Trip to Martha's Vineyard.
1891 
May 8 
(no 2)
Mass.
Vineyard Haven to W. Tisbury. - A pile of lumber on the 
wharf. Nor was anything added to our list for 
the first three miles we traveled inland. 
We were cooped up, to be here, in a remarkable 
vehicle which serves as mail wagon and passenger 
stage combined and which is admirably devised 
to protect the driver & his passengers from the 
weather for it is closed in front, and well as on 
both sides and behind by wood, leather or glass 
the only aperture being a slit through which 
the reins are passed. We had a portion of the 
leather curtains on one side rolled up, however, 
and through this opening managed to see 
something of the country. 
  The oak woods were nearly as bare as in winter 
and the only green, was that of grass, was 
furnished by the [?]-of-Gilead & other Poplars 
and by occasional ferns. The cherry trees in the 
town were in full bloom, whereas all their blossoms 
have fallen at home. This shows conclusively 
that the vegetation is later on the south shore 
than about Boston. 
  These Vineyard woods were entwined by one 
striking and attractive feature, viz. the abundance 
everywhere of the beautiful Sugar pear (Amelanchier
bartramiana) with its reddish, smooth leaves 
and larger more spreading flowers it is a much more 
showy and striking shrub than the common 
shadbush of which, by the way, we did not 
see a single specimen.
  Our driver, West by name, talked freely and instructionally