An Old Town by the Sea

Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - I CALL it an old town but it is only relatively old.When one reflects on the countless centuries that havegone to the for-mation of this crust of earth on whichwe temporarily move the most ancient cities on itssurface seem merely things of the week before last. Itwas only the other day then - that is to say in themonth of June 1603 - that one Martin Pring in theship Speedwell an enormous ship of nearly fifty tonsburden from Bristol England sailed up the PiscataquaRiver. The Speedwell numbering thirty men officersand crew had for consort the Discoverer of twenty-sixtons and thirteen men. After following the windings ofthe brave river for twelve miles or more the twovessels turned back and put to sea again having failedin the chief object of the expedition which was toobtain a cargo of the medicinal sassafras-tree from thebark of which as well known to our ancestors couldbe distilled the Elixir of Life.