[Lonesome in Massachussets]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_East

Claims that it is because sailing from Boston to Maine, one traveled down wind.

I had read (and accepted) that it was because older navigational charts were oriented with west up (as opposed to north). Wikipedia offers some more plausible possibilities here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Cod#.22Upper.22_and_.22Lower.22

[BatGuano]

Thanks.

Steven Wright says “Maine is nice but it”s also the setting for most of Stephen King’s novels.”