Old Town by the Sea

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 of"the 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.Aldrich, Thomas Bailey is the author of 'Old Town by the Sea ' with ISBN 9781421800981 and ISBN 1421800985.