POAETQUISSINGS IN WINTER. 45 



Whether one must wade through the deep snows of 

 the uplands, or labor through the deeper mud during a 

 January thaw, there is sure to be ample recompense for 

 the exertion required to reach Poaetquissings in winter. 

 The animal life will be so far abundant that the natu- 

 ralist will find the time to pass all too quickly, and the 

 botanist will, perhaps, not think his labor has been in 

 vain. If, indeed, he can find no flowers, there are still 

 trees in abundance, and their winter aspects merit more 

 attention than they have yet received. 



Shillings and pence — shillings and pence. This was 

 the ever uppermost thought of the thrifty Quakers who 

 succeeded the Indians, and no bit of nature was allowed 

 to remain undisturbed, if, by any possibility, a little 

 more grass, or any grain, could be coaxed from it. The 

 tide was too much of an encroachment upon available 

 pasture, and, by an ungainly floodgate, was shut out 

 from its ancient domain. Poafetquissings once gloried 

 in a tide that swept its channel clean, and brought a 

 wealth of lusty fishes to its depths. This must needs 

 be changed. INature, as provided at first hand, is never 

 good enough for the white man. Even when on top of 

 a mountain man longs for stilts, or frets for higher heels 

 to his boots. The floodgates were built. Great oak 

 logs were hewn, squared, jointed, and placed in proper 

 position, and planks set upon them, to let the creek wa- 

 ter flow over, but keep on the other side every drop of 

 tide water that might come up so far. The disgraced 

 creek fretted at the insult, but could do nothing more 

 than fret ; not even when reinforced by many a winter 

 freshet could it move those ponderous gates. At times. 



