THE SHIPWEECK. 
5 
there were two or more childreiij or a parent and child, 
in the same box, and on the lid would perhaps be writ¬ 
ten with red chalk, Bridget such-a-one, and sister’s 
child.” The surrounding sward was covered with bits 
of sails and clothing. I have since heard, from one who 
lives by this beach, that a woman who had come over 
before, but had left her infant behind for her sister to 
bring, came and looked into these boxes, and saw in 
one, — probably the same whose superscription I have 
quoted, — her child in her sister’s arms, as if the sister 
had meant to be found thus; and within three days 
after, the mother died from the effect of that sight. 
We turned from this and walked along the rocky 
shore. In the first cove were strewn what seemed the 
fragments of a vessel, in small pieces mixed with sand 
and sea-weed, and great quantities of feathers; but it 
looked so old and rusty, that I at first took it to be 
some old wreck which had lain there many years. I 
even thought of Captain Kidd, and that the feathers 
were those which sea-fowl had cast there; and perhaps 
there might be some tradition about it in the neighbor¬ 
hood. I asked a sailor if that was the St. John. He 
said it was. I asked him where she struck. He pointed 
to a rock in front of us, a mile from the shore, called the 
Grampus Rock, and added : ~ 
“ You can see a part of her now sticking up; it looks 
like a small boat.” 
I saw it. It was thought to be held by the chain- 
cables and the anchors. I asked if the bodies which 
I saw were all that were drowned. 
“ Not a quarter of them,” said he. 
^ Where are the rest ? ” 
* Most of them right underneath that, piece you see.” 
