NORTH SHORE BREEZE and ‘Reminder 13 
Cape Ann as a Tourist’s Haven 
A Visit to the Harbor at Rockport and to Bearskin Neck 
BY+ W. LESTER. STEVENS. 
HE annual visit of ships of the United States navy 
to the Sandy Bay harbor of Refuge has attracted 
so many people to those parts ot the shore at Rockport 
from which a good view of the ships might be obtained 
that perhaps a visit by readers ot this paper would be 
appropriate. 
Logically we ought to visit Gloucester harbor or 
Dogtown Commons first, but we are not mapping our 
pleasure walks on a logical basis; and so being desirous of 
visiting the ships at Rockport we plan to kill two birds 
with one stone and also visit a tew places near the inner 
harbor. 
We leave the car at Dock Square and proceed to 
T wharf, like that letter. The landing place for the 
launches from the battleships is here. 
The first wharf built in Long Cove (the name of 
the cove bounded by Bear Skin Neck and the Head- 
lands), was situated upon the site of the present T. wharf. 
It was built of stone and timber. There was then no 
Sandy Bay breakwater and the surfs pounded against 
the neck and into the Cove with unbroken force. The 
fishing craft were small and the shape of the cove was 
such that each tide made a whirlpool there. One of the 
docks is called Whirlpool Dock to this day. There was 
then no breakwater at the entrance of this little cove, 
the present one having been completed in 1840 in which 
year the Sandy Bay Pier Company built the stne wharves 
which we see at the present day. 
It is within the memory of the oldest inhabitant that 
the fishing craft and smaller boats were hauled each win- 
ter from the water to that piece of land now known as 
the Baptist Green. No road connected Dock Square with 
Mt. Pleasant street at the foot ot Cove Hill. The only 
road was one connecting Dock Square with High street 
and thence from High to Mt. Pleasant. 
If we could picture in our imaginations the scene — 
thirty or more small fishing craft resting high and dry 
above the highest tide, we could readily decieve oursel- 
ves into believing that we were in some part of the Old 
World which had retained its primitive quaintness. But, 
although it is 70 years and more since one could actually 
see this unusual sight, yet there are many things in and 
around Long Cove and Bearskin Neck so quaint and old 
looking that even today one could still imagine he was 
on the coast of Scotland or of Brittany were it not for 
the noise of automobiles and electric cars passing in the 
streets a short distance away. It would also be neces- 
sary to eliminate the motor boats. 
“From T wharf one gets a very good picture of the 
harbe-: and what a picture it is! On one side are the 
Headlands with their rugged cliffs of vellow granite in- 
terrupted here and there by clumps of bayberry bushes 
ard wild reses Directly across is a cluster of fishing 
shanties called “Star Island” by the fishermen. The 
figure of a lobster man repairing his lobster pots adds 
a pleasant touch to this picture. Looking in the other 
direction toward the north and west are weather-stained 
fish houses of faded red and green resting on piers of 
granite. Lying at the foot of the wharves are the fishing 
smacks, 20 to 50 feet in length each. They seem like 
saells as they rise and fall on the swell, but they are 
,ery seaworthy. Fishing vessels are usually built on honor 
and it is indeed a rough sea which can swanp one of 
nem. Suspended from the rigging are nets drying. 
rishermen are lounging on the decks of the vessels or 
are sitting on kegs swapping yarns. How delightfully lazy 
everything seems! Even the sea is unruffled. Ah! but 
wait until some day in the fall or early winter when the 
seas run high and the winds whistle around the masts 
when the vessels scud along with reefed sail and only the 
gulls seem to be undisturbed by the elements and we get 
a very different picture. “A life on the ocean wave” 
sounds well in song, but in actuality there is no calling so 
full of risk and hazard. 
‘ Coming back from T whart we pass through Dock 
Seuare and walk between rows of shanties to the little 
breakwater. To our left as we enter Bearskin Neck is 
the White wharf. Here we have a very good example 
of what the sea’s fury can accomplish, for at the entrance 
is a breakwater, its huge stones once a faced buttress now 
a scattered heap. If was during the gale in which the ill- 
fated Portland was sunk that the wall was broken down. 
Every fishing port has its village of shanties. The 
shanties on Bearskin Neck are unusually picturesque. 
Sore of them are used by the fishermen as homes. How 
cosy they seem. Here is one with a small flower garden 
well cared for near by. Nets are spread over the dories 
which are lying about bottom up. A kettle of tar is boil- 
ing for the nets and the ropes must be well tarred to 
prevent their rotting. 
We enter one of the larger fishhouses and watch 
the men cleaning the fish and we marvel at their 
adroitness. Here is a shark and there a halibut and 
there are scores of pollock and haddock. It is still early 
in the day and fish are being landed. The fisherman must 
be under sail by sunrise. Little wonder that the few 
moments of leisure are much appreciated. 
From the little breakwater one obtains an excellent 
view of the town; the harbor and the shanties in the fore- 
ground, the town in the ~iddle distance and beyond the 
woods and Poole’s hill, the highest point on Cape Ann. 
n the ocean side is the Sandy Bay Harbor of 
Refuge which evervone hopes will be completed before 
many vears pass by. It is said that the entire navy can 
be accomodated in this harbor. The project has cost 
many millions and will cost as much more to complete 
it. Situated as it is between the cities “down east” and 
Boston, it’ will make an excellent harbor of refuge in 
time of storm if ever it is finished. 
As our eyes rove around the panorama of harbor, 
headlands. town, wood and ocean we observe a_ stone 
sloop entering one of the harbors of the granite compan- 
ies which lie under Pigeon Hill across the bay and we 
think of the words of Tennyson :— 
And the stately ships pass on 
To their haven under the hill. 
We eat our lunch on the rocks and as we have 
planned to visit the battleships after lunch it will be neces- 
sarv to postpone further exploration of the many beauty 
spots in this locality until another time. 
