USA > Massachusetts > Dukes County > Marthas Vineyard > The history of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts, Volume I > Part 1
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1800
S
THE HISTORY OF
MARTHA'S VINEYARD
DUKES COUNTY MASSACHUSETTS IN THREE VOLUMES
1
VOLUME I GENERAL HISTORY
BY CHARLES EDWARD BANKS, M. D.
SURGEON, U. S. MARINE HOSPITAL SERVICE
BOSTON PUBLISHED BY GEORGE H. DEAN 1911
F72 . ME B21
1825- 2 12
PREFACE
.
The following pages represent the net results of twenty years of constant accumulation of material which I have collected to illustrate the history of the Island of Martha's Vineyard and its dependencies, although it need not be said that all of that time was actually employed in this task. Of- ficial duties have been a constant obstacle to its rapid fulfill- ment, and the prosecution of the work has been followed, at times under the most discouraging circumstances. Since it was begun, in 1890, when I first became interested in, and connected with, the Vineyard, I have not had the advantages of a continued residence on the Island, beyond a few weeks at a time, and have served at six different posts elsewhere in the meanwhile. This has entailed the transportation of my manu- script material, arranged in half a hundred volumes, over the entire eastern half of the country from time to time, and it can be said, with truth, that this history has been written in Maine, Canada, New York, Washington, Illinois, Florida, besides in our own Commonwealth, under conditions not favorable for systematic or continuous work. Being thus away from my "base of supplies," much of the time has been consumed in necessary correspondence connected with the records, in veri- fication of data obtained therefrom, and the numerous other incidental processes following this situation, all tending to lengthen the period required for its completion.
These materials have been gathered from National, State and local archives, in England and America. The principal sources in England are the Public Record Office and the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, both of which I visited, together with some local depositaries examined by me in search of special information. In our own country the State Archives of New York and Massachusetts have yielded the greatest stores of original material, much of which has never before been published. The county archives at Edgartown have been the foundation of this history as far as persons and estates were involved, while the secular and church records of the several towns afford material for the construction of a narrative of these distinctive communities, as integral parts of
5
History of Martha's Vineyard
the whole. In addition to this there is in the Library of Con- gress, at Washington, a considerable collection of valuable original papers, of the date of the first quarter of the 18th century, consisting of documents, and drafts of legal instru- ments prepared by James and Jabez Athearn in their capacities as officials and attorneys. These I have consulted and will refer to as the "Athearn Mss." in my notes. In addition to these public depositaries I have had the benefit of numerous private papers held by families or collectors of ancient docu- ments, particular reference to which must be made in the text.
Before making the customary acknowledgments of assist- ance given to the author in the furtherance of his work, grate- ful thanks should first be rendered to the "townsmen" of Edgartown, Tisbury, Chilmark, Oak Bluffs, and West Tisbury for their material aid in encouraging this undertaking, without which it might never have been placed before the people for whom it has been written.
I next owe to Mr. William J. Rotch of West Tisbury a special debt of gratitude for his constant and hearty aid, and valuable counsel in the development of the work. He has ever been ready with his time and pen to procure material for me, besides which I have profited by his long and intimate knowl- edge of the island, its people and its traditions, when in need of light on an obscure matter. His enthusiasm has kept me from discouragement when others failed me.
Mr. Beriah T. Hillman, as Register of Probate, has not only given me the usual facilities of his office, but has been a frequent contributor to my store of material, always responding to my requests for particular information. But for the special privileges cheerfully granted to me by Mr. Littleton C. Wim- penny, the Register of Deeds, much of my scant time for study- ing the records under his control would have been lost, and I refer to his courtesies with pleasure in acknowledging my appreciation of his kindnesses. The same may be said in con- nection with the Office of Clerk of Courts, where Mr. Samuel Kenniston afforded me every facility for examining the judicial records of the County.
Mrs. Fannie Deane, of Edgartown, has loaned to me several historical papers prepared by her father, and Miss Annie F. Mayhew has rendered me distinct service in many ways, too numerous to mention. To these names I add that of Hon. Howes Norris, who rendered me special aid in the history of his native town.
6
Preface
The town clerks of Edgartown, Tisbury and Chilmark have extended to me, or those acting for me, the privileges necessary for copying the records in their custody, but fortun- ately for my purposes the town records of Tisbury, and the vital records of Chilmark, Tisbury and Edgartown have been printed since I began my labors.
Mr. A. D. Hodges, Jr., of Boston, has been a valuable coadjutor in solving knotty genealogical problems, furnishing me with manuscript notes tending to their solution, at the evident expense of much time and labor, but "without money and without price." I hope he will find reward in the perusal of these pages to follow.
To Judge Wm. Wallace Tooker, of Sag Harbor, L. I., the Indian place-names of the Vineyard were submitted for the advantage of his authoritative knowledge of the Algon- quian language, and he entered into the study of them with an interest which was continuous for several years. His deep learning and convincing logic in the rendition of these Amer- Indian terms will appear throughout the book, and our people owe him a debt of gratitude for the time he has spent, as a labor of love, in paraphrasing our place-names for the benefit of the present and future generations. It affords me pleasure to tender him thanks for his generous attention to our local aboriginal nomenclature, which now, for the first time, becomes a new inspiration to us.
In another place I shall consider the bibliography of this island, but it seems not out of place to refer to those who have gone before me in the same field. The late Richard L. Pease, of Edgartown, had in contemplation, as early as 1850, the preparation of a history of Martha's Vineyard, and for many years preceding his death, collected with the zeal of a true antiquary, everything of a manuscript nature which related to the island and its people. It was generally supposed that he was preparing such a work, but beyond writing occasional contributions for the local papers on genealogical subjects it is not known that he ever began the actual construction of a chapter of a general history. His collection of old historical manuscripts, which passed into the possession of his family after his death, was said by those who had seen it to be very valuable. It has recently been dispersed by the surviving heir of the estate. The genealogical portion of his papers, became the property of Prof. Alexander Graham Bell of Washington, D. C., who had become interested in the study of deaf-mutism
7
History of Martha's Vineyard
and its heredity on the island, and under his direction, Mrs. Annie F. Pratt, of Chelsea, Mass. (the widow of one of my old and highly esteemed professional friends, the late Dr. John F. Pratt), began the arrangement of this material for future publication. An enormous amount of work was done by her, in person, and by the aid of others, notably the late Miss Harriet Marshall Pease, here and elsewhere, in the preparation of the genealogies of the Vineyard families, and their descendants throughout the United States. The extent of the task, and the vast quantity of material obtained through the course of several years, apparently caused its abandon- ment for other lines of research. With great liberality, char- acteristic of the man, this mass of genealogies was placed at my entire disposal for use in the preparation of my work. It has only been possible to employ a part of it as there is enough to fill a dozen volumes of printed matter in the manuscripts which Professor Bell's assistants had accumulated.1
To Edward L. Smith, of Boston, I owe more than a formal statement in acknowledging his ever-valuable assistance extending over the last years of my labor. A stranger to me personally, he tendered his aid freely while I was stationed at a distant post, and I found him a skilful and zealous coadjutor in solving many difficult historical and genealogical problems. His readiness to assist me has been seemingly without a sense of weariness in a work that had no special interest to him, and it has continued to this writing. Since coming to a more convenient location in the North I have had the opportunity of making his acquaintance and now claim a personal friendship begun under the above circumstances.
Mr. William W. Neifert has also been a valued contributor to my store of material, and cordially responded to my frequent appeals for his aid while I was beyond the reach of libraries and records.
It was my fortune to have the co-operation of the late Harriet Marshall Pease, during the last year of her life, and I recall with satisfaction the days I spent with her in comparing my notes with her own in special lines. She freely opened up the manuscript treasures of her father's collection as well as her own and loaned me important papers for transcription. I regret that her decease has deprived me of the pleasure of
1About 1890 the late Leander Butler, a native of Tisbury and resident of Boston, announced that he was preparing a history of the island, but it is not known what progress, if any, he had made, before his death, which occurred soon after.
8
Preface
placing this finished work in her hands, a work that she an- ticipated as a devoted daughter of her native isle.
Dr. Walter H. Chapin of Springfield, Mr. John McIlvene of Northampton and Mr. Fred S. Ferrey of Pittsfield have been specially helpful to me in tracing Vineyard families who mi- grated to that section of Massachusetts.
For the indexes and some original drawings my thanks are due to Dr. M. M. Seiler, and the value of the work has been enhanced by this important portion of every historical and genealogical volume. The remainder of the original drawings were all done by the author specially for this history.
Among the many friends interested in this work, either from local or family reasons, I may record the names of Miss M. B. Fairbanks of Farmington, Maine, and Boston, an expert genealogist, who descends from Vineyard stock, and has always been ready to give me the benefit of her knowledge of those families who migrated to Maine; Mrs. Annie Daggett Lord of Franklin, Penn., a loyal daughter of the Vineyard, has helped me along the lines of island lore gathered from her forbears; while Mrs. Margaret N. Clag- horn of Vineyard Haven has given me bountifully of her store of the local traditions of Eastville.
In the course of a decade and a half it is probable that some have aided me, whose names I do not now recall, but I have not intentionally omitted them in this recital, and must include them in a general expression of thanks to all who have in any way furthered my efforts to prepare a full and accurate history of the Vineyard. I should, however, be remiss if I failed to mention the aid and encouragement given to me by my daughters, who devoted many hours of their time to the mechanical drudgery of copying from printed authorities, or transcribing my field notes into permanent books of record.
While all the foregoing references allude to the contribu- tory sources and responsibility for the literary material of which this book is the finished product, it is incumbent on the author to make a last expression of his acknowledgment to the one who has made its presentation to the public an assured fact - the publisher. Mr. George Hamilton Dean, a son of Martha's Vineyard, and a successful printer in Boston, has given his mercantile credit to the financing of the work as it passed through the press, and shares with the author the responsibility for it in its permanent dress. The durable paper, new and large type used in the text, and other mechanical
9
History of Martha's Vineyard
features, which only a skilful printer can obtain in artistic combination will be found in the pages that follow. If this is not apparent to those who consult this work nothing further that the author could say would help to such a conclusion.
The end is now reached, and the story ready for perusal. A work of this kind has in it the countless sources of error in dates, names, and events, and it would be folly for me to assert for it more than a reasonable freedom from mistakes. It may be that it is wanting in some materials here and there, now in private hands, but with a knowledge that this work was being prepared, criticisms for such omissions will not have good standing. I have been diligent in gleaning materials, but the last fact will never be found for many years to come.
CHAS. E. BANKS.
JANUARY I, 19II.
IO
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. GENERAL AND STATISTICAL. PAGE
Situation and Area. Geology. Meteorological Conditions. Flora. Fauna. Population. . 17-30
CHAPTER II. THE ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS.
Indian Name of the Vineyard. The Pokanauket Indians. Tribal Government. The Four Sachemships. Manners and Customs. Language. Myths and Traditions. Mythology. Weapons and Utensils. Population. 31-57
CHAPTER III. EARLY VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY.
Verrazano. Gosnold. Champlain. Block and Christiaensen. Smith. Dermer. Pilgrim Period. . 58-72
CHAPTER IV. WHAT IS THE CORRECT NAME OF THE VINEYARD ?
Documentary References.
"Martin's." "Martha's." Car-
tography. -73-79
CHAPTER V. PURCHASE OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD BY MAYHEW.
Earl of Stirling. Sir Ferdinando Gorges. Mayhew's Asso- ciates. Date of Settlement by the Proprietors. 80-88
CHAPTER VI. THE LEGENDARY SETTLEMENT BEFORE 1642.
The Pease Tradition. Alleged Landing of Pease, Vincent, Norton and Trapp. The Internal Evidence. The "Black Book " Incident. Character of the Tradition. Discrepancies in the Legend. Probable Sources of the Tradition . . 89-103
CHAPTER VII. THE ENGLISH FAMILY OF MAYHEW.
Early Records of Name. County Families. Pedigree of May- hew of Dinton Co., Wilts. Parish Records of Tisbury Co., Wilts. Baptism of Thomas Mayhew. Will of Matthew Mayhew, his father. Barter Family. Thomas Mayhew in England . 104-116
CHAPTER VIII. THOMAS MAYHEW IN MASSACHUSETTS.
Emigration. Representative of Matthew Cradock. Residence at Medford. Removal to Watertown. Financial Reverses. Purchases Martha's Vineyard. Removal to the Island. . 117-126 CHAPTER IX. THOMAS MAYHEW, JR.
Birth. Early Education. Removal to Vineyard. Personal Description of the Missionary. Family. 127-130
II
History of Martha's Vineyard
CHAPTER X. INDEPENDENCE OF THE VINEYARD, 1642-1665.
The First Government. Mayhew in Sole Authority. The People Dissatisfied. The Province of Maine as Suzerain Authority. The King Confirms Gorges' Title. . 131-138
CHAPTER XI. SALE OF THE ISLANDS TO THE DUKE OF YORK.
The Gorges Title Ignored. Organization of the Dukes Prov- ince. Col. Richard Nicolls. Francis Lovelace. Mayhew Ignores New Authority. 139-146
CHAPTER XII. THE CONFERENCE AT FORT JAMES, 1671
Mayhew's Voyage to New York. Appointed Governor of the Vineyard for Life. Provisions for Local Government. Re- turns with the Charters for New Townships. 147-153
CHAPTER XIII. THE "DUTCH" REBELLION, 1673.
Mutinous Vineyarders. The Rebels Demand Mayhew's Ab- dication. They Appeal to Massachusetts. Massachusetts Declines to Interfere. Independent Government Started. Similar Conditions at Nantucket. . 154-163
CHAPTER XIV. RESTORATION OF MAYHEW'S AUTHORITY, 1674-1682.
Governor Andros Deals with the Rebels. Governor Mayhew Institutes Reprisals. Punishments Inflicted. Quiet Finally Restored. 164-171 -
CHAPTER XV. ADMINISTRATION OF MATTHEW MAYHEW, 1682- 1692
Appointment as Chief Magistrate. Manor of " Martins" Vine- yard Created. Matthew Mayhew, Lord of the Manor. Sale of Manor to Governor Dongan. Mayhew Family Nepotism. New Protestant Regime in New York. The Vineyard An- nexed to Massachusetts. 172-181
CHAPTER XVI. THE VINEYARD AND THE CHARTER OF 1692.
Mayhew Element Opposes the Change. Simon Athearn courts the New Authorities. Mayhew's Surrender to Massachusetts Authority. The Paper "War" between Phips and Fletcher. New York Officials Deny Legality of Change of Jurisdiction. 182-194
CHAPTER XVII. THE ISLAND UNDER PURITAN CONTROL.
Mayhew's Acquiescence Insincere. Final Acceptance of the New Order. Rivalry of Athearn and Mayhew for Political Supremacy. Taxation of the Vineyard Towns. - 195-204
CHAPTER XVIII. POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE VINEYARD, 1700- 1900.
New York Again Asserts her Claims. John Butler Arrested in New York. Micajah Mayhew Asserts his Lordship. The Stamp Act. Later History. County Representation at General Court. . 205-212
I2
Table of Contents
CHAPTER XIX. THE MISSIONARY MAYHEWS.
Thomas Mayhew, Jr. His Work Among the Indians. Con- temporary Accounts. Death at Sea. "Place on the Way- side." Thomas Mayhew, Sr. His Long Services. Rev. John Cotton. Death of Governor Mayhew. John Mayhew. Experience Mayhew. Zachariah Mayhew. Frederick Bay- lies . 212-257
CHAPTER XX. COUNTY OF DUKES COUNTY.
Organization and Jurisdiction. Origin of Name. Early Judicial Affairs. Capital Trials. Attorneys. Shire Town. Early Court Houses. Campaign for Removal of Shire Town to Tisbury. New Court House at Tisbury. Later Court Houses. Edgartown Finally made Sole Shire Town. County Jail. Seal of the County .. . 258-293
CHAPTER XXI. MILITARY HISTORY, 1645-1775.
The Colonial Wars. The Puritan Militia. King Philip's War. French and Indian Wars. The Louisburg Expedition. Crown Point Campaign. Muster Rolls of Vineyard Troops. The Siege of Quebec. Miscellaneous Service in Canadian Garrisons. Island Militia. 294-320
CHAPTER XXII. THE VINEYARD IN THE REVOLUTION, 1774- I778.
Pre-Revolution Sentiment. The Vineyard Joins the Move- ment. County Congress Adopts Resolutions. Committees of Safety Formed. The Vineyard Prepares for the Struggle. Organization of the Sea Coast Defence Troops. Conserv- ative Element Betrays Timidity. Re-enlistment of the Vine- yard Companies. Muster Rolls. Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Accused of Disloyalty. Petition for More Troops. Sea Coast Defence in 1776. Additional Troops Sent to the Island. Muster Rolls. - 321-354
CHAPTER XXIII. THE VINEYARD ABANDONED TO NEUTRALITY.
Sea Coast Defence Abolished. One Company Retained at Vineyard. The Vineyard Left to its Own Devices. Aban- donment of the Island Considered. The Island Reduced to a Neutral Zone 355-366
CHAPTER XXIV. GREY'S RAID.
Commander of the Expedition. Staff and Regimental Officers. The Fleet at Homes Hole. The Foraging Begins. Militia Officers Arrested for Concealing Arms. Incidents of the Raid. Amount of Plunder Obtained. Grey's Reports. The Fleet Departs. . 367-383
CHAPTER XXV. LONG CAMPAIGN TO OBTAIN REDRESS.
Action of the Three Towns. James Athearn Permitted to Visit the British General. Estimates of the Losses. Claimants at Edgartown. The British Commander Refuses Payment for
I3
Table of Contents
Cattle. Suffering of the People. Further Efforts to Obtain Redress. Beriah Norton Goes to England. Board of In- quiry Approves the Claim. War Ended. Colonel Norton Sticks to his Mission. Government of United States Refuses to Endorse Claim. Colonel Norton Again in England. . 384-403 CHAPTER XXVI. NAVAL HISTORY IN THE REVOLUTION.
First Naval Engagement of War in Vineyard Sound. Capture of Transports "Harriot" and "Bedford." Capture of Trans- ports "Annabella" and "Howe." List of Privateers. Loss of "General Arnold." Picaroons. Miscellaneous Incidents. The Liberty Pole. Martyrs in Prison Ships and Prisons . 404-415
CHAPTER XXVII. MILITARY HISTORY, 1800-1900.
The War of 1812. Its Disastrous Effects on the Merchant Marine of the Vineyard. Mexican War. Civil War, 1861- 1865. Quotas of Soldiers Furnished. Spanish-American War 416-429
CHAPTER XXVIII. WHALE FISHERIES.
First Known Vineyard Whalers. Growth of the Industry. Disastrous Effects of Revolution. Employment of Indians. Extension of Enterprise to Pacific Ocean. Hazards of the Occupation. Tragedies of the Sea. Burke's Tribute to our Whalers. 430-451 .
CHAPTER XXIX. TRAVEL AND TAVERNS.
Ferry, Packet and Steamboat. The Packet Service. The Steamboat Service. Steam Railroad. County Highways. Old Tavern Days. Telegraphs, Cable and Telephones. . 452-467
CHAPTER XXX. LIFE DURING COLONIAL TIMES.
The Family. Christenings. Primogeniture. Social Distinc- tions. Divorces. Houses. Household Furnishings. Uten- sils. Literature. Paper and Writing. Colonial Visitors. Amusements. Tippling. Tobacco. Beating the Bounds. Computation of Time. Agriculture. Domestic Animals. Ear Marks. Currency. Practice of Medicine. Diseases. Small Pox. Burials. Division of Estates. Memorials of the Dead. Obituary Poetry. . 468-504
APPENDIX
JUDICIAL OFFICERS 507
REPRESENTATIONS TO THE GENERAL COURT 509
MILITIA LISTS, 1757 - 513 ARMY 518
NAVAL SERVICE
524
INDEXES
529
14
ILLUSTRATIONS
PORTRAIT OF AUTHOR. (Frontispiece)
PAGE
OLD CEDARS AT WEST CHOP
30
MAP OF VINEYARD WITH INDIAN PLACE-NAMES
Facing
40 ¥
STONE IMPLEMENT
57
ARMS OF GOSNOLD
72
EARLIEST MAP OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD
78
MARGINAL TEXT -"BRERETON'S RELATION," I602
79
THE EARL OF STIRLING .
. Facing
80
MAP OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD, 1624
84
ARMS OF SIR FERDINANDO GORGES
88
ARMS OF LORD STIRLING
103
CHURCH OF S. JOHN THE BAPTIST, TISBURY, ENG. .
107
FACSIMILE BAPTISMAL RECORD OF THOMAS MAYHEW
108
FONT IN CHURCH, TISBURY, ENGLAND
II6
SIGNATURE OF THOMAS MAYHEW
II7
CRADOCK HOUSE, MEDFORD, MASS.
I26
ARMS OF MAYHEW OF DINTON .
130
DUKE OF YORK
.Facing
I39
FORT JAMES, NEW YORK, 1671
146
PROVINCIAL HOUSE, NEW YORK
147
SIGNATURE OF FRANCIS LOVELACE .
I53
SEAL OF THE DUKE OF YORK
163
SEAL OF GOVERNOR MAYHEW
17I
REV. FREDERICK BAYLIES
256
SEAL OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD, 1655
293
SIGNATURE OF ZACCHEUS MAYHEW
320
SIR CHARLES GREY
.Facing
370
COL. ALEXANDER LESLIE
376
RELICS OF GREY'S RAID
383
MAP OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD, 1784
. Facing
396 ~
SIGNATURE OF BERIAH NORTON
403
MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM J. WORTH, U. S. A. .
. Facing 425
SOUVENIRS OF FOREIGN WARS .
429
WHALERS AT EDGARTOWN WHARF .
439
HARPOONING THE "RIGHT" WHALE
45I
STRS. "EAGLE," "HAMILTON" AND "TELEGRAPH" . Facing
. Facing
458
CLAGHORN TAVERN SIGN
463
OUR EARLIEST FERRY
467
TITLE PAGE .- "CONQUESTS AND TRIUMPHS OF GRACE"
.Facing
478
GRAVESTONE OF REV. JOHN MAYHEW
504
15
456 1
STR. "MONOHANSETT"
TITLE PAGE .- " MASSACHUSETTS PSALTER " . Facing
250
History of Martha's Vineyard
CHAPTER I.
GENERAL AND STATISTICAL.
SITUATION AND AREA.
The island of Martha's Vineyard, situated five miles from the mainland, south of the "Heel of the Cape," lies between 70° 27' 24" (Cape Poge light) and 70° 50' (Gay Head light) west longitude, and between 41º 18' 04" and 41º 28' 50" (West Chop light) north latitude. Its longest measurement east and west is about nineteen and one-fourth miles, and its greatest width from north to south is nine and three-eighths miles, in which is comprised about one hundred square miles, or about sixty-four thousand acres of land. With the Elizabeth Islands (Gosnold) and Noman's Land it constitutes the county of Dukes County, the last two having about seven thousand acres of superficial area, making a total of about seventy-one thousand acres of actual extent in the entire county.1
GEOLOGY:
Geologically considered, these islands are glacial moraines, and they form a part of that fringe of low land mainly com- posed of glacial drift, which extends from New York to Cape Cod.2
1Dukes County, including Gosnold, according to our State Census, the only one giving opportunity for comparison, contains 33,645 acres of farming lands, in 371 farms; having 4,893 acres of cultivated land, appraised at $30.12 per acre; 18,000 acres of pasture or unimproved land at $9.34; 9,200 acres of woodland at $12.42, and 1,858 acres of unimprovable at $1.43 per acre. (Report of Mass. Board of Agriculture, 1883.)
2The geology of this region has been made the subject of extended study by Prof. Nathaniel Southgate Shaler, of North Tisbury, and the results are published by the U. S. Geological Survey. From this report the statements which follow have been ex- tracted in brief, and all credit therefore is due to our distinguished citizen, and not to the author of this book, who claims no special knowledge in geology.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
The eastern part of this littoral fringe consists of a double belt, the outer line composed of Noman's Land, Martha's Vine- yard, Muskeget, Tuckernuck, and Nantucket, and the inner of the Elizabeth Isles and Cape Cod. The triangular contour of the Vineyard as we now know it is of post-glacial growth, as the large "ponds" now known as Sengekontacket, Lagoon, Tash- moo, Menemsha, and the many on the south side of the island, were once open bays or inlets, which have been closed in by the action of the sea through the formation of walled sand beaches, a fact particularly evident on the south shore. The narrow gut which divides Chappaquiddick is not always a constant condi- tion, as it has been closed at its lower opening within the memory of the living. It is probable that Chappaquiddick was once a part of the Vineyard, and the name given to it by the natives- "the Separated Island"-may indicate that in their traditional knowledge the breach between the two was made by the action of the waves and storms. Nor are these the only changes of importance in the progress of the ages; for it is regarded as certain "that Martha's Vineyard has been connected with the mainland since the close of the glacial period. The animals and plants of the island are in no way peculiar. We can hardly believe," says our authority, "that several large-seeded plants and many of the land animals have found their way across the five miles of water which separates the Vineyard from the continent." 1
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