large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_03_edwards_64kb_15
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_03_edwards_64kb
English
4813
It is rather inspiring to stand here on the bridge which spans the Fore River, and picture that first crude dugout being paddled along by the steady stroke of the red man, and then to look at the river to day. IT IS RATHER INSPIRING TO STAND HERE ON THE BRIDGE WHICH SPANS THE FOUR RIVER AND PICTURE THAT FIRST CRUDE DUGOUT BEING PADDLED ALONG BY THE STEADY STROKE OF THE RED MAN AND THEN TO LOOK AT THE RIVER TO DAY
 whose chief industry was fishing and which was so admirably surrounded by natural bays and harbors. 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. The broad arrow of the King was marked on all white pines, twenty-four inches in diameter, three feet from the ground. Big ships and little ships swarmed into existence, and every South Shore town made shipbuilding history. The ketch, a two-masted vessel carrying from fifteen to twenty tons, carried on most of the coasting traffic, and occasionally ventured on a foreign voyage. When we recall that the best and cheapest ships of the latter half of the seventeenth century were built here in the new country, we realize that shipyards, ports, docks, proper laws and regulations, and the invigorating progress which marks any thriving industry flourished bravely up and down the whole New England coast. NTRY WHOSE CHIEF INDUSTRY WAS FISHING AND WHICH WAS SO ADMIRABLY SURROUNDED BY NATURAL BAYS AND HARBORS 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 THE BROAD ARROW OF THE KING WAS MARKED ON ALL WHITE PINES TWENTY FOUR INCHES IN DIAMETER THREE FEET FROM THE GROUND BIG SHIPS AND LITTLE SHIPS SWARMED INTO EXISTENCE AND EVERY SOUTH SHORE TOWN MADE SHIP BUILDING HISTORY THE CATCH A TWO MASTED VESSEL CARRYING FROM FIFTEEN TO TWENTY TONS CARRIED ON MOST OF THE COASTING TRAFFIC AND OCCASIONALLY VENTURED ON A FOREIGN VOYAGE WHEN WE RECALL THAT THE BEST AND CHEAPEST SHIPS OF THE LATTER HALF OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY WERE BUILT HERE IN THE NEW COUNTRY WE REALIZE THAT SHIPYARDS PORTS DOCKS PROPER LAWS AND REGULATIONS AND THE INVIGORATING PROGRESS WHICH MARKS ANY THRIVING INDUSTRY FLOURISHED BRAVELY UP AND DOWN THE WHOLE NEW ENGLAND COAST
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_03_edwards_64kb
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