Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

THE OLD SPRING MARKET. 273
exhibited when the mother took the paddle for steering,
while the daughter plied the oars cross-handed. We
should like to pit one of these old canoes under their
management, against the shells of Harvard or Yale. Don't
think the canoe would run in the shortest time really, but
think it might relatively; and taking all disadvantages into
account we might hope to see an Eliot boat nymph bearing
off the silver cup.
One large sail-boat from Sturgeon creek, with twelve
women, could sometimes be seen, with their market cargo,
all handsomely arranged. When the wind did not serve
for their sail they would be seen standing manfully at
their oars.
But the market women were not all that gave life to the
old market house. It was a time when sailors were seen at
our wharves-and they would makde no small excitement
among the baskets scattered around the premises. They
would buy liberally-not always because they wanted the
articles, but because they liked to please the market girls.
Old Ben was in the habit of always getting boozy when he
came to market, and on him the roguish sailor boys loved
to play their pranks. Never shall we forget one of them.
The old man was quite happy, and his jug quite empty.
Huckleberries were three cents a quart, and pretty ripe
and juicy. The tars borrowed the old man's hat, to give
him a treat. On returning it filled with about two quarts
of berries, one roguish fellow put it on his head, and then
placing both hands on top forced it down with all his
might! The dark streams came running down on every
side, leaving it a matter of no doubt that Ben had become
a black as well as a blue man! His empty jug they then
tied to the wheel of a dray going up the hill-and.s the
ridiculous object was seen in pursuit of his dear companion,
exclaiming at the top of his voice, " Stop that jug!-stop
-that jug!" Such was some of the Spring Market life in
former times.