308 THE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. 



on board; but we have passed safely through it, with 

 all hands safe, but slight damage to the boat, and with 

 anchors gone which can be recovered. It was as much 

 worse than being in the ice as you can imagine, and 

 was one of the wildest times I have known in my 

 many years 1 life on the ocean. We backed and filled 

 across the bar, and the rest you have seen. I forgot to 

 say that the wheel-rope broke once, but we managed 

 with some difficulty to get it repaired. 



That some of the passengers on board the steamer 

 during that eventful night appreciated the stanchness 

 of the boat, and the bravery of her captain and crew, 

 is evidenced by the fact that R. Gardner Chase, Esq., 

 and wife, who were on board, presented to the captain 

 and crew a check for $500 to be properly divided, as 

 an earnest of their good feeling and thankfulness. 



Had there been a fog siren or bell at Brant Point 

 this affair would never have occurred ; for during the 

 time they were "running their time out to the bar" 

 some one on the steamer would have heard the signal, 

 and Capt. Manter would have known where he was. 



It is obligatory on the government to place immedi- 

 ately at Brant Point some kind of a fog signal, and 

 when the jetty is finished it should be removed to that 

 locality. 



So far as the compiler has been able to ascertain, 

 the before-named steamers are all that have ever been 

 engaged regularly in carrying freight or passengers to 

 and from Nantucket, with the exception of the " Jersey 

 Blue," a small propeller, which made about the year 

 1S55 (?) a few trips between this port and New York. 



