USA > Massachusetts > Dukes County > Early History of Naushon Island > Part 26
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and above ground; Know the price of timber at Falmouth and at Sandwich, and what is ye most it will fetch; examine ye state of ye fences and ye walls and what fences will be necessary to be poled, to keep the sheep at ye West end; begin at each of ye walls that run across ye Island, either on ye North or South side and follow ye same quite across, taking a note of ye distance and quantity of Poles or wall necessary to repair or renew the fences; know on what part of ye Island it is best to cut ye Poles, what wood makes ye best Poles; in short examine everything which relates to ye repairing & ye making of ye fences throughout the Island, I mean particularly that part of it under Capt. Putnam's improvement.
You are to note ye time of ye cows being milked, when they begin to make butter, when to make cheese, what Bulls they have for the season, whether they are of ye best kind, the state of ye cows; know where the tenants are to plow and sow and to plant for the season; in short see everything and endeavor to know everything which has relation to ye improvement and manage- ment of ye Island.
Remember to let Mr Samuel Robinson know that it is impos- sible for him and his family to continue on Neanemessett; and he must find some place on ye main for his residence. Take some Lettice, peppergrass, parsley seed, and give some of each to Zephaniah & Paul* and desire them to sow them; carry also upon the Horses you may lead a number of the Twigs of Lombardy Poplar Trees & put them deep into the ground around the field at Paul & Zephaniah's; desire Mr Robinson to set out all the locust trees he may have.
Three months later Bowdoin wrote his first letter from Naushon.
* Paul Robinson, tenant farmer at Nonamesset for over fifty years.
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JAMES BOWDOIN TO THOMAS L. WINTHROP
Thos. L. Winthrop Naushon July 12, 1802
. We arrived at ye Island at ye time we proposed, without an accident although in imminent danger of being oversett on ye day of setting out. We very luckily escaped although I have sprained one if not both of my ankles, in rescuing the carriage from being overset. The Island is fast recovering the several years drought which has afflicted it. It looks flourishing, but it has been so cold as to require winter apparel.
When we return will much depend on the health we enjoy.
James Bowdoin
Bowdoin chose a very practical method for getting the co- operation of the Vineyard authorities in the suppression of poaching.
1803
JAMES BOWDOIN TO THOMAS COOK
Boston, Mar. 2, 1803
To Thomas Cook Esq.
Edgartown, Marthas Vineyard
Sir;
As I understood that one Reuben Pitcher or as he sometimes calls himself Pritchard, has been hunting contrary to law on Naushon Island or on one of the Islands contigous to it, and has killed and carried off one or more deer therefrom; I am to request that ye would prosecute ye said Pitcher before some Justice of the peace in your County agreeably to the enclosed act of Gov- ernment; the said Pitcher or Pritchard is now at Holmes Hole, where he is said to be unwell, the evidence of ye hunting and kill- ing will be given in a postscript to this letter.
Should the said Pitcher be at Holmes Hole and the forfeitures incurred by the act of Government be recovered, of which there
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can be but little doubt, after paying yourself for your own trouble expenses & other charges ; please to pay over one half of the re- mainder to the Treasurer of the town of Chilmark for the use of ye poor of said town; and the other half to the treasurer of the town of Falmouth for the poor of that town, or if the sum over should be too small to be so divided then to pay the whole re- mainder to the Treasurer of the town of Chilmark for the use above mentioned.
I am very respct. Sir your Obt. Serv. J. B.
The Reverend William Emerson, pastor of the Second Church in Boston, preached the funeral sermon of the wife of Governor James Bowdoin. Her son made the following acknowledgment.
JAMES BOWDOIN TO WILLIAM EMERSON
Boston, May 16, 1803
The Revd. Mr Emerson,
Sir;
Your excellent sermon of yesterday, on the death of my mother, whilst it will do honor to you as a scholar & a divine, will be grate- fully recollected by the children and the relations of the deceased. Permit me as one of them to thank you for it, and for the hand- some & honorable notice of the character and virtues of my late father. Will you permit me to request a copy of your sermon for the press, and to assure you that your friendship on the occasion will make a lasting impression upon my mind.
I am Sir your sincere friend & humble Servt. James Bowdoin
Bowdoin wrote as follows to his nephew and namesake who was serving as a captain in the British army. In spite of the
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Bowdoins' strict loyalty to the Colonies, the ties binding the family to Great Britain were close and strong, and Lady Temple wished her son to be brought up in the land of his father. James Bowdoin, who planned to make him his heir, was anxious that he should come to America to familiarize himself with his adopted country. James came on visits and was quite ready to accept the bequests of his uncle, but he never lived here permanently.
1804
HON. JAMES BOWDOIN TO JAMES BOWDOIN TEMPLE
Boston, Mar. 20, 1804
Capt. J. B. Temple*
Dear James,
I have duly read your letter of 5th. Dec. and 3rd. Jan. which last was accompanied with a plan of coach house and a stable which I was very glad to receive. I shall adopt it in a part or a whole, if my ground will allow me of it. As I have not time to write you a long letter at present, and as I trust and expect you will return home as soon as possible I intend enclosing a hundred sterling to Mr Erving for the purpose of your purchasing a few things which I deem necessary to be procured. Dr Waterhouse has a small chemical apparatus sent to him by Dr Lettson, I think it cost him from 8 to 10 guineas, its design is to examine or analyze earths, minerals Fossils etc. and is contained in a box say 2 feet by 15 in. If one of that kind can readily be had I should be glad you should procure it for me. I also want a borer to ascertain the nature and quality of earths under the surface & I wish you to be very par- ticular in endeavoring to procure me one, for ye purpose of search- ing for marle, clay, and coal at Naushon Island where there are several places indicating mineral appearances, and should there be found a coal mine upon it, it would prove a rich reward for the
* Later changed his name to James Temple Bowdoin at his uncle's desire.
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trouble and expense of procuring a Borer, and no great loss should it fail of success; but in order to do this it is necessary that a man of intelligence, well acquainted with the different methods of bor- ing, and one if possible who has used them with the most success should be sought for and consulted.
The bit is ye principal and least expensive part. It requires great nicety in ye contrivance and should be sufficient to cut through stone or rock which might impede its passage.
The borer should have annexed a tube or ye segment of a tube so contrived as to ascertain the different strata of earth through which ye borer might pass, by affording at pleasure samples of them. It is probable there are various kinds of bits which are fixed at pleasure at ye end of cylinder or borer and suited to the different earths to be penetrated & examined. In this case ye Borer must be accompanied with ye different bits, tube or half tubes with directions for the use and management of both. Should you be in the neighborhood of a coal or tin or any other mine I wish you to examine the method of boring and the machines they make use of for the purpose to notice the surface of the earth under which coal is found, and ye earth more immediately con- nected with it or in contact with ye coal, endeavor to ascertain whether coal is usually found in ye same kinds of earth, whether that earth is sand, clay, gravel or any other kind and whether ther is anything in the outward or inward appearance of the earth which designates ye neighborhood or approach of coal. Also ex- amine critically ye tools they use for ye opening and ye working of ye mine and request a copy from the best of them. Borers cal- culated to penetrate a soft clay may be had here, but they are not suited to a stoney or rocky earth. If the price of these borers should be very high or expensive, you can procure ye bits etc. and ye first joints of ye borer say at five or six feet in length and ye other parts which would be cylindrical might be added here.
As I mean among the improvements of Naushon to erect Salt
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Works I wish you to procure me Margraffes disertation sur le sel, common in ye French or in ye translation, or any other work upon the subject of making and chrystalizing common salt; Do send me a Hhd. of pure mineral salt taken from mines at Liver- pool. Let it be put into a sack by itself and shipped by one of ye first vessels ; I have a particular reason for the request, it is for an experiment. Also send me ye best chemical work extract; if it should be Fournesoys take care that it be of the latest edition. . . .
For fear you may be lead to ye expense of bringing out horses, I must mention to you that horses can scarcely be given away here, you may find a choice of ye best upon easy terms, and when I shall know ye time you may be expected here I believe I shall be able to procure a pair for you to meet your arrival. ..
Take care of your health & procure your discharge from the service as soon as possible consistant with your reputation.
J. B.
Capt. J. B. Temple
Boston May, 19th. 1804
Dear James ;
I wrote you on ye 20th. of March and on ye 10th. inst. to which I am to refer you. I must again repeat to you that we impa- tiently expect to hear from you and of the progress you have made in procuring your discharge from the service.
I intended to have requested your inquiries respecting an English family with a dairy, ye management of cows, horses, cattle sheep etc. and everything concerning a grazing farm. But I would by no means have such a family engaged until you should hear from me in reply.
We have lately had a sample of Irish sheep which it is said have been procured upon very easy terms and have turned out well, if a couple of good rams and one or two ewes could be had without paying an extraordinary price, and a vessell for Boston should offer, I should be glad you should procure them.
TARPAULIN COVE HOUSE
SHEEP AT THE COVE
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Remember however I do not mean to speculate in ye imaginary perfection of a particular kind of sheep, especially those which are very large, as I know such must dwindle in their size from the different manner of managing them upon the Elizabeth Islands. It is the well made and well wooled sheep of ye common breed that I want, and which I know cannot cost much. Perhaps Capt. Palmer might be able to assist you in procuring them and hav- ing them shipped. . . .
J. B.
JAMES BOWDOIN TO SIR GRENVILLE TEMPLE*
Boston May 17, 1804
Sir Grenville Temple,
. . . as you intend to become an American farmer I should advise you to procure some rams of ye Spanish breed of sheep or rather of ye sheep of Mt Atlas in ye Emperor of Morocco's dominion could be procured they would do better; it is said to be ye best breed in ye world, if neither of these can be procured I think it probable that ye Neapolitan sheep be found to be of Spanish origin and could be had without difficulty and at a small price, in which case should there be an opportunity of sending three Rams and as many ewes by an American vessell to Boston, I could wish they might be procured; it is necessary that they be picked sheep, well made and well wooled, and that a sufficient quantity of fodder and oats should be shipped with them. I will readily pay Mr Winthrop any amount you should advance upon my account therefrom.
While filling his Ministerial positions in Spain and France Bowdoin became deeply interested in the agriculture of those countries. He wished to bring to the farmers of New England new ideas as to the improvement of livestock. With characteristic
* Sir Grenville Temple was eldest son of Elizabeth Bowdoin and Sir John Temple.
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EARLY HISTORY OF NAUSHON ISLAND
energy he studied sheep raising and the culture of many kinds of vegetables, grasses, fruits and trees, not to mention the latest processes in extracting salt from sea water.
He had one trait in common with his predecessor Wait Win- throp, and certain of his successors, an infinite capacity for tak- ing pains.
1805
HONORABLE JAMES BOWDOIN TO THOMAS L. WINTHROP
Paris Dec. 20, 1805
Thos. L. Winthrop Esq.
My dear Sir;
. . . I observe what you say of Mr Bullard, and that ye things at the island looked promising before ye drought, that he had procured the finishing of 900 ft. of Salt works. That he wanted 500 dollars per anum in lieu of everything; that he would super- intend ye cutting ye timber, etc. I look upon it considering that Mr Bullard has had the management of ye island for two years, it is of importance that he should be retained. Ye sum however which he requires seems extravagant, especially if he and his family are supported upon the island; if he continues to be the honest man I had reason to suppose him, I think you must en- deavor to make as good a bargain with him as you can. I wish you to let me know what is the state of ye improvements, how ye plan answers of having distinct families hired upon ye principle which has been tried? What has been done upon the stone walls and fences and whether they have been laid out and executed in ye manner I proposed? Or if they are not wholly done, what part has been? The number of sheep sheared ye quantity of wool, its price: - the quantity and quality of ye cheese; the state of the stock generally and a precise list of it.
With respect to wool, I am surprised to find the price of it
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in Europe; the French wool sheared with all the dirt in it, and the more it has ye farmer considers it ye more profitable, sells at 55 sous the pound weight; ye Spanish wool by an English account of sales I saw at Santander averaged 6/3 sterling per pound for ye Ist quality & ye 3rd at upwards of 4/ sterling; that ye common- price of wool in Spain of ye Ist. quality was between 4/ & 5/ ster- ling per lb. I am convinced that my wool, if it does not fetch half a dollar, had better be sold in England or France. I wish a bag of a few fleeces may be sent to Mr Dickinson of London and another to Mr Lee of Bordeaux to await my directions concerning them as I will endeavor to obtain a comparative estimate of ye quality & price at each market. Great improvements are making here with Spanish Rams as well as in England. They sell here from 12 to 40 guineas each, and what is surprising a flock of sheep, it is said, will afford upwards nine pounds of wool to the fleece. . . . I wish to know also how ye Lucerne has answered at ye island. I find it here to be a most valuable grass and I have no doubt but that it will answer in all parts of ye U. S. in dry rich soil, or in sandy light lands & properly manured and managed.
It should be sown after a crop of Indian corn or potatoes, which should be well manured & be kept clean of weeds quite to ye fall; in order to which a fourth hoeing may be found necessary to destroy ye weeds, which might spring from any cause after ye prior hoeings. The seed should be sown and plowed in with Barley in ye spring and as early as possible ye quantity of seed to be from 12 lb. to 30 lb. per acre. Nobody here sows less than 12 lb. In this way you may be sure it will succeed. I forgot to mention to insure it from injury from extreme frost it will be best to cover it with a coarse litter, which should be raked off in the Spring. It is found to be more abundant in quantity and quality than any other grass. It is not so good for feeding as the natural grass is, it is much injured if fed close, especially by horses ; but if cut for fodder, it is superior to every other kind of
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grass; it affords ye best hay which gives more nourishment, it is better liked by horses and neat cattle than any other, it stands the drought better, and I have no doubt may be successfully cul- tivated in every part of Massachusetts, especially the Western.
I beg your particular attention to it at Naushon Island which will afford ample means to protect it against severity of ye winter by being covered with seaweed, and I am convinced by its intro- duction double ye number of ye neat cattle may be fatted yearly, great addition be made to ye dairy & an adequate quantity of hay be secured against every contingency of ye seasons. I shall order 50 weight of the seed to be sent by the first vessel to Boston.
. I omitted to mention to you concerning the timber at Naushon, that it would be best to have it cut and sold, with all ye necessary precautions to procure ye sale of ye good and bad to- gether; and that ye trees be so cut as to make ye greatest quantity of timber, otherwise great loss and waste may be expected. It is ye old and decaying timber wch ought to be first cut & ye residue left for future growth. Among the papers left in my desk there is an unexecuted agreement for a vessell to be built at Naushon with ye timber growing there; it was well digested at ye time; & contains ye material checked in respect to culling the timber. I omitted another circumstance respecting ye improvement of ye Island, wch applies to all large open plains of light lands espe- cially, wch is that to bring them into a good state of cultivation, the enclosures shd be lined or surrounded with trees to intercept high winds wch carry off the finer and more fertile parts of such soils. This has been found necessary to improve ye commons and waste lands in Engld. I wish therefore as fast as ye new walls shall be completed that trees may be planted by the sides of them, and that three or four small enclosures be made in different parts of ye Island in which should be planted some locust trees with a quantity of ye seed of the tree, to be kept as nurseries for this pur- pose. I wd not however depend on these alone, as ye beech nuts
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and oak acorns shd be planted along such walls in a furrow to be made by a plough upon each side of ye walls at such a distance as not to endanger the wall; a brush fence I apprehend might be easily made to answer for a few years until ye young trees shd get out of ye reach of ye cattle.
Please to mention this circumstance to Mr Bullard and tell him he must encourage as much as possible ye growth of wood upon ye skirts of ye island, to shelter it as much as possible from ye high sea winds. I omitted also to ask ye state of ye marshes, whether they are all ditched and staked, or what has been done upon this subject in regard to them? Please to reduce ye parts of this letter wch respect ye island to queries and desire Mr Bullard to reply to them in ye shortest and best manner.
1806
JAMES BOWDOIN TO THOMAS L. WINTHROP, ESQ.
Paris Feb. 6th. 1806
. . . I have written to Mr Lee of Bordeaux to ship by ye first vessel to your order, thirty weight of Lucerne seed, three bushels of Vetches, and one bushel of St Foir which sh. you receive I wish they may be sent to ye Island by the 1st. oppty. and that Mr Bul- lard be directed to sow them immediately if ye season sh. not be too advanced. I wish that a small bed of each may be made for the purpose of raising some seed, as I understand that seed raised in ye U. S. will assimilate better to ye climate than that which is raised in France. I wld. have a fair trial made of these seeds and for this purpose. I wld. have them sown in a proper season upon a well prepared piece of ground & no expense of time or labor spared in making a fair experiment of them. The vetches ought to be sown early & cut when they are in full bloom & dried for hay. The St Foir, I wld. have one half of it sown in drills for the sake of raising some seed, which I am told will answer if rendered indige-
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nous to the place. The St Foir did not answer when I before tried it. . . .
Wherever there are plains, which are large, trees of some kind may be planted out in order to intercept ye force of high winds which produce an effect quite as pernicious. I shall occasionally give you such hints as I receive concerning the improvement of ye Island to which object I shall pay attention as circumstances occur which may in any way apply to its improvement.
JAMES BOWDOIN TO THOMAS L. WINTHROP
July 23rd. 1806
. The Lucernes and ye vetches I am convinced will do, and the turnip husbandry ought to be tried, but as ye Island is subject to drought ye sowing ought to be very early in Spring. Did you receive seed of ye Swedish Turnip? Desire Mr Bullard to have a piece of ground prepared for turnips such as will hold the water upon the top and grow deep in the ground. I wish ground throughly prepared. I wish that in middle of August, September October and November English, Swedish and American turnip seeds be sown in equal quantities at the 4 periods, in distant com- partments. The attention at the Island ought to be paid prin- cipally to the increase of ye quantity of hay and fodder which will very much depend on the quantity of seaweed and manure col- lected to be used in cultivation of turnips vetches etc.
Among captains and crews of coasters, for a century and more, Tarpaulin Turnips have been a byword. In 1932, at Boothbay Harbor, Maine, an old captain of a four-master, when asked if he remembered Tarpaulin Cove, exclaimed, "Tarpaulin Turnips! Yes, many a sack of them I have bought when passing through the Sound, no turnips like them." Is it not possible that the excellence of these and the turnips of Falmouth which still are exceptional,
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is due to the introduction of a superior variety from abroad and the experiments made in their culture by Bowdoin in 1806?
1807
HONORABLE JAMES BOWDOIN TO THOMAS L. WINTHROP Paris, April 20th.
Mr Brosteret gave the following information respecting a kind of grass growing near Marseille; il y a dans une plaine appelée las Crau (prononciation gascone) couverts de cailloux une herbe qui croit dans les cailloux et qui est excellente pour engraisser les moutons. Cette plaine n'est pas loin de la mer et Je crois entre Marseille & Arles.
JAMES BOWDOIN TO WILLIAM LEE, EsQ.
Sept. 25th
. . . I observe that you have paid a visit to the Island & that you have found things in as good a state as you expected. I think too much attention cannot be paid to the fences and stone walls nor to the planting of trees abt. ye houses & in all bleak places, and where the soil is poor very light and seems to be blowing away such land shld. be enclosed for the growth of wood; and oak-acorns, beech-nuts, and locust or accacia seeds shld. be sown. There is a large piece of ground in the middle pasture wch. is fit for nothing else. The Ditchings & staking of every pt. of marsh upon the is- lands is a very important improvement & ought to be undertaken early in the spring, & Ditchers expressely employed for the purpose.
The swamp behind the Dairy and several on Nonnimessett sh. be immediately cleared. But you ought to know that the swamp north of ye dairy house require a good deep ditch at the bottom of it near a small pond which ought to be set up to the middle of the
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swamp, stoned & part of the way even to be pointed with a laid in mortat wch. shld. be made of old Bricks beat to pieces with a clod pole as fine as coarse sand used instead of it with a small quantity of quick lime. . .. I wish you to give me ye cost of ye produce of ye Salt Works for a year, that I may judge whether additions ought to be made to them. Mrs Bowdoin is desirous of having ye house built at ye Island near the great dairy house on the ridge N.E. of the house near where there was a fish flake & Sam Hunt made a seat; this situation commands the Bay and Harbor & Nen- nimesset & gives almost a complete horizon as far as ye eye can extend. I wish the frame and other materials shld. be collected as soon as possible & put together in a plain substantial manner, something upon the plan enclosed whch. has been contrived by her and Mr Sullivan. The frame shld. be large and strong & ye win- dows shld. be very tight & the frames very strong, ye winds and ye storms at the Island require an attention to these circumstances. The House is to have no door in front & only one principal one on the side whch. should be covered with a closed porch on acc. of the N.E. winds, to which it will be exposed. Strong frames & good material, strong windows added to good workmen will be essen- tial. Connected with the building of the house, I think that ye front windows of the two lower stories of Beacon Street hse. may be transferred to ye proposed hse. new sashes more fashionable substituted. Whatever shld. be done ought to be done at once & the new sashes be made and inserted.
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