Among the Isles of Shoals
| Language | en |
|---|---|
| First published | 2025-11-29 |
| Rights | Public domain in the USA. |
| Gutenberg ID | #77366 |
Description
"American medicinal barks" by Alice Henkel is a nonfiction work written in the late 19th or early 20th century. The work, as presented here, offers lyrical, illustrated sketches of the Isles of Shoals, blending nature writing, local history, and seafaring life into an evocative portrait of a stark yet compelling maritime world. The opening of this volume dwells on the austere allure of the Isles of Shoals, contrasting their first bleak impression with the deep, calming spell of the sea. It maps the scattered islands and reefs, notes their geology and tide-shaped shores, and lingers on sounds, shells, drift, and the surprising richness of wildflowers nurtured by salt air. The narrative wanders among ruined cellars and graves on Appledore, a legendary cairn, and tales of trade and wrecks—especially the Sagunto—and celebrates Samuel Haley’s kindness to mariners. Early prosperity under devoted ministers (notably John Brock and John Tucke) gives way, after wartime upheaval, to decline, drink, and later reforming efforts by teachers and clergy. Vivid glimpses of village life follow: quaint town records and dialect, rough humor and nicknames, the hard, perilous labor of fishermen and the burdens of women, and unforgettable portraits of elderly islanders and impromptu singers that fix the place’s character in memory. (This is an automatically generated summary.)