Year: 1874

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It was about nine o'clock in the
morning when the ship first appear
ed. At once there was great ex
citement in the village, it was a Brit.
ish war,ship. What would she do
Would she tack about in the bay to
pick up stray costers as prizes, or
would she land soldiers to burn the
town down! In either case there
would be trouble enough.


Those were sad days, those old
war times Of 1912. Tho sigh. of n
British r-ship i'll Boston Bay was
not pleasant, We were poor then,
and had no mentors to go out and
sink the enemy or drive them of.
Our navy was small, and, though we
afterwards had the victory and seat
the troublesome ships away never to
return, mt that time they came near
enough, and the good people in the
village of Scituate Ilarbor were in
great distress over the strange ship
that had appeared at tho mouth of
the Harbor.


1t was a fishing-place in those
days and the harbor was full Of
smacks and boats of all kinds. The
soldiers could pasiiy enter the harbor
and burn mp everything, and 40 one
could prevent them There We're
men enough to make a good fight,
but poorly armed, and had nothing
but fowling pieces and shot'guns,
while the soldiers had muskets and
cannon.


The tide was down during the
morning, so that there was no dan
ger for few hours, and all the peo-
pie went out on the cliffs and beach
es TO watch the ship and see what
would happen next.


On the end of the low, sandy pit
that makes one side of the harbor,
stood the little white tower known
as the Scituate Light, In the house
behind the light lived the keeper =
family, consisting of himself, wife,
and several boys and girls At the
time the ship appeared the keeper
was away, and there was no one Mt
home save Mrs. Bates, tho eldest
daughter, Rebecca, about fom teen
years old, two of tho little boys, and
a young girl named Sarah Windsor,
who was visiting Rebecca, and had
been the first to discover the ship,
while she was up in the light house
tower polishing the reflector, She
at once decended the steep stairs
and sent off the boys to the village
to give the alarm.


For an hour or two, the ship tack
cd and stood off to sea, and ther
tackled again. and made for shore
Men, women and children watched
her with anxious interest, Then the
tide turned and began TO flow into
the harbor. The boats aground the
fats foated, and those in deep water
swung around at their mooiings
Now the soldiers would probably
land. II the people meant to save
anything it was time to be stirring
Boats were hastily put out from tn.
wharf, and such clothing, nets and
other valuables as could be handled
were brought ashore; loaded int.
hay carts and carried away.


1t was of no use to resist. The
soldiers of course were well armed,
and if the people made q stand
among the houses, that would moi
prevent the enemy from destroying
the shipping.


As the tide spread out over the
sandy flats it filed the harbor &C
that instead of o small channel, it
became wide and beautiful bay.
The day was hne, and there was a
gentle breeze ripping the water and
making it shine in the sun. What a
splendid day for fishing or sailing
Not much use to think of either
while that war-ship crossed and
- }sss1A Auussa..as>as.Ak..