Gazetteer of the State of Maine With Numerous Illustrations, by Geo. J. Varney

BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY B. B. RUSSELL, 57 CORNHILL. 1882. Public domain image from

THE STATE OF MAINE.

the same general productive character as those already spoken of,
which the owners are ready to sell for homes and farms, and, too, at
prices which give purchasers advantages over other and less favorable
localities.”

BAYS, HARBORS, CAPES AND ISLANDS.

*    The coast of Maine forms the northern shore of the Gulf of Maine,

that broad angle of the sea enclosed between Cape Cod and Cape
Sable. It tends north-easterly and south-westerly, thus conforming to
the general direction of the rock strata throughout the State. At the
middle of its coast line is Penobscot Bay, whence the tide flows up the
river to Bangor, thus affording passage to the largest coast vessels
almost to the centre of the State. Passamaquoddy is another noble
bay, which will find a more extensive use in the future. Casco Bay is
the next in size, and is well protected from ocean swells by numerous
islands. Portland harbor, on this hay, is of great excellence, having a
depth of water sufficient to float the largest shirs, while it remains open
throughout the year. The harbors of Eastport, Machias, Boothbay,
Rockland and Belfast all afford safe havens through the year; while
the river ports of Calais, Bangor, Bucksport, Wiscasset (Sheepscot Bay)
and Bath, afford good anchorage, and free access in all seasons in most
years. The other large bays, likely to be more used in the future are
Frenchman’s, Englishman’s, Narraguagus, Pleasant River, Taunton,
.4    Union River, Muscongus and Quohog. Other notable bays and harbors

;    of our coast are Portsmouth Harbor, Saco and Muscongus bays, St.

George’s, Castine and South-West harbors.

The considerable projections of land are Kittery Point, Fletcher’s
Neck, Libby’s Neck, Cape Elizabeth, the Harpswell, Phippsburg, St.
**    George and Brooklin peninsulas, Cape Newagen, Pemaquid, Gouldsboro

and Machias (“ Point of Maine ”) and Quoddy Head. .
r    The notable islands are Mount Desert, and at Penobscot Bay, Isle

au Haute, Deer Isle and the Fox Islands ; Monhegan and St. George’s;
at the Kennebec are Georgetown and Arrowsic and Swan’s island ; and
'[?    near Casco Bay, Orr’s and Great Island, Chebeague, Richmond, and

others. It might at first be supposed that our jagged coast would he
s    the scene of more shipwwecks than any other equal length of shore. On

the New Jersey    coast,    however, there were, in 1879, 48 disasters to

(    vessels against    40 on    the Maine coast—which is one-third longer.

(,    Again only 7 of    the disasters on our coast proved total losses, to 16 on

f    the New jersey    coast.    The latter has forty life saving stations to our

six ;—while in these 40 disasters on our coast only two lives    were lost.

^    Thus, notwithstanding its threatening rocks, our shores do    not prove

I    so dangerous to mariners as might be expected.

The coast is well adapted for defence; and the remarkable tidal
flow in the rocky basin of a coast line 3000 miles in length, can be
operated with advantage as a power for 16 hours a day. While the
mean tide of New York is 4-8 feet, that of Maine’s coast is    11’6 feet;

_f    at Eastport it is 18-1 feet.