GG THE ISLAND OF NAOTUCKKT. 



people of both sexes standing bolt upright, holding 

 on for dear life to a rope that runs along its sides, is as 

 jolly an arrangement in which to get acquainted as was 

 ever invented; and all young visitors (and old ones too) 

 are advised, if they want u fun alive, "-to get up a party, 

 hire a spring cart, and drive to South Shore or Surfside. 

 This will be found to be a sure cure for dyspepsia, love- 

 sickness, gout, melancholy, neuralgia, and heartburn. 



Nantucket still retains her fondness for the ancient 

 custom of ringing the bell at 7 A. M.,12 M., and 9 r. M. 

 The majority of the townspeople are, to use an ex- 

 pression common here, u tied to the nine-o'clock bell " ; 

 for after the bell has rung for that hour, — that is, after 

 the summer season is over, — the stores are closed, all 

 persons have gone or are on the way home, the streets 

 are descried and still, and " Night, sable goddess, 

 from her ebon throne," reigns supreme over the old 

 town. 



There is still another custom to which the town 

 clings with wonderful tenacity, and that is the employ- 

 ment of "town criers." For the quick dissemination 

 of news, or for purposes of advertising, doubtless the 

 criers are useful, but outside of that, they are consid- 

 ered by many quietly disposed persons as nuisances; 

 for when to the loud ringing of their bells is added the 

 discordant sounds of a h'sh-horn, and a horrible jargon 

 which no one can understand, they become very objec- 

 tionable to people of sensitive nerves who like quiet. 



There are three criers in the town, and " Billy" Clark 

 seems to be the favorite, having received in times past 

 from his many admirers a number of gifts, some of 

 them quite valuable; the last on record being a hand- 



