Moving on "41:25.9N 70:54.4W"
VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Sun 26 Jun 2011 01:50
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And so to Cuttyhunk, population 30, one of the
Elizabeth Islands of Massachusetts. Bartholomew Gosnold landed here in 1602
(nearly 20 years before the 'Mayflower') and stayed for three weeks
thus making the first English settlement in New England. We arrived in
dreadful weather last night - an unforecast cold northeasterly wind (I think US
weatherforecasters must go to the same school as their UK brethren) and a thick
mist worse, than Scotland. Miraculously this cleared today leaving a hot
cloudless day.
When discovered the islands were thickly wooded and
there were no resident Indians. The English cleared the islands of trees and ran
sheep which lasted until coyotes (a wild dog, smaller than a wolf) arrived
island hopping under their own steam in the 1980s. They polished off the sheep
and so now most of the islands, including Cuttyhunk (a dreadful attempt at
Anglicising the original Indian name) are reverting rapidly to their native
vegetation. But on some Scottish Highland cattle have been introduced as they
can withstand the climate, the rough vegetation and the coyotes.
Cuttyhunk is a pretty, quiet, place with almost no
cars, and no alcolhol. The island is
covered (or even smothered) with wild honeysuckle and Rosa rugosa
(the naturalised pink red or white large fragrant rose with a very prickly
stem often found round UK coasts), both of which have a very strong cloying
perfume. We literally could smell the island from a mile out to sea. And a bit
surprisingly there are terrapins, frogs and snakes.
Here are a few photosto give an idea of the
place:
 Cuttyhunk harbour showing entrance channel and
deactivated US Coastguard barracks.
 The other end of the island looking west. The tower
is on a small island in the far salt lagoon and commemorates the site of
Gosnold's 1602 camp.
 Walking in the countryside at last.
 The sailing club at the top end of the harbour -
note the ever present star-spangled banner.
 And last but not least, here are some of the
snakes. These two are Eastern Garter Snakes Thamnophis sirtalis
sirtalis, about 50cm long, which I found basking in the sun in the garden
of the General Store right by the path. They are a very common snake in the US
occupying a wide variety of habitats They are totally harmless to
humans.
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