22 AT MR. PEABODY'S BARN. 



divided very nearly on the line of cleavage between the 

 " old planters," and the " new charter " settlers. Without 

 doubt the arrival of Endicott gave an impetus to the move- 

 ment amongst the first settlers of Salem to cross the creek 

 and to plant on the Bass River side. Their grants were 

 mostly there, and 1628 is at once the date of the beginning 

 of the Bass River settlement and of Endicott's arrival. It 

 would not be surprising if Conant's protest against the 

 name of Beverly in 1671 represented the last expiring 

 struggle of the " old planter " interest.^ 



After a forenoon spent in interesting rambles and de- 

 lightful views from the many elevated points, both natural 

 and artificial, which this region offers, with visits to old 

 houses, stone quarries and other attractive features, an 

 al fresco lunch followed in the breezy, ample barn of 

 Mr. Peabody. This place of meeting was not far from the 

 station and both are in the midst of an extensive plain, 

 formerly a favorite camping ground and training field for 

 militia musters and sham fights, as well as a frequent resort 

 of the red-skinned gentry who antedated us as proprietors 

 of the soil. This last fact appears from the local reputation 

 the plain has long enjoyed as a promising field for the un- 

 earthing of arrow-heads, stone chisels, mortar-pestles, fish 

 hooks and other Indian implements and ornaments of endur- 

 ing substance. And as if to give assurance that its an- 

 cient prestige was not yet waning, the piece of ground in 

 front of Mr. Peabody 's barn, which was being broken up 

 with the plough while the meeting was in progress, brought 

 to light a sharp-cut Indian gouge or chisel of trap rock 

 with beautifully perfect edges which seemed ready for in- 

 stant service, had there been need to hollow a canoe out 

 of some spruce or hemlock trunk with the aid of fire. 



Whether the Indians were attracted to this spot by the 



* See " History and Genealogy of the Conant Family," p. 116-125. 



