e or two of the highest and most conspicuous points, whether viewed
from the land or the sea, have been very properly selected for
buildings, whose uses, however humble, admitted of classic form. Beneath
the roof of a temple to Minerva, built upon the extreme eastern point of
the lofty headland, may be found the billiard-table of the hotel; lower
down, the little edifice containing a range of baths is entered by a
Doric portico. The proportions of these buildings are in good taste; the
chaste cold moon clothes them in grace and beauty; and for the material,
what matters it, when, by her light, painted pine may be fancied Parian
marble! The cliff itself is a very Leucadia, and as well fitted for a
leap as love-sick heart could seek: but there are no Sapphos now-a-days;
the head of Nahant is likely to remain un-be-rhymed.

A little way to the northward lies a small steep island, between which
and the main land the "sarpint" _par excellence_ has been seen more than
once rushing along at the rate of a steamboat, with a horned face
uplifted some fifty feet above the waves, and a beard blowing about his
ears like the tail of a comet.

This account I had from more than one credulous witness: certain it is,
if Sarpint be fond of fish, he is no bad judge in selecting this as a
residence; for about this same island there are abundance and variety,
both to be met with at all hours, as I can testify, having sat in a
punt, bearing a wary eye for hours at a stretch, and catching all sorts
of things except a sight of the "sarpint."

The nights here are indeed delicious, calm and cool, with air as soft as
velvet; during the day, for about two hours after meridian, owing to the
absence of all shade without, one is compelled, although the sea-breeze
does its best, to keep the house, or else get outside the bay of Boston,
away from the land: this I was afforded frequent opportunities of
doing, in a very pretty schooner-yacht called the Sylph, which Mr.
F----s had down here. She was about eighty tons burthen, capitally
appointed, and with rare qualities as a sea-boat; in her I had the
happiness to pass many days, when the poor people on shore were pitiably
grilled, cruising for codfish, and dishing them up into a sort of soup
called chowder; this formed, in fact, the one great object of my present
life, and I availed myself of every occasion to pursue it.

One of my pleasantest cruises was made with Captain H----d, in an armed
schooner