Tales of an Old Sea Port A General Sketch of the History of Bristol, Rhode Island, Including, Incidentally, an Account of the Voyages of the Norsemen, So Far as They May Have Been Connected with Narragansett Bay: and Personal Narratives of Some Notable Voyages Accomplished by Sailors from the Mount Hope Lands

In this lively portrait of a small New England port, the author weaves together legend and documented fact to bring the early days of Bristol, Rhode Island to life. The narrative opens with the tantalizing possibility that Norse explorers once anchored near what is now Mount Hope, offering vivid descriptions of their modest longships and the rugged coastline they may have surveyed. Interlaced with these ancient stories are the recollections of the town’s first settlers, whose letters and journals reveal a community shaped by trade, rivalry, and the restless sea.

The book continues with three engaging episodes that spotlight the personalities who defined the harbor’s character. Readers meet Simeon Potter, a charismatic local whose dealings with the Prince of Lorraine illustrate the town’s early diplomatic ties, and follow the daring voyages of Norwest John aboard the brig Juno as it braves the Atlantic’s hazards. A final sketch follows privateer James de Wolf and the log of his vessel Yankee, showing how privateering and commerce intermingled in the post‑revolutionary era.