. A gazetteer of the state of Massachusetts : with numerous illustrations. he river, which partially covers it at everytide. On the water side the face of the rock is nearly smooth, andis inclined sixty degrees. The figures are rudely carved, and par-tially obliterated near the base by the action of the water. Theyconsist of rude outlines of human heads and bodies, crosses, mis-shapen letters, broken lines, and other singular forms and combi-nations. The first record of these inscriptions was given by Danforth in 1680, who refers to an Indian tradition that therecame a wooden house, an
. A gazetteer of the state of Massachusetts : with numerous illustrations. he river, which partially covers it at everytide. On the water side the face of the rock is nearly smooth, andis inclined sixty degrees. The figures are rudely carved, and par-tially obliterated near the base by the action of the water. Theyconsist of rude outlines of human heads and bodies, crosses, mis-shapen letters, broken lines, and other singular forms and combi-nations. The first record of these inscriptions was given by Danforth in 1680, who refers to an Indian tradition that therecame a wooden house, and men of another country, swimming onthe River Assonet. General Washington expressed the opinionthat these sculptures were made by the Indians; he having inearly life seen such writings, which were evidently done by savans believed that some of the inscriptions were made bythe aborigines, and some of them by the Northmen; and it is as-serted that the name Thorfin, cut in Latin letters, can be clearlyread. Many drawings have been made of these curious figures,. DIGHTON ROCK, BERKLEY. and many theories of their origin proposed; but the one most prob-able seems to be Washingtons. Originally Assonet belonged toDighton, and hence the name Dighton Rock; but, since 1735, ithas been a part of Berkley. Many bowlders, varying in dimension, form and mineral, arescattered oyer the surface. On two of the larger ones deep cellarshave been excavated, and dwelling-houses erected over them. Theunderlying rock is carboniferous. The land upon the border of theTaunton River is fertile; and, in the southern section of the town,the salt-meadows yield a valuable crop. The aggregate farm pro-duct was $116,209. There are four factories, — of carriages andwagons, building, lumber, and food preparations, — whose productin the aggregate was 121,810. The assessed area of the town is9,875 acres, of which 2,650 acres are woodland. The valuation, in1888, was $401,330; with a tax of $10 on $1,00
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublisherbosto, bookyear1890
