. Old shipping days in Boston. or themselves a convenient place of refuge incase of attacks from the savages. In fact all thingsto do with the sea dominated their thoughts. Itis not strange therefore that our colonists becameboth ship builders and sailors, and although Yankeeprivateers, Yankee packets, and Yankee clippers no longer plough theseas of the world, nevertheless their fame and the romance that wentwith them will endure forever. We also owe to these early sailorsthe development of a seafaring race,—men who during our warsbecame experts in manning our ships. The first vessel built nea
. Old shipping days in Boston. or themselves a convenient place of refuge incase of attacks from the savages. In fact all thingsto do with the sea dominated their thoughts. Itis not strange therefore that our colonists becameboth ship builders and sailors, and although Yankeeprivateers, Yankee packets, and Yankee clippers no longer plough theseas of the world, nevertheless their fame and the romance that wentwith them will endure forever. We also owe to these early sailorsthe development of a seafaring race,—men who during our warsbecame experts in manning our ships. The first vessel built near Boston was the Blessing of the Winthrop, who is often spoken of as the father of ourAmerican Merchant Marine, twelve months after his own landing,and before Boston was one year old, built on the Mystic River atTen Hills Farm in Medford, this little bark of thirty tons, which wasthe first vessel constructed in Massachusetts. He gave as the reasonfor building that the general fear of foreign commodities, now our. OLD SHIPPING DAYS IN BOSTON money was gone and things were like to go well in England, set uson work to provide shipping of our own. The Blessing of the Baywas launched, curiously enough, on the 4th of July, 1631. She washalf trader and half fighter, and for this reason has been usually re-ferred to as the first American vessel of war, and the ways upon whichshe stood so long are called the cradle of American shipbuilding. InAugust of the same year she was ready for service. A solemn littleband gathered on the shores of the river, near Governor Winthropshome, and prayed for the safe return of the colony trained crew, whichwas bound on the first trading voyage of a New England vessel tothe Dutch on Long Island. Her sailing marked the beginning ofcommerce with the outside world and furnished also proof that ourNew England forests could furnish sufficient material for shipbuild-ing, which industry increased so rapidly that New England was soonable to say, M
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