6o TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY 



The islands of the bay also offer a resource to the cities and towns which the growth of 

 the district can hardly endanger. 



The Ocean Shore. — ^The ocean has found a remarkably irregular shore for itself among 

 the half-submerged crags and drumlins which border the coast line, or have been engulfed 

 and by the action of the waves again connected with the mainland by long, sandy beaches. 

 The seashore has attracted two classes of settlement to it: Trade and commerce have 

 sought it, where good harbors offered encouragement to shipping; and the cottager and 

 hotel-keeper have sought it, where its picturesque qualities and its proximity to railroads 

 made it available for summer resorts. The city of Boston did not allow her ships to occupy 

 the whole extent of the shore line at her command, but she provided a harbor playground 

 and bathing-beach, and a large marine park at the expense of wharves and warehouses, 

 for the pleasure of her citizens, as already described. The seashores of the district were 

 suffering a greater harm, however, from the occupation of certain beaches by an undesir- 

 able class of cottages, hotels, dance-halls, restaurants and bath-houses. The great sweeps 

 of sandy beach at Revere and Nantasket were occupied from their crests to high-water 

 mark, and even below that line, by establishments of this kind, which attracted a host 

 of people of a somewhat disorderly type. These matchless shores were thus enjoyed by 

 one class only in the community. Certain other reaches of beach and headland were also 

 threatened with similar occupancy at the hands of private owners. 



The Rivers. — ^The description of the part played by rivers in the advance of the early 

 settlements near Boston makes it clear that these streams must have been closely pressed 

 by houses in 1893. Although this was true of the Mystic, Charles, and Neponset in parts 

 of their courses where the tenements and mills of manufactories had found a profitable 

 lodgement, there were portions of these water-ways which had not been so seriously tres- 

 passed upon as to rob them of all their original beauties. The upper waters of these streams 

 and the marshy mouths of the Mystic and Neponset were nearly free from encumbrance, 

 although they were not likely to enjoy this immunity for many years. The map of the 

 district shows in a rough way the condition of the river borders as regards settlement. 

 The opportunities offered for recreation by these rivers were many and valuable, and 

 it was evident to the host of persons who enjoyed these privileges that the rivers and 

 their banks were a resource of the district which should be free from the caprice of private . 

 ownership. The water boards of many towns had already looked far enough into the 

 future to satisfy them of the advantages of controlling certain parts of the streams, and 

 they had accordingly purchased tracts of shore for their own needs. 



Ponds. — ^The ponds lying within the Metropohtan District were for the most part 

 held by local parks or water boards, who had reserved nearly all pond borders, and insured 

 the purity of their waters. 



The Floor oj the Boston Basin. — This tract of comparatively level country, strewn 

 with gravelly hills, was covered, by the progress of settlement already described, with 

 a mantle of houses which could afford no adequate opportunities for recreation within 

 its midst. Effective highways or parkways, as a means of escape from its confines to parks 

 upon its borders, were sadly needed. By reference to the plan, it will be seen how com- 

 pletely certain of the hills which stood in the way of settlement were overwhelmed by 

 the house-mantle, and how circuitous in many cases were the traffic roads which connected 

 the heart of the settlement with the country districts upon its borders. 



The Enclosing Horseshoe oj Hills. — The everspreading mantle of houses had already 



