NANTUCKET TREES 11 



the Island. Fuel vas not obtainable In the a vamps or 

 from the ground because of the ice and snov. The poor 

 vere enabled, because of the ice, to get supplies of 

 fuel by transporting the scrub oaks and junipers from 

 Coskata, a laborious and at times dangerous task." 43 



Extracts from the tovn records run as follovs: 

 "falmouth October ye 2, 1775- An account of all the 

 permits given for Supplying the Inhabitants of Nantucket 

 by vertue of an act of the Court: includes records of 

 cord vood." Resolution of Continental Congress. Dec. 

 11, 1775- "Resolved. That the selectmen of the tovn of 

 Sherbourne, in Nantucket, prepare an estimate of the 

 quantity of fuel, and provisions necessary for the use 

 of said Inhabitants, and lay it before three or more 

 justices of the peace, for the county of Barnstable, in 

 the Colony of Massachuset bay, attested by the oath or 

 affirmation of the said selectmen; and that the said 

 justices be empovered to grant licenses under their 

 hands to any master or ovner of vessels in the said is- 

 land, to import fuel and provisions from the colonies 

 of Mass. bay, Rhode Island, Conn., Nev York, Nev Jersey, 

 Penn. , Lover Counties on Delavare, or Maryland, not ex- 

 ceeding the quantities specifyed in the estimate." Star- 

 buck reports further straits: "Wood became scarce and 

 peat vas resorted to. The scrub oaks vere used, roots 

 as veil as top." At a legal Tovn Meeting at Sherborn 

 Sept'.r J>0, 1779> a memorial dravn up to present to the 

 General Court at Boston... set forth the difficulties the 

 inhabitants of Nantucket had encountered from the begin- 

 ning of the var. "The Inhabitants of this Island are 

 computed at near Five Thousand Persons, in about Seven 

 Hundred Families, at least one half this number if not 

 Tvo thirds are totally destitute of Firevood, of vhich 

 doubtless you are acquainted, this Island produceth very 

 little; ve consequently are dependant on the Continent 

 for this article, vh. has for a long time been brought 

 to us very sparingly from the risque occasioned by the 

 frequent passing of British Cruisers, but a total stop 

 for some time hath taken place." 43 



Tvo descriptions vritten after the Var of the 

 Revolution give the same picture of a treeless island. 

 Crevecoeur, a visiting Frenchman, in his American Farmer 



