The coast of Maine is of the most diversified character. Its bays are studded with islands of all shapes and sizes, from the naked and desolate rock, inspiring terror in the heart of the mariner to the sweet garden of fertility - a gem in the midst of the waters. Casco Bay, upon an inlet of which stands the city of Portland, numbers hundreds of islands that rest upon its bosom; while the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Bays are no less useful as excellent harbors, than delightful scenes for the admiring eye. Nothing can exceed the calm rapture of gliding in a summer’s day, when old ocean is in a placid mood, and softly mirrors the smiling sky, along from Portland to Bangor, close in by shore, and winding among the islands that dot the coast for the entire distance. Let the traveler see the beauty of the scenery of Maine.
We have given to our readers, the present month, a view of Passamaquoddy Bay and the town of Eastport, which is built upon Moose Island, so near to the main land that a handsome bridge, twelve hundred feet long, was erected in 1820, connecting the town to Perry on the main. Eastport is situated at the very extremity of the limits of the United States, as the most of Passamaquoddy Bay is in New Brunswick. From it position, thus, on the border, aided by a facile communication with the interior, by means of the Saint Croix River, it has been able to secure a thriving commerce, and is the most commercial town in the eastern part of the state. Its harbor is one of the best in the United States, is capacious enough to contain a large navy, and of safe entrance. The wharves, owing to the immense tides sometimes occurring in the Bay of Fundy, are built nearly or quite forty feet in height. The ordinary tides rise twenty five feet. The shores of Moose Island and the other smaller islands, have all the preparations necessary for curing fish, and unloading timber and other articles of commerce.
Eastport numbered in 1830, twenty four hundred and fifty inhabitants. It contains a bank, printing offices, four or five houses of worship, nearly a hundred warehouses and stores and some two hundred and fifty dwelling houses. It was visited, some few years since, by a disastrous fire, which checked its prosperity and advancement, but from the effects of which it is fast recovering. It is ninety-three miles east of Bangor, two hundred and sixty from Portland, and three hundred and seventy from Boston. Communication will hereafter be held regularly with it, by means of a new steamboat built during the past year, to ply between Saint John’s (sic) New Brunswick and Boston.
The prosperity of Eastport has been much enhanced by its immediate contiguity
to the “boundary question”, since the method of its settlement will probably
have a bearing upon their interests. All that Great Britain desires,
is a communication between New Brunswick and the Canadas; which can only
be maintained, with facility, by means of the valley of the St. John’;s
(sic) River and Lake Temiscouta. A proposition, it was reported has
been made, during the past year, to effect a compromise, by giving to the
United States that portion of New Brunswick between the mouth of the St.
John’s and Passamaqoddy Bay, and receiving, in return, all the portion
of the disputed ground north of the same river; thus making the St. John’s
the boundary, from its source to its mouth. One of the first counties
of New Brunswick, ‘Charlotte’ would come into the possession of the United
States by this arrangement, as well as Fredericton, now the seat of government
of the territory, and we are of the impression, a portion of the city of
St John’s also. Yet, notwithstanding this, we believe that Great
Britain, in the event of impossibility to secure the object of the whole
disagreement by any other means, would make the cession; however strong
the opposition might be of those citizens of the territory, who would thus
be transferred, nolens volens, from her majesty’s footstool, to shake hands
with brother Jonathan. But in such an issue, Eastport would by no
means accord her satisfaction. The town would thus be thrown back
a hundred miles from the border and peculiarities of her commerce, which
have so materially assisted in her prosperity, would pass into other hands.
But the beauty of her position would undergo no mutation. The bay
would yet roll its water around its pretty islands, to realize to the eye
of the stranger the charming scene of our picture.