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 Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents.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

NEPTUNE AND RIVER NYMPHS OF THE PISCATAQUA. 275
strictly adhered to. He would leave his home at Eliot at
any hour between midnight and day-light, that the tide
served, and alone in his canoe proceed to the mouth of the
river. When the tide required him to leave before he had
done up his sleep, on reaching the fishing ground he would
bait his hooks, giving one turn of his line around the tholepins, and then another turn around his wrist, compose
himself to sleep. When the fish bit, the check at the
tlole-pin would secure it, and the slight pull at his wrist
woull notify him to take it in. He would then rebait,
redrink, and continue his nap,-and in due time he might
be seen coming up the river and rowing into the Market
landing. To the calls, "Have you any fish," no reply
would be made. As soon as his painter was fastenled, he
would raise his cuddy cover, take out his cocoanut shell,
visit a particular shop near the market, get it filled with
"0-be-joyful," then return to his boat, take his seat, raise
his cocoanut to his mouth and take twoe or three swigs,
resting between.each with a smack of his lips-then depositing it safely in the cuddy, he uncovers his fish and
gives notice,' Now, gentlemen, I am ready for business."
By the time his fish were sold, his shell would need replenishing, and then with another swig he would push off into
the stream, and his boat proceed almost intuitively to his
home. Thus year after year he went through the same
routine, until in 1832, on the 4th day of July-a day which
he regarded as worth a particular observance in his ways
his boat struck against Portsmouth bridge, and at the age
of 73 he closed his life in that river in which he had almost
lived for three score and,ten years. He left about fifteen
hundred dollars as the results of his labors, and the reputgtion of a fiiendly disposition to man and beast, as well as
to his cocoanut shell. His like we have never since looked
upon.
This is the last of the Neptune and the River Nymphs of
the noble Piscataqua.