Part 11 of a weekly series of blogs about Rex Wailes’ 1929 trip to the USA and Canada.
Nantucket Harbour. Image from Flickr by Ethan Oringel [CC BY 2.0]
Sunday 12.5.29
I left Nantucket by the 1.15 boat and watched it as long as I could. I wish I could have spent even another day there. I haven’t been so sorry to leave a place for many a day. If ever I come to America again I hope I shall be able to visit it. The last impression of it that I had was of the three churches, the South Tower with its gilded dome top flashing merrily to the last on the extreme left, the First Church, with its white spire, and the North Church with its square tower and minarets on the right.
I said goodbye to Mr. Fuller on the boat as he was seeing Mrs Fuller off. We had a “smoky sou’ wester” as Mrs Fuller called it. She explained that a haze always came with a S.W. wind, while an E. or N.W. wind everything was clear. The sea was very choppy and made the bell-bouys clang loudly.
Windmill at Falmouth
I made a big mistake at Woods Hole; I ought to have gone on to Falmouth, where there is a windmill. Instead I went to Little Harbour House – a boarding house recommended in the official list. Only the maid was at home and after waiting half an hour (until 5 p.m.) I went out to look at the Government Hatcheries and Aquarium. There was nothing hatching, and only a skate and a few sunfish and gold fish. The white and horrible specimens in bottles made me feel ill and I came away.
I had to wait until 7.15. before the family came in. I was entertained by the very pretty 10 year old child of the keeper of the lighthouse service station. She told me with pride that her Mother was British a Newfoundlander, and said that she wanted to see England. There was an Alsatian there also called Schneider – pronounced by them Snyder – fine and friendly about four years old. I started to write up the journal when the lights went out and I had to come down and talk to the family until bedtime, when, of course, they came on again!
