of the inhabitants, and sometimes made it difficult for them to obtain even the necessaries of life.

As soon as peace came, the whale-ship Bedford, which had been lying in the harbor since the war began, was fitted for sea. with a cargo of sperm oil, and sailed for London flying the new ensign of the United States.

VIII

Odds and Ends of Nantucket Life

AFTER the war was over, the town was in a distressed and turbulent condition. Its records make frequent mention of "Disorders in the Night by Boys and Servants;" of "unruly Boys and others Disturbing the Peace;" of "noise and Tumultuous Assemblies in the streets." This state of affairs was so serious that at one time sixty-four men offered their services as a night patrol for a year, and at another time forty men volunteered for a similar service. Records of the justices' court reflect in a slight degree the condition of the town at this time. An Indian, complained of for "assaulting & striking Obed Hussey Esq," was condemned "to be whipt ten stripes on the Naked Back." Three boys, who "stove off the boards of Jeremiah Colemans house in the Night sea

son,"

son," had each to pay five shillings and the costs of court. Hannah Russell and Hepzibeth Coffin confessed to the justice that "on Saturday night they did strike Phebe Glover for which they are exceeding sorry," but each had to pay a fine of five shillings. A cordwainer was condemned to pay £I 16s. 4d. because he "did in a violent manner take hold of a bucket that was in the hand of Abigail Bunker & stove it to pieces & further assaulted the aforesaid Abigail in a violent manner by pushing her against the Law and Peace of the Commonwealth." Two women, who, as the justice wrote, “not having the Fear of God before their eyes & being instigated by the Devil did wickedly with force & arms commit an assault upon each other," were condemned "to receive nine stripes on the naked back.'

There was other business in the court besides the punishment of disorders. An Indian woman, accused of stealing "about four doz. ears of green corn of the value of four shillings," was condemned "to pay three fold the value of the corn you stole the cost of Court & a fine of five shillings or

be

be whipt five stripes on the Naked Back." As she could not pay, she took the whipping. Daniel Johnson, accused of "stealing a Quantity of Iron Bolts," was condemned to pay "three fold the value of the Iron stole the cost of court & a fine of ten shilyou lings or be whipt ten stripes." Out of the judgment money paid into court, the justice took to his own pocket the amount of a small debt which the prisoner owed to him for oysters. John Crandall, for stealing "sundry Silk Handkerchiefs & a Razor,' was condemned to pay three times the value of the stolen goods and the costs of court, amounting to £3 15s. 10d. He confessed inability to pay the judgment, and was sentenced to serve the plaintiff "four months in compensation of this sum." John Smith stole a flannel shirt. His sentence was, to pay three times the value of the shirt, or go to prison. To this sum the justice added a sixpence which John Smith owed to him "for trowsers."

Nantucket society was dependent upon itself for social amusements. There was no theatre on the island, dancing was tabooed

booed by the Quakers, and the circus never came. I have the manuscript of a play written in the town and acted before private assemblies, which interested its players and its audiences because the simple plot was based on incidents of the time, - a hundred years ago. The heroine, a young coquette of Nantucket, is engaged to be married to a sailor-boy who is at sea. A young man of insinuating manners, who is supposed to be wealthy, comes from New York and seeks the heroine's acquaintance. In the first scene of the play he enters a parlor, where the coquette is waiting to receive him, and the following conversation

occurs:

"Madam, I am your most obedient humble servant. I hope I have the pleasure of seeing your ladyship very well this evening."

"Will thee please to sit down, sir?" (She offers him the easy chair. He seats himself in it.)

"I thank you, madam; this becomes me very well. Here is room for us both. Sit