75 



tion ; the volcano being the residence of their goddess 

 Pele, whose anger was evinced by its thunderings and 

 eruptions. They gave, however, as an excuse for not 

 ap[)roaching nearer, that the heat of the water would melt 

 the pitch from the seams of the boat, and that we should 

 all sink. Of this of course there could be no danger, 

 for I found upon placing my hand in the water that it was 

 just a little warm. 



Imagine such a scene here ; the mountain forty miles 

 away. You hear of the approach of the lava from day 

 to day, for it moves slowly in its course to the sea. 

 "When it reaches Manchester it destroys this place utterl3'', 

 removing all that is before it, the houses and all the work 

 of men's hands; the harbor, creeks and all vegetation, in- 

 volved in one general destruction. In the process of 

 time the lava cools and cracks; vegetation starts in the 

 scams and crevices of the sirrface, and finally a new soil 

 covers it; and you have a new harbor, a new soil, and a 

 new town, perhaps a mile or two farther into the ocean. 



Mr. Lewis N. Tappan was called upon and gave a brief 

 sketch of the local history of Manchester. It was fiist 

 settled in 1G26 by a few Hshermen from Cape Ann, Wil- 

 liam Jeffries, AVilliam Allen, William and John Norman 

 and others. It was called Manchester sim[)ly because 

 many of the settlers came from Manchester in England. 

 Mr. Tappan thought some more appro[)riate name, like 

 Magnolia, or Masconomo (the name of the Indian cliief 

 ■who brought stiawberries to Gov. Winthrop's party, Avhich 

 landed here on their way to Salem in June, 1(j30), Avould 

 have been better. He then referred to the partial destruc- 

 tion of the schooner "Nancy," by the British, at iAIingoe's 

 beach, a. d., 1813, and to the tight between thy Chesa- 

 peake and Shannon, and other naval engagements that 

 have occurred near the Manchester shore. 



