Dinner was engaged for our entire party at one of the hotels, of which
there were two; but as it yet wanted more than an hour of the time set
for the meal, all who were not too tired sallied forth to explore the
hamlet and its environs.

They found it to consist of about two hundred cottages, similar to those
they had engaged for the season, each in a little enclosure. They were
built along three narrow streets or lanes running parallel with the edge
of the bluff, and stood in groups of twos or threes, separated by narrow
cross-lanes, giving every one free access to the town pump, the only
source of fresh-water supply in the place.

The children were particularly interested in the cottage of Captain
Baxter, with its famous ship's figure-head in the yard.

Back of the original 'Sconset, on the slight ascent toward Nantucket
Town, stood a few more pretentious cottages, built as summer residences
by the rich men of the island, retired sea captains, and merchants; this
was the one broad street, and here were the two hotels, the Atlantic
House and the Ocean View House.

Then on the bluff south of the old village, called Sunset Heights, there
were some half dozen cottages; a few on the bluff north of it, also.

The town explored and dinner eaten, of course the next thing was to
repair to the beach to watch the rush and tumble of the restless waves,
fast chasing each other in, and the dash of the spray as they broke
along the shore.

There was little else to see, for the bathing hour was long past; but