage walls and church spires.
Wharves jut out on the slightest pre-
text. At one or another of them some
schooner is always loading an unimpor
tant and deliberate cargo. You may go
aboard and chat with the skipper half of
forenoon, or continue the discussion
over coffee in the cabin. There is
broazed ferryman who makes his living