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NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
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instances there were smaller galleries 
_ perched aloft above the “‘ beams.” 
The meeting-houses were at first 
seated with benches ; it was not long, 
however, before dignitaries and _per- 
sons of consideration in the town were 
permitted by vote to ‘“‘set up” pews. 
There was quite an aristocratic ele- 
ment in New England before the 
Revolution, and it asserted itself in 
the meeting-house as much as else- 
where. Hence arose the custom, 
often referred to in old records, of 
“seating the meeting-house;’’ per- 
sons were assigned places according 
to their social rank or political office. 
One could tell at a glance which were 
the chief families and most honored 
personages in town by glancing over 
the meeting-house ; front of the pulpit 
was the ‘deacons’ seat,’’ facing the 
congregation ; next were ranged such 
as heldthe positions of squire, lieu- 
tenant, justice of the peace, and the 
like; untitled and unofficial people, 
the rank and file of the population, 
were obliged to content themselves 
with less distinguished seats. Some 
regard, however, was showed to age; 
in Topsfield, in 1703, it was voted that 
“men of 60 years and upward be 
respected for their age before money 
in younger men.”’ Whittier, in ‘ Mary 
Garvin,” pictures the scene witnessed 
in the ordinary Sabbath assembly : 
«‘ Where in order due and fit — 
As by public vote directed—ranked and 
classed the people sit; 
Mistress first and goodwife after, clerkly 
squire before the clown, 
From the brave coat, lace-embroidered, to 
the gray frock shadiag down.” 
No provision was made in the old- 
time meeting-house for Sunday 
schools, prayer meetings, young peo- 
ple’s meetings or social gatherings; 
some of these had not come into 
existence ; others were provided for 
in privatehouses. The change within 
the past 50 years in vestry and chapel 
arrangements betokens the multiplica- 
tion and increasing importance of less 
formal services, and a great change 
in the general conception of the 
ehurch and its work in the commu- 
nity. The modern meeting-house, or 
“‘church,’’ as it is now more ambi- 
tiously called, with its Sunday-school 
rooms, class rooms, lecture rooms, so- 
cial rooms, not to speak of the multi- 
plied appliances of the “institutional” 
church, is an evolution of the last 
half century. The change indicates 
‘a wide departure from the Puritan 
idea of the church, and shows at least 
‘an earnest desire on the part of the 
church of today to adapt itself to the 
‘changed conditions of modern life. 
To get results, advertize in the 
“NortTH SHORE BREEZE. 
EARLY ENGLISH NAVIGATORS 
Brief Notes on Their Labors. 
BY W. S. C. RUSSELL. 
[Copyrighted, 1904.] 
1496-7—Joun Capot, a countryman 
of Columbus, sailing under the 
patronage of Henry VIII. in search 
of a short route to India, entered 
the Gulf of St. Lawrence, being the 
first European since the days of 
LikF to set foot upon the American 
continent. 
{$498—SEBASTIAN Caport, following 
the route of his father, coasted 
northward to the entrance to Baffin 
Bay, and attained lat. 67°, 30’ N. 
1517—SEBASTIAN CABOT, - sailing 
northwest, reached a body of ‘inland 
water,’ probably Hudson Bay, 
though it cannot be established 
from the log of vessel. 
$527—HargE, sailing from London 
with two ships, explored the coast 
of Newfoundland and returned with 
the loss of one vessel. 
1553 —Sir HucGu WILLouGupy, in the 
Bona Esperanza, in company with 
two other vessels, the Lona Ventura, 
RICHARD CHANCELLOR command- 
ing, andthe ona Confidentia, Cor- 
NELIUS DURFOORTH commanding, 
set out in full confidence of discov- 
ering the Northeast Passage. The 
voyage of WILLOUGHBY was disas- 
trous ; he was wrecked at the mouth 
of the Varzina, in lat. 68°, 20’ N., 
where the entire crew perished. 
1553—-CHANCELLOR, in contrast to 
WILLOUGHBY, made a remarkable 
voyage, teeming with possibilities 
to the commercial world. When 
the permanent isolation of his ship 
from his commander was evident, 
he vowed, “To bring that to pass 
which was intended or else die the 
death.”” He finally’ reached the 
mouth of the Dwina, in the White 
Sea, and Ivan The Terrible wel- 
comed:-him to Moscow. The voyage 
resulted in a beneficial treaty be- 
tween Russia and England, upon . 
which was founded the famous 
Muscovy Company in 1555. 
It is stated on good authority 
that CHANCELLOR was the first 
European to sight Nova Zembla. 
(See Burrough.) 
{556—STEVEN BurrouGu, | sailing 
from England to explore the North- 
east Passage, reached the mouth of 
the Petchora, discovered Waigatz 
Island, entered the Kara Straits 
and attained lat. 80°, 7” N. In spite 
of the claim in behalf of CHANCEL- 
Lor there is little doubt that Bur- 
ROUGH was the first European to 
visit Nova Zembla and bring home 
an account of his discovery. No 
better work was ever done in these 
waters in the interest of commerce 
than that accomplished by this 
heroic sailing master. 
1576—Sir Martin FRoBISHER made 
a Northwest voyage in quest of 
Cathay and discovered the strait 
that bears his name. He brought 
home a load of iron pyrite, ‘fools’ 
gold,” and amass of confused and 
misleading information. One of his 
errors, a strait through southern 
Greenland, remained a long time 
on the chart. He made a second 
voyage in 1577, but of little conse- 
quence. In 1578 he made a third 
voyage with a fleet of 15 vessels, 
explored the Faroe Islands, reach- 
ing lat. 57°, 30’N. His ships were 
widely and disastrously scattered 
by a storm, and the voyage was 
mainly without good results. 
[NotE.— About this time two 
brothers of the same name at- 
tempted the Northeast Passage. 
They never returned, and no report 
exists concerning their fate.] 
1579—Epwarpb FEnTown sailed for 
the Northwest Passage by the way 
of the Pacific. Being frightened 
by the Spanish pirates, he returned 
ere he had fairly entered upon his 
voyage. 
{580—J ACKMAN and Pet, inthe W727 
fram and George, sailed in the inter- 
ests of the Muscovy Company to 
extend the knowledge of the North- 
east Passage. PET touched at 
South Goose Land, Nova Zembla, 
skirted Waigatz Island and entered 
the Kara Sea, probably through 
Kara Strait. (See Nordenskidld.) 
The crews of the two vessels, all 
told, numbered only 16 men and 
two boys. These two intrepid lead- 
ers, virtually the last of the English 
to attempt the Northeast Passage, 
are deserving of the highest credit 
for their courage, coolness in dan- 
ger, their rare seamanship in tiny 
vessels in the midst of the dreaded 
floes of the Kara Sea. They suc- 
cessfully navigated this dangerous 
sea in two ships, whose total dis- 
placement was only 60 tons. They 
were the first to force the passage 
into this terrible waste of ice-drifted 
waters. 
{583—Sir Humpury GILBERT, in the 
Squirrel, 10 tons, sailed tor the 
Northwest Passage. On reaching 
Newfoundland and finding a fleet 
of Portuguese ships upon the fishing 
grounds, his courage failed him, 
and giving up all hopes of making 
any new discoveries, instead of 
pushing forward, returned home and 
missed the splendid opportunity for 
discovery and fame which Davis 
grasped. 
