CHAPTER II

Summary

Sept. 12. Ther. 55°. Cape Cottage.—We have now resided eight weeks in this delightful retreat, and I borrow the description of it from C——'s letter to a friend. “Here you may picture us quietly seated in our summer retreat, a handsome, rather large cottage, built of wood, clap-boarded, and painted white, with those green outside window-shutters which give such an air of coolness and neatness to New England cottages in general. Cape Cottage stands upon Cape Elizabeth, a projecting point, jutting out into Casco Bay, and forming one of its extremities. It lies three miles and a half from Portland, whether by a good road or by the sea. Casco Bay is full of islands beautifully grouped; common report states them to amount to 300, but the fisherman whose boat we hire to carry us among them, limits their number to 43. Portland Harbour, which is formed by an indentation in the land, is protected from the Atlantic on all sides by these islands, through which, however, several channels allow ships to approach it from various points. Nothing can exceed the picturesque beauty of the vessels when appearing and disappearing through these openings. The harbour is defended by two forts, named after natives of Portland, Fort Preble, on the main land, and opposite to it on an island, Fort Scammel. The Americans have improved the name of the cape, by changing the Indian ‘Pooduc’ into ‘Cape Elizabeth;’ but they have been less successful with the islands, to three of which they have given the unpoetical appellations of ‘Hog,’ ‘House,’ and ‘Bang.’