Perhaps you would like to know what I have been about since I
I left &c. At least I will venture to give you a brief acc-
ount of matters & things with me. On the 8th of Aug, in company with
my I arived at Mr My father in law in the State of ,
and you may rest assured we met a most welcome reception amid tears of
joy, and was entertained with every mark of Kindness, respect, & friendship, that
Brethren, Sisters, or Parents were capable of affording. Also refreshed with every
luxury of a Fathers house. I spent about ten days with these my new relatives
& friends;: I spent the time plesantly with my companion in this new circle of friends
composed of five Sisters, three Brothers, & a Father & with other
appendages of relationship. I found them to be universally respectable, intelligent,
influential, & possessing some wealth if I could judge from outward appear-
ances of white houses & chaise`s &c. four of the Sisters have been ingaged in teaching
School, two of the Brothers in the Mercantile line in the city of 10 miles
from Father Carters house. Father Carter is a tanner [ink spot] & carrier by trade
& continues the business untill this day. Phebe {shorthand} is 7 days younger than
myself I was born March 1st 1807 & she the 8th of March same month. My wife has
spent the early part of of her life teaching School, & for the last 7 years she has closely
confined herself with her nedle to the Tailoress trade, at which business she was
ingaged in at when I became acquainted with her. After an intimate
correspondence with her, I became convinced it was the will of God for us to become
{bosom} freiiends I offered her my heart, it was accepted. We were joined in matrimony &
we live happy. {Neither of us are very handsome but we both look well enough for we are as God made us} Phebe is small in stature, possesses
an amiable disposition, is good enough for me; & sends her kindest respects to you
accompanied with her unfeigned thanks for the interest you have manifested in her
welfare; we both much desire to see you &c. &c.
On the 19th Aug; in company
with Elder , I took the Steamer Bangor at Portland ^PoP. 16,000^ with
the intention of visiting . We left the Steam Boat at
& went aboard of a sloop which landed us up on the Islands at 2 oclock
Sunday morning the 20th. It gave me rather singular feelings to be landed
upon an Island of the Sea in the darkness of the night, being an intire stranger to
all men in the region; however after wandering awhile over the rocks, we found a house we
called & went to bed. We arose in the morning, made ourselves known as servants of God & asked
if thaere was any religion or priests on the Island, we were informed there was a Baptist
church, & Priest, & meetinghouse in the centre of the Island. I will give a brief note of the town
is North Lat 44 East Long 69 10. Pop 1800. St. of Maine. The town of Vinalhaven incldes both & . The inhabitants
are generally wealthy, healthy, intelligent, industrious, generous & hospitable. The people get most of their living & wealth by fishing. the town fits out 10.7
licensed sail besides small crafts. North fox Island is 9 miles londg & 2 miles wide. Pop, 800. They have a post Office, one store, a baptist church and
meeting house & a Priest. & four schoolhouses, & a grist mill. The land is a rather rocky & rough, yet there are many good farms which produces
fine wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, & grass which ais the staple productions. The timber is fir, spruice, hemlock, & birch. Sheep are the principal stock
upon the Island. & grow in great abundance.
South fox Island is one mile south of the North Island, & it comes as
near being without any form or void as any land I ever saw. It would puzzle the best historian to give an exact description of it. It is about
10 miles long & 5 broad, and it is one universal mass of rocks, formed into shelves, hills, & dales. Cut up into necks, and points, to make room for
the cooves & harbours that run through & through the Island. one may form some little Idea of it, on learning that it is rising of 100 miles round
the Island to follow the beach in all its wingdings. The Pop is 1000 they get their wealth entirely by fishing. They have some sheep, & some parts
of the Island is under cultivation, but it is at the expens of great labour and toil. Many of the inhabitants fish at & bring the fish home
to this Island, & dry them upon their own flakes, and prepare them for market.: they supply the market annually with great quantities of dried
fish, Mackerel, & boxed herren. They have two stores, three tide saw mills, six school houses, & a small branch of the Methodist Church
& a priest. The timber the same as on North Island with the addition of Pine. There is great quantities of fish inhabit the waters, cooves,
& harbours, of these Islands, such as , Blackfish, Shark, ground Shark, PILOT fish, Hors Mackerel, Sturgeon, Salmon, Holloboat
Cod, Pollock, Tom Cod, Hake, Haddock Mackerel, Shad, Bass, Alewives, Herren, Pohagen, Dolphin, Whiting, Frost fish, Flounders, Smelt,
Skate, Shrimp, Skid, Cusk, Bluebacks, Dogfish, Mutton fish, Lump fish, Squid, Five fingers, Munk fish, Nurs fish, Sun fish, Sword fish, Thrasher,
Cat, Scuppos, Tootog, Eye fish, Cunner, Ling, Eels, Also Lobsters, Clams, Scollop, Mussles, Pincles, {crabs snails} And Porposes, Seal, &c
&c & many others not named.
I have seen two or three Whale in sight at once. I have caught Cod, Haddock, & Hake, as fast as I could
throw out out one line & haul in another. I have stood on the wharf & caught Mackarael out of a large school as fast as I could throw in my
hook into the water & pull it out, they would bite the bare hook. or take bate out of my fingers like chickens if I would hold it in the water
I have been bathing in the salt water & seen numbers of Seal swiming around some of them near me with their heads out of water look like dogs.
{I thank God a place would stay [illegible shorthand]} Thus stands a brief account of fox Islands
Perhaps you would like to know what I have been about since I
I left &c. At least I will venture to give you a brief account of matters & things with me. On the 8th of Aug, in company with
my I arived at Mr My father in law in the State of ,
and you may rest assured we met a most welcome reception amid tears of
joy, and was entertained with every mark of Kindness, respect, & friendship, that
Brethren, Sisters, or Parents were capable of affording. Also refreshed with every
luxury of a Fathers house. I spent about ten days with these my new relatives
& friends: I spent the time plesantly with my companion in this new circle of friends
composed of five Sisters, three Brothers, & a Father & with other
appendages of relationship. I found them to be universally respectable, intelligent,
influential, & possessing some wealth if I could judge from outward appearances of white houses & chaise's &c. four of the Sisters have been ingaged in teaching
School, two of the Brothers in the Mercantile line in the city of 10 miles
from Father Carters house. Father Carter is a tanner ink spot & carrier by trade
& continues the business untill this day. Phebe {shorthand} is 7 days younger than
myself I was born March 1st 1807 & she the 8th of March same month. My wife has
spent the early part of of her life teaching School, & for the last 7 years she has closely
confined herself with her nedle to the Tailoress trade, at which business she was
ingaged in at when I became acquainted with her. After an intimate
correspondence with her, I became convinced it was the will of God for us to become
{bosom} friends I offered her my heart, it was accepted. We were joined in matrimony &
we live happy. {Neither of us are very handsome but we both look well enough for we are as God made us} Phebe is small in stature, possesses
an amiable disposition, is good enough for me; & sends her kindest respects to you
accompanied with her unfeigned thanks for the interest you have manifested in her
welfare; we both much desire to see you &c. &c.
On the 19th Aug; in company
with Elder , I took the Steamer Bangor at Portland PoP. 16,000 with
the intention of visiting . We left the Steam Boat at
& went aboard of a sloop which landed us up on the Islands at 2 oclock
Sunday morning the 20th. It gave me rather singular feelings to be landed
upon an Island of the Sea in the darkness of the night, being an intire stranger to
all men in the region; however after wandering awhile over the rocks, we found a house we
called & went to bed. We arose in the morning, made ourselves known as servants of God & asked
if thaere was any religion or priests on the Island, we were informed there was a Baptist
church, & Priest, & meetinghouse in the centre of the Island. I will give a brief note of the town
is North Lat 44 East Long 69 10. Pop 1800. St. of Maine. The town of Vinalhaven incldes both & . The inhabitants
are generally wealthy, healthy, intelligent, industrious, generous & hospitable. The people get most of their living & wealth by fishing. the town fits out 10.7
licensed sail besides small crafts. North fox Island is 9 miles long & 2 miles wide. Pop, 800. They have a post Office, one store, a baptist church and
meeting house & a Priest. & four schoolhouses, & a grist mill. The land is a rather rocky & rough, yet there are many good farms which produces
fine wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, & grass whichis the staple productions. The timber is fir, spruice, hemlock, & birch. Sheep are the principal stock
upon the Island. Rasp & Gooseburies grow in great abundance.
South fox Island is one mile south of the North Island, & it comes as
near being without any form or void as any land I ever saw. It would puzzle the best historian to give an exact description of it. It is about
10 miles long & 5 broad, and it is one universal mass of rocks, formed into shelves, hills, & dales. Cut up into necks, and points, to make room for
the cooves & harbours that run through & through the Island. one may form some little Idea of it, on learning that it is rising of 100 miles round
the Island to follow the beach in all its windings. The Pop is 1000 they get their wealth entirely by fishing. They have some sheep, & some parts
of the Island is under cultivation, but it is at the expens of great labour and toil. Many of the inhabitants fish at & bring the fish home
to this Island, & dry them upon their own flakes, and prepare them for market: they supply the market annually with great quantities of dried
fish, Mackerel, & boxed herren. They have two stores, three tide saw mills, six school houses, & a small branch of the Methodist Church
& a priest. The timber the same as on North Island with the addition of Pine. There is great quantities of fish inhabit the waters, cooves,
& harbours, of these Islands, such as Whale, Blackfish, Shark, ground Shark, PILOT fish, Hors Mackerel, Sturgeon, Salmon, Holloboat
Cod, Pollock, Tom Cod, Hake, Haddock Mackerel, Shad, Bass, Alewives, Herren, Pohagen, Dolphin, Whiting, Frost fish, Flounders, Smelt,
Skate, Shrimp, Skid, Cusk, Bluebacks, Dogfish, Mutton fish, Lump fish, Squid, Five fingers, Munk fish, Nurs fish, Sun fish, Sword fish, Thrasher,
Cat, Scuppos, Tootog, Eye fish, Cunner, Ling, Eels, Also Lobsters, Clams, Scollop, Mussles, Pincles, {shorthand} And Porposes, Seal, &c
&c & many others not named.
I have seen two or three Whale in sight at once. I have caught Cod, Haddock, & Hake, as fast as I could
throw out out one line & haul in another. I have stood on the wharf & caught Mackarel out of a large school as fast as I could throw in my
hook into the water & pull it out, they would bite the bare hook. or take bate out of my fingers like chickens if I would hold it in the water
I have been bathing in the salt water & seen numbers of Seal swiming around some of them near me with their heads out of water look like dogs.
{shorthand} Thus stands a brief account of fox Islands