large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb_10
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb
English
4813
We read that in the War of 1812 she was carried up the Weymouth River and covered, masts and hull, with green bushes so that the marauding British cruisers might not find her, and as we read we find ourselves remembering that _camouflage_ is new only in name. How entirely fitting it seems that a town of such venerable houses and venerable legends should be presided over by a church which is the oldest of its kind in the country! WE READ THAT IN THE WAR OF EIGHTEEN TWELVE SHE WAS CARRIED UP THE WEYMOUTH RIVER AND COVERED MASTS AND HULL WITH GREEN BUSHES SO THAT THE MARAUDING BRITISH CRUISERS MIGHT NOT FIND HER AND AS WE READ WE FIND OURSELVES REMEMBERING THAT CAMOUFLAGE IS NEW ONLY IN NAME HOW ENTIRELY FITTING IT SEEMS THAT A TOWN OF SUCH VENERABLE HOUSES AND VENERABLE LEGENDS SHOULD BE PRESIDED OVER BY A CHURCH WHICH IS THE OLDEST OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY
 England towns. Possibly the dappling of the elms, possibly the shadow of the Old Ship Church, is a bit deeper here than in the other South Shore towns. However it may seem to its inhabitants, to the stranger everything in Hingham is tinctured by the remembrance of the stern old ecclesiasticism. Even the number of historic forts seems a proper part of those righteous days, for when did religion and warfare not go hand in hand? During the trouble with King Philip the town had three forts, one at Fort Hill, one at the Cemetery, and one "on the plain about a mile from the harbor"; and the sites may still be identified. Not that Hingham history is exclusively religious or martial. Her little harbor once held seventy sail of fishing vessels, and between 1815 and 1826, 165,000 barrels of mackerel were landed on their salty decks. For fifty years (between 1811 and 1860) the Rapid sailed as a packet between this town and Boston, making the trip on one memorable occasion in sixty-seven minutes. LMS POSSIBLY THE SHADOW OF THE OLD SHIP CHURCH IS A BIT DEEPER HERE THAN IN OTHER SOUTHSHORE TOWNS HOWEVER IT MAY SEEM TO ITS INHABITANTS TO THE STRANGER EVERYTHING IN HINGHAM IS TINCTURED BY THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE STERN OLD ECCLESIASTICISM EVEN THE NUMBER OF HISTORIC FORTS SEEMS A PROPER PART OF THOSE RIGHTEOUS DAYS FOR WHEN DID RELIGION AND WARFARE NOT GO HAND IN HAND DURING THE TROUBLE WITH KING PHILIP THE TOWN HAD THREE FORTS ONE AT FORT HILL ONE AT THE CEMETERY AND ONE ON THE PLAIN ABOUT A MILE FROM THE HARBOR AND THE SITES MAY STILL BE IDENTIFIED NOT THAT HINGHAM HISTORY IS EXCLUSIVELY RELIGIOUS OR MARTIAL HER LITTLE HARBOR ONCE HELD SEVENTY SAIL OF FISHING VESSELS AND BETWEEN EIGHTEEN FIFTEEN AND EIGHTEEN TWENTY SIX WHEN HUNDRED SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND BARRELS OF MACKEREL WERE LANDED ON THEIR SALTY DECKS FOR FIFTY YEARS BETWEEN EIGHTEEN ELEVEN AND EIGHTEEN SIXTY THE RAPID SAILED AS A PACKET BETWEEN THIS TOWN AND BOSTON MAKING THE TRIP ON ONE MEMORABLE OCCASION IN SIXTY SEVEN MINUTES
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