194 THE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. 



Bevolution. 



Although a declared neutral during the Bevolution, 

 Nantucket suffered as severely as any other part of the 

 country, from the fact of her isolation. Lying so far 

 out at sea, she was directly in the track of British 

 cruisers ; and they and the Tories and refugees were 

 continually preying upon her. During those long and 

 severe winters, grave fears were often entertained by 

 the inhabitants that they would starve or freeze. Peti- 

 tion after petition was sent to the British commanders 

 for at least liberty to bring to the island food and fuel in 

 sufficient quantities to keep the people alive. The sack- 

 ing and burning of the town was threatened a number 

 of times, and the people were kept in constant dread. 

 Macy in his History says: "If the people of the island 

 had observed a strict neutrality during the war, they 

 could have received at all times from the British com- 

 mander in chief that attention which their defenceless 

 situation would seem to demand. " In speaking of their 

 sufferings, he says: — 



" As the sound was continually infested with cruis- 

 ers, it was difficult to procure that supply of pro- 

 visions and fuel which they otherwise would have 

 received from different places on the continent. This 

 was soon severely felt by the inhabitants, and led them 

 to use every means that invention could devise or 

 necessity execute to obtain their necessary supplies. 

 Sometimes strangers with the prospect of high prices 

 would venture to the island with such articles as were 

 most needed, and take in exchange fish, salt, oil, etc. 

 A number of the inhabitants ran open sail-boats to 

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