158 History of Hingham. 



Hingham (including Cohasset, which until 1770 formed a part 

 of it) ; and to do this most thoroughly and onjoyably a tramp 

 will be necessary, although at times it will be agreeable to take 

 to the saddle ; and a boat will twice or thrice be indispensable, 

 especially at the outset. For we will start, if you please, at the 

 extreme easterly point, and take some of the ledges which lie 

 off shore. Many of these are nearer to Scituate Beach, but the 

 rest, including the most noted of all, Minot's, are opposite Cohas- 

 set harbor and beaches. 



Minot's Ledge is the outermost of those awful rocks, upon 

 which many a ship has met her doom ; and unnumbered men, 

 ay, and women and children too, have vanished in the foam of 

 those breakers which lash the ledges unceasina'lv when the east 

 wind vexes the sea. 



But on this hazy morning the ocean is calm enough. Only a 

 ground swell, smooth as glass, rolls languidly in, and we can lie 

 off the grim Minot's Ledge and examine the proportions of the 

 great granite tower at our ease. This tower was built by the 

 government to take the place of the wooden lighthouse, elevated 

 on iron posts, that was washed away, together with its keepers, in 

 the terrible storm of April, 1851. 



Leaving Minot's outer and inner ledges, we come to an archi- 

 pelago of rocks, many of which are submerged at high water. 

 The principal ones between Minot's and the Cohasset shore are, 

 the East and West Hogshead Rocks, the East and West Shag, 

 the Grampuses, Enos Ledge, Brush Ledge, Barrel Rock, Shep- 

 pard's Ledge, Gull Ledge, Sutton Rocks and Quamino Rock. 



At the westerly entrance to Cohasset harbor is a high, wooded, 

 rocky promontory called Whitehead. During the last war with 

 England earthworks were erected there and garrisoned. In June, 

 1814, a British man-of-war came to destroy the shipping at Co- 

 hasset, but the commander, upon reconnoitring these fortifica- 

 tions, deemed them too strong to be attacked, and withdrew. 

 On the west side of the harbor is Gulf Island, and south of it 

 Supper, or Super, Island. We leave ' ; the Glades " (in Scituate) 

 on our left in entering Cohasset harbor. On the south side of 

 the harbor, and close on the main land, is Doane's Island, now 

 Government Island. Here for several years the work of cutting 

 and shaping the rock sections to be used in building Minot's 

 Lighthouse was carried on. 



Barson's Beach, northeast of Doane's Island, extends to Scitu- 

 ate Beach. In the palmy days of the fisheries on this shore 

 there were several acres of flakes there, and fishing-vessels were 

 fitted out at this spot. Several Cohasset vessels, loaded with fish 

 here, were captured in the Mediterranean during the Bonapartist 

 wars, and many Cohasset people are to this day among those 

 interested in the French spoliation claims. 



Let us land at the head of the harbor, and take the road, skirt- 

 ing the shore, Border Street. A little stream called James's 



