of the ocean, and carried the palm for years as being first among the
American whale fisheries; but her number has dwindled away, till not
one-fourth of those homeward-bound ships are destined for the port of
Nantucket.

The town, we find, is situated on the northern shore of the island, at
the harbor's head. The houses are compact, and most of them built of
wood, with little regard to beauty; though some few residences there
are, of modern style, which do credit to their designers; but the
greater number speak only of antiquity, with their shingled sides; and
you will rarely see a house that has not a "walk" upon its roof, with
which they could by no means dispense, as in case of ship-wreck near
the island, the roofs of the whole town will be alive with men, women,
and children, spyglass in hand. Besides the town there are but one or
two small villages, "Polpis," and the far-famed "Siaconset," or
"Sconset," as it is usually termed,--numbering some four dozen houses.
This village is seven and one-half miles from the town, affording a
delightful place of recreation for families from town, who, as the
summer holidays come round, harness up old Dobbin, and prepare for a six
weeks' "siesta." If, by reason of the great financial pressure, you find
you have not sufficient pocket-money to take you for a short tour to
Europe, come to "Sconset;" it is a glorious place! take a stroll along
that grand old beach, and watch the moon rise from out the ocean; then
go to your comfortable seven-by-nine lodgings, which seems like a
palace, draw the comfortable rug about you, and fall asleep, with old
Ocean for a lullaby, to dream (if your waking hours are fortunately of
that bent) of some old deserted castle, "Salem witchcraft," or a lone
"Grace Pool," attendant within the attic's most remote recesses.

The face of the island is level, so much so that the flat, bare commons