144 
CAPE COD. 
Couroumon a Caraibe, also a star [i. e. a god], 
makes the great lames a la mer, and overturns canoes. 
Lames a la mer are the long vagues which are not 
broken (entrecoupees) ^ and such as one sees come to land 
all in one piece, from one end of a beach to another, 
so that, however little wind there may be, a shallop or 
a canoe could hardly land {ahorder terre) without turn¬ 
ing over, or being filled with water.” 
But on the Bay side the water even at its edge 
is often as smooth and still as in a pond. Commonly 
there are no boats used along this beach. There was 
a boat belonging to the Highland Light which the 
next keeper after he had been there a year had not 
launched, though he said that there was good fishing just 
off the shore. Generally the Life Boats cannot be used 
when needed. When the waves run very high it is im¬ 
possible to get a boat off, however skilfully you steer it, 
for it will often be completely covered by the curving 
edge of the approaching breaker as by an arch, and so 
filled with water, or it will be lifted up by its bows, turned 
directly over backwards and all the contents spilled out. 
4 spar thirty feet long is served in the same way. 
I heard of a party who went off fishing back of Well- 
aeet some years ago, in two boats, in calm weather, 
ivho, when they had laden their boats with fish, and 
tipproached the land again, found such a swell break- 
rng on it, though there was no wind, that they were 
afraid to enter it. At first they thought to pull for 
Frovmcetown, but night was coming on, and that was 
many miles distant. Their case seemed a desperate 
one. As often ss they approached the shore and saw 
the terrible breakers that intervened, they were deterred. 
In short, they were thoroughly frightened. Finally, hav- 
