Cape Ann. 95 



of the surrounding region ; and we see at once why that sagacious 

 chieftain selected this place for his retreat.' 



The north and south shores of Massachusetts Bay present much 

 scenery of such a sui generis or peculiar character, as to render it 

 extremely interesting to one unaccustomed to it. As a general fact, 

 there is so great a contrast in the appearance of the two capes that 

 form this Bay, that a visit to the one, only prepares the way for ren- 

 dering more interesting an excursion to the other. We will suppose 

 the traveler to start from Boston and first proceed along the north 

 shore of the bay. 



Nahant. 



He will not fail to visit Nahant ; which will be the first place of 

 peculiar interest he will meet with along this coast. It is a bold 

 rocky promontory, connected by a low sandy neck of land with Lynn : 

 Or rather, it consists of two islands connected together, and with the 

 main land, by ridges of sand and pebbles. At low water, a perfectly 

 smooth beach of the finest sand is laid bare, which constitutes the 

 road from the mainland ; and this sand is so firmly compacted by the 

 perpetual beating of the waves of the Atlantic, that neither horse nor 

 carriage make scarcely a perceptible impression. Hence the ride be- 

 comes a delightful one ; And although the promontory itself has a 

 very barren and desolate appearance, yet the singularity of the surroun- 

 ding scenery, the neatness of the houses, built in peculiar style, 

 and the wide extent of the horizon, conspire to render the prospect du- 

 ring the summer of a most attractive character. It is a place of great 

 resort in the warmer months, and a steam boat plies daily between 

 this place and Boston. The vicinity of the spacious hotel at Nahant 

 is very interesting to the geologist: But the particular characteristics 

 of the rocks must be deferred to a subsequent part of this report. 



Cape Ann. 



I have already spoken of the rockiness of the coast in the vicinity 

 of Salem. As we proceed towards Gloucester, which occupies all of 

 what is properly called Cape Ann, the ledges multiply ; and on the 

 Cape the forests are mostly cut down, while the surface is almost lit- 

 erally covered, either with rocks in place, or with bowlders of every 

 size. In the northeastern part of Gloucester particularly, the soil is 

 almost wholly concealed by the countless number of these rounded 

 masses. Over nearly all the Cape, indeed, sienite of every descrip- 



