1893. ] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 9 
and structure of the other islands which yet remain as the rem- 
nants of the gradually vanishing morainal fringe. 
In the first instance it would be necessary to consider Martha’s 
Vineyard either as having little or nothing in common, so far as 
its geological history is concerned, with the other parts of the 
moraine, or else to suppose that the theory in regard to the 
ceological history of these other parts is at fault and must be 
altered to conform to that regarding Martha’s Vineyard. In 
the second instance, we should “be able to invoke the same series 
of cause and effect to account for the formation and structure of 
the entire moraine, based upon extensive observations and in- 
vestigations over a much larger extent of country than is avail- 
able in the limited area of Martha’s Vineyard alone. 
A brief history of the views of different observers will there- 
fore be of interest in this connection, as a prelude to what is to 
follow. 
In the early documentary history of this country numerous 
references may be found to Martha’s Vineyard. In 1602 Bar- 
tholomew Gosnold sailed from England in the bark “‘ Concord,” 
stopped at ‘No Man’s Land” on May 24th, and subsequently 
passed Gay Head, which they named “‘ Dover Cliff,” and entered 
Buzzard’s Bay, or, as they called it, ‘‘Gosnold’s Hope.” In 
1603, Martin Pring,* having heard of Gosnold’s voyage, set 
sail, and after stopping at several points on the New England 
coast, finally anchored in Old Town Harbor, Martha’s Vineyard. 
In 1614 another expedition was fitted out and commanded by 
Capt. Hobson. A captive American Indian, who had been 
carried to England, was taken along, on his promise that he 
weuld show where gold was to be found on “ Capawicke,” or 
Martha’s Vineyard. The expedition arrived there in good 
time, but the Indian made his escape without making good his 
promise. The gold was doubtless the pyrite which is so com- 
mon in the clays of Gay Head. 
In 1786 Samuel West and William Baylies, with three others, 
formed a party to visit the island, and the account of their 
visit is embodied in two communications to Gov. Jas. Bowdoin 
of Massachusetts. As these communications contain perhaps 
the earliest published descriptions of the island and are ex- 
ceedingly quaint, the following extracts from them may not be 
out of place. 
*I haye been informed by one of the descendants of an old Martha’s Vine- 
yard family that the name is generally supposed to beacorruption of *‘ Martin’s 
Vineyard,” the latter part of the name having reference to the great Sia 
of native grapes which were and are yet to be found there. 
+ Mem. Am. Acad. Arts and Sci. II., Part I. 147-150 (1793) and 150-155 (1797). 
