large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_03_edwards_64kb_84
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_03_edwards_64kb
English
4813
In 1665 we hear of the Great and General Court of Massachusetts  which distinctive term is still applied to the Massachusetts Legislature  forbidding the cutting of any trees suitable for masts. IN SIXTEEN SIXTY FIVE WE HEAR OF THE GREAT AND GENERAL COURT OF MASSACHUSETTS WHICH DISTINCTIVE TERM IS STILL APPLIED TO THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE FORBIDDING THE CUTTING OF ANY TREES SUITABLE FOR MASTS
allops, sloops, pinks, schooners, snows, the almost obsolete batteau and periagua, the gundelow with its picturesque lateen sail, and all the winged host that are now merely names in New England's maritime history. We may not give in this limited space an account of the various vessels which have sailed down the green-sea aisles the last three hundred years. But of the very first, "a great and strong shallop" built by the Plymouth settlers for fishing, we must make brief mention, and of the Blessing of the Bay, the first seaworthy native craft to be built and launched on these shores--the pioneer of all New England commerce. Built by Governor Winthrop, he notes of her in his journal on August 31, 1631, that "the bark being of thirty tons went to sea." That is all he says, but from that significant moment the building of ships went on "gallantly," as was indeed to be expected in a country whose chief industry was fishing and which was so admirably surrounded by natural bays and harbors. F SHALLOPS SLOOPS PINKS SCHOONERS SNOWS THE ALMOST OBSOLETE BATTO AND PEREGUA THE GUNDOLO WITH ITS PICTURESQUE LATIN SAIL AND ALL THE WINGED HOSTS THAT ARE NOW MERELY NAMES IN NEW ENGLAND'S MARITIME HISTORY WE MAY NOT GIVE IN THIS LIMITED SPACE AN ACCOUNT OF THE VARIOUS VESSELS WHICH HAVE SAILED DOWN THE GREEN SEA ISLES OF THE LAST THREE HUNDRED YEARS BUT OF THE VERY FIRST A GREAT AND STRONG SHALLOP BUILT BY THE PLYMOUTH SETTLERS FOR FISHING WE MUST MAKE BRIEF MENTION AND OF THE BLESSING OF THE BAY THE FIRST SEAWORTHY NATIVE CRAFT TO BE BUILT AND LAUNCHED ON THESE SHORES THE PIONEER OF ALL NEW ENGLAND COMMERCE BUILT BY GOVERNOR WINTHROP HE NOTES OF HER IN HIS JOURNAL ON AUGUST THIRTY FIRST SIXTEEN THIRTY ONE THAT THE BARQUE BEING OF THIRTY TONS WENT TO SEA THAT IS ALL HE SAYS BUT FROM THAT SIGNIFICANT MOMENT THE BUILDING OF SHIPS WENT ON GALLANTLY AS WAS INDEED TO BE EXPECTED IN A COUNTRY WHOSE CHIEF INDUSTRY WAS FISHING AND WHICH WAS SO ADMIRABLY SURROUNDED BY NATURAL BAYS AND HARBORS
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_03_edwards_64kb
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