1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



533 



but that they must have been originally thus given 

 generally, though too sparingly, to the whole main 

 land of" Northampton — though the ages which 

 have passed have served to dissolve them, and 

 conceal their former existence. The cultivated 

 land in Hog Island, as I afterwards saw, now 

 shows broken clam shells throughout — and the ha- 

 bits of the people,as well as their words, declare that 

 the shells were never put there by the hand of man. 



The sandy islet furnished a much more abun- 

 dant supply ol the eggs of another kind of gull- — 

 and all newly laid, as one of our crew had "egged" 

 the place clean only a few days before. This 

 kind of gull makes no nest, or at least, it is but a 

 scarcely observable indentation on the sand. The 

 eggs are smaller than those laid in the marsh. I 

 found five nests containing from one to three eggs 

 each, within the space of 40 yards. But as the 

 tide was precious, we could give but little time to 

 the study of world-making, or to bird-nesting. 

 I requested my companion to bring here some of 

 the seeds of the Magothy Bay bean — which will 

 grow well, ns soon as any thing can, and perhaps 

 will greatly advance the time when this spot may 

 become habitable. 



I was disappointed in one object in visiting this 

 islet. Though there standing on the beach of the 

 great ocean, the water was so smooth that our ca- 

 noe could have sailed as safely on that side as on 

 the other. The wind set from the shore, and 

 even if it had been towards if, the fury of the break- 

 ers would not have reached the beach, but would be 

 spent on the extremity of a shoal which stretched 

 out perhaps a mile into the sea. At that place, 

 calm as it was, the white-capped billows were 

 breaking magnificently, (at least to my unpracti- 

 sed eyes,) and with a continued roar, like the mut- 

 tering of distant thunder. 



We now steered for the landing on the western 

 side of Hog Island. We had several hours to 

 stop here, as there would be no advantage gained 

 by returning before a particular state of the tide. 

 It had been intended to walk across (more than a 

 mile) to the ocean beach — but the fatigue pre- 

 viously incurred prevented, as it was stated that 

 the scene would be nothing more than what was 

 witnessed on the sand islet. 



In part of the shallow waters of this sound 

 there was a strange occurrence some years ago, 

 which I have heard stated by several different per- 

 sons, and which seems to rest on perfectly good 

 authority, as I will repeat it. One of the islanders, 

 named Travis, was out alone in his canoe, "stri- 

 king" drum fish, in the usual manner, that is, with 

 a spear, or harpoon, attached to a long wooden 

 handle. While pushing over a place where the 

 water was not more than two feet deep, or per- 

 haps less, he came up with a large shark. He 

 struck at him with his harpoon to no purpose, and 

 the shark by its sudden and violent motion caused 

 the man to lose the hold on his weapon. The en- 

 raged animal rushed against the canoe with such 

 force as to upset it, and then attempted to seize on 

 the defenceless fisherman. The shallowness of 

 the water only prevented his instantaneous de- 

 struction. The formation of the shark makes it 

 necessary for him to turn on one side to seize ef- 

 fectually so large a prey, and this the water was not 

 deep enough to permit with ease. As he, howev- 

 er, with some little delay, grasped the leo; of Tra- 

 ils between his jaws, the man, as his only possi- 



ble defence, thrust his thumbs into the eyes of the 

 monster, and kept them there, pushing himself off 

 by the pressure and support, while the shark con- 

 tinued to nip his leg and thigh, and to make nu- 

 merous wounds. Still he was not able to use his 

 force effectually, and at last, let go and fled from 

 his gouging antagonist. The man instantly right- 

 ed his canoe, and jumped in, just in time before 

 his enemy returned to the attack. He did not 

 however again strike the canoe, and indeed his 

 upsetting it at first was probably the effect of ac- 

 cident more than of a designed assault. The wa- 

 ter, baled out of the canoe from time to time, was 

 reddened with the man's blood, and served as a 

 bait to draw on the shark, and keep up the threat- 

 ened appearance of a renewed attack. But griev- 

 ously wounded, and worn out with exertion as he 

 was, and followed closely by his awful attendant, 

 the fisherman was just enabled to paddle his ca- 

 noe to the shore, and fell on the beach exhausted 

 by loss of blood and fatigue. He received speedy 

 aid, however, and sustained no permanent injury 

 from his numerous flesh wounds. 



On all the maps of Virginia, previous to the 

 late one published by the state, these sea islands 

 are represented very incorrectly, and as far smaller 

 than they are. Very few persons, even in lower 

 Virfiinia, know any thing of them — and the pub- 

 lication of the large new map has not served to 

 remove existing errors on this subject, though it 

 shows more size in the islands, and of distance 

 from the main land. By the way, this map, with 

 all its pretension, deserves but little credit for cor- 

 rectness in other places, and probably is even still 

 still less to be relied on as to this region. In truth, 

 the inlets,or passages between the different islands, 

 are not distinctly seen any where from the main — 

 and from thence the line of islands completely 

 shuts out all view of the Atlantic. From these 

 circumstances, and the difference from the older 

 maps, it might be supposed that the land was 

 gaining on the ocean, and the islands increasing 

 in size. But it is understood that the reverse is 

 the fact — at least as to firm land. The low marsh- 

 es, which border all the islands next the sound, 

 probably are increasing, and may in time fill up 

 much of the space now covered by water. But it 

 is believed that the ocean is encroaching on the 

 eastern side — throwing sand hills in advance of its 

 progress, and then sweeping all away. Numer- 

 ous stumps of trees are said now to be seen in the 

 shallow waters, left naked only at low tides: and 

 on Smith's Island, the brick foundation of a house 

 may be seen in the sea at some distance from the 

 shore. 



Hog Island contains several thousand acres. 

 Eleven families reside on it, and live (as it ap- 

 peared) in great comfort, on the returns of their 

 fishing, and small amount of tillage. I visited 

 several houses, on separate little farms, and was 

 much pleased with the appearance and manners 

 of the people. They were very civil, and kind in 

 manner, without the least appearance of servility, 

 or impertinent curiosity or familiarity. Every at- 

 tention was offered that could have been desired, 

 and nothing that was obtrusive or disagreeable. 

 Indeed in the true and proper sense of the word, 

 I have no where seen a more polite people than 

 these plain and simple islanders. Hospitable they 

 are in a high degree, and no doubt moral, and 

 correct in conduct, according to their notions of 



