NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
11 
around by easy grades as it crosses 
parts of Hamilton and Wenham. At 
Longham’s corner, the genial con- 
ductor will appear for his second fare, 
which will carry one to the entrance 
to the grove at Chebacco lake, which 
Tivals even Jersey for its mosquitos. 
After leaving Longham’s, the junc- 
tion point for Ipswich is reached. A 
change made here will enable one to 
ride towards Haverhill and Newbury- 
port, or to Portsmouth and _ beyond. 
Our car climbs over fertile, “hilly 
country into the town of Essex, giving 
a glorious view of meadows reaching 
to the ocean on the north of the 
cape. 
Essex is interesting, and seldom 
will be passed when half-finished ves- 
sels may not be found on the ways. 
The meadows are passed on a long 
causeway, giving views of Coffin’s 
beach, near Annisquam, and_ the 
ocean to the north. 
We next climb the hills of West 
Gloucester, the road passing in some 
places through a blasted path in the 
rocky ledge on either side. At West 
Gloucester station we round an arm 
of the ’Squam river, and come down 
across the hills to the bridge to 
Gloucester. A fine view is here 
afforded of the harbor and the ocean. 
Eastern point, with its lighthouse and 
hotel, looms up across the harbor, 
until the view is cut off by the Surf- 
side close at hand. We now enter 
Gloucester, and draw up at the car 
station. 
The conductor will collect his last 
fare at Conomo, making a total of 20 
cents from Beverly or Salem. The 
last fare paid will entitle the tourist 
to a transfer which will be accepted 
to Rockport, Rocky Neck or to An- 
nisquam on the next cars. 
The attractions of Gloucester are 
numerous. The ride to Long Beach 
gives a grand ocean view of Land’s 
End and the twin lights of Thatcher’s 
Island. Amusement is not Jacking 
here, and any taste may be satisfied. 
The Rocky Neck ride takes one to 
the profile of Mother Ann, and the 
passenger for Pigeon Cove will take 
the Rockport car. 
There are some who are not aware 
that Gloucester is an island, the canal 
from the ’Squam river making the 
last link in the connection from ocean 
to ocean. The trolley tourist should 
circle the island, taking the Rockport 
or the Lanesville car as desired. Fol- 
lowing the first route, we come to 
Riverdale, its tide mill, then pass the 
the Annisquam willows, Goose Cove 
and Lobster Cove and the cottages of 
Annisquam. At Bay View, years ago, 
a not uncommon sight was the old 
cup defender America, and further 
along one comes to the extensive 
quarries which have made Cape Ann 
granite famous. Pigeon Cove suc- 
ceeds Folly Cove, and we enter Rock- 
port and swing back again to Glouces- 
ter. The circle takes about two hours, 
and the fare is 15 cents. 
NOTE — Next week’s tour: 
Beverly and 
Salem to York Beach. 
ARCTIC EXPLORATION JUSTIFIED. 
(Continued from page 1) 
It was then that Seneca, the Roman 
stoic, in reviewing the progress of 
terrestrial discovery exclaimed as fol- 
lows: 
“A time will come in later years when 
ocean will unloose the bonds of things, when 
the immeasurable earth will lie open, when 
seafarers will discover new countries, and 
Thule will no longer be the extreme point 
among the lands.”—SENECA. 
But this task remained for other 
hands. Roman prowess became a 
subject of history. The effect upon 
the northern tribes was to awaken 
them to activity. The spirit of free- 
dom which Cesar never quelled 
aroused the Teuton toa progressive 
lite. Slowly, turbulently but surely, 
organization and consolidation were 
effected, out of which was evolved a 
true national spirit. 
‘West and north spread the roots of 
the Teuton tree. Many kindred tribes, 
short-sighted as to the benefits to be 
derived from a democratic life, looked 
upon restraining influnces, so essen- 
tial to substantial government, as 
encroachments upon their personal 
liberties. 
Most loth of all races to submit to 
the personal wish to the welfare of 
the many were the Scandinavians. 
Sea-robbers, bloodiest and most ruth- 
less of all freebooters, they were, 
withal, the most daring, the boldest 
and most successful of all navigators, 
With neither compass not sextant, 
with naught to guide him save his 
fondness for adventure, the intrepid 
Viking launched upon the unchartered 
ocean of the north his high-prowed 
black galley, commissioned for a rich 
booty or the discovery of new lands. 
Six centuries before Columbus ven- 
tured from sight of land, that is 860, 
Naddodr, a Norwegian pirate, driven 
by contrary winds or intent upon en- 
tering the mystic realms of the Rheim- 
thurser, beheld through the northern 
mists the snow-capped peaks of Ice- 
land. 
In 864 Gardor circumnavigated 
Iceland. This was the first authentic 
passage of the Arctic circle. 
A little later Floki, stirred by the 
glowing accounts of Gardor, trusting 
to the flight of ravens, followed his 
third bird to the distant island and 
entered a fiord, which, in honor of his 
bird, he named Rafna Frith, the 
raven’s fiord. But Floki was doomed 
to disappointment, and he returned to 
Norway with a mournful tale of a 
dreary land, which in his disgust he 
christened Iceland. 
At this time Harold, the fair-haired, 
a jarl of powerful influence, subdued 
his brother jarls, gaining supreme 
authority in Scandinavia. Many sub- 
mitted quietly to his rule; a few, with 
along heritage of freedom, spurned 
the vassalage which Harold imposed 
upon them and set forth in search of 
plunder and adventure. 
Bravest and noblest of this second 
Class was Lief, who in 869 pushed far 
into the northern sea, and casting 
overboard the pillars of his former 
habitation, vowed by the great Odin 
that he would settle upon the land to 
which they drifted. After being lost 
for three years the pillars were then 
found upon the Iceland sands at the 
present site of Reikiavik. 
The prophecy of Seneca was being 
fulfilled. 
The greatest advance was made 
when, in 970, Gunnbjorn, curious to 
learn what secrets the waters held as 
he watched them lash the western 
coast of Iceland, ventured into their 
turbulent wastes, and after weeks of 
contest with the treacherous floes 
viewed from his tiny craft the rugged 
mountains and lofty ice-capped table- 
lands of Greenland. 
We read in the Saga of Lief, the 
Fortunate, of a prosperous colony in 
Greenland, how Biarne was driven 
southwest in a violent storm to a 
mountainous, snowy land, which he 
christened Helluland, modern New- 
foundland. 
To quote the Saga: 
.. Then they went on board and put to 
sea and found another land.... They sailed 
south for two days.... they landed and 
erected a large house,.... They did not 
want for salmon.... Day and night were 
more equal than in Grenland,.... In the 
summer they continued their southern way 
till one morning Lief said, ‘ We will gather 
grapes, fell wood, lade our vessels and 
return,’ .... This they did. Then they 
sailed into the open sea, and had a fair wind 
until they came in sight of Greenland and 
the land below the ice mountains,” 
This evidently refers to the discov- 
ery of America. It is foreign to our 
purpose to enter into the discussion 
of this interesting question, but in 
passing I would call your attention to 
aletter written by Columbus, in which 
he says, “In 1477 I sailed an hundred 
leagues beyond Thule, .... to an 
island, which is as large as England. 
At the time when I was there the sea 
was not frozen.”’ 
Did Columbus, when in Iceland, 
learn of Lief and Biarne, their voyage 
to Vinland and their return to Green- 
land, with their vessels laden with 
lumber and grapes ? 
