236 THE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. 



only where the floors rested. This house, and many 

 others, were built of wood grown upon the island. 



" The first wharf was built in 1723, jand is now known 

 as the Straight Wharf, directly at the foot of Main 

 Street. The first windmill, on the hills back of the 

 town, was also built in 1723. This mill was blown up 

 in 1836, as an experiment to ascertain the effects of 

 gunpowder, in case it should ever be necessary to use 

 it in blowing up buildings to impede the course of a 

 fire. Three other mills were, at various times, erected 

 upon the four hills known as the Mill Hills. These 

 mills were used, in the Eevolution, as a means of tel- 

 egraphing to our ships the presence of the British 

 cruisers who were known to be near the island, and 

 could not be seen from the ships, — the position of 

 the vanes indicating their direction, — and many a 

 full-freighted ship escaped from the clutches of the 

 1 Bull-Dogs ' and ' Scorpions ' of Great Britain." 



The mill now standing, and known to resident and 

 visitor alike as the u old mill," was erected in 1746, 

 probably for Eliakim Swain. There is no doubt that 

 he was the first owner, and his son Timothy tended it 

 for many years. It was built of oak which grew just 

 across Dead Horse Valley, to the southward of it. 

 A fine view can be had of the island from its upper 

 window. There has been, as yet, no " mailed knight" 

 dug up near it. (A grand chance for Barnum.) 



There are various traditions extant in regard to this 

 old edifice. One is to the effect that one of the Swains 

 died in the mill; another that in 1828 Jared Gardner 

 bought it for twenty dollars for firewood, but finding its 

 framework perfectly sound, decided to repair it ; another, 



