voyage of the paper canoe-第43节

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The　next　day；　February　18；　I　left　Seabrook　and　followed　Skull　Creek　to　Mackay's　Creek；　and；　passing　the　mouth　of　May　River；　entered　Calibogue　Sound；　where　a　sudden　tempest　arose　and　drove　me　into　a　creek　which　flowed　out　of　the　marshes　of　Bull　Island。　　A　few　negro　huts　were　discovered　on　a　low　mound　of　earth。　　The　blacks　told　me　their　hammock　was　called　Bird　Island。

The　tempest　lasted　all　day；　and　as　no　shelter　could　be　found　on　the　creek；　a　darky　hauled　my　canoe　on　a　cart　a　couple　of　miles　to　Bull　Creek；　which　enters　into　Cooper　River；　one　of　the　　watercourses　I　was　to　enter　from　Calibogue　Sound。　Upon　reaching　the　wooded　shores　of　Bull　Creek；　my　carter　introduced　me　to　the　head　man　of　the　settlement；　a　weazened…looking　little　old　　creature　called　Cuffy；　who；　though　respectful　in　his　demeanor　to　〃de　Yankee…mans；〃　was　cross　and　overbearing　to　the　few　families　occupying　the　shanties　in　the　magnificent　grove　of　live…oaks　which　shaded　them。

Cuffy's　cook…house；　or　kitchen；　which　was　a　log　structure　measuring　nine　by　ten　feet；　with　posts　only　three　feet　high；　was　the　only　building　which　could　be　emptied　of　its　contents　for　my　accommodation。　　Our　contract　or　lease　was　a　verbal　one；　Cuffy's　terms　being　〃whateber　de　white　man　likes　to　gib　an　ole　nigger。〃　　Cuffy　cut　a　big　switch；　and　sent　in　his　〃darter；〃　a　girl　of　about　fourteen　years；　to　clean　out　the　shanty。　When　she　did　not　move　fast　enough　to　suit　the　old　man's　wishes；　he　switched　her　over　the　shoulders　till　it　excited　my　pity；　but　the　girl　seemed　to　take　the　beating　as　an　every…day　amusement；　for　it　made　no　impression　on　her　hard　skull　and　thick　skin。

After　commencing　to　〃keep　house；〃　the　old　women　came　to　sell　me　eggs　and　beg　for　〃bacca。〃　They　requested　me　never　to　throw　away　my　coffee…grounds；　as　it　made　coffee　〃good　'nuf　for　black　folks。〃　　I　distributed　some　of　my　stores　among　them；　and；　after　cutting　rushes　and　boughs　for　my　bed；　turned　in　for　the　night。

These　negroes　had　been　raising　Sea…Island　cotton；　but　the　price　having　declined　to　five　cents　a　pound；　they　could　not　get　twenty…five　cents　a　day　for　their　labor　by　cultivating　it。

The　fierce　wind　subsided　before　dawn；　but　a　heavy　fog　covered　the　marshes　and　the　creek。　Cuffy's　〃settlement〃　turned　out　before　sunrise　to　see　me　off；　and　the　canoe　soon　reached　the　broad　Cooper　River；　which　I　ascended　in　the　misty　darkness　by　following　close　to　the　left　bank。　　Four　miles　up　the　Cooper　River　from　Calibogue　Sound　there　is　a　passage　through　the　marshes　from　the　Cooper　to　New　River；　which　is　called　Ram's　Horn　Creek。　　On　the　right　of　its　entrance　a　well…wooded　hammock　rises　from　the　marsh；　and　is　called　Page　Island。　　About　midway　between　the　two　rivers　and　along　this　crooked　thoroughfare　is　another　piece　of　upland。　called　Pine　Island；　inhabited　by　the　families　of　two　boat…builders。

While　navigating　Cooper　River；　as　the　heavy　mists　rolled　in　clouds　over　the　quiet　waters；　a　sail…boat；　rowed　by　negroes；　emerged　from　the　gloom　and　as　suddenly　disappeared。　　I　shouted　after　them：　〃Please　tell　me　the　name　of　the　next　creek。〃　A　hoarse　voice　came　back　to　me　from　the　cloud：　〃Pull　and　be　d…d。〃　　Then　all　was；　still　as　night　again。　　To　solve　this　seemingly　uncourteous　reply；　so　unusual　in　the　south　I　consulted　the　manuscript　charts　which　the　Charleston　pilots　had　kindly　drawn　for　my　use；　and　found　that　the　negroes　had　spoken　　geographically　as　well　as　truthfully；　for　Pine　Island　Creek　is　known　to　the　watermen　as　〃Pull　and　be　d…d　Creek；〃　on　account　of　its　tortuous　　character；　and　chiefly　because；　as　the　tides　head　in　it；　if　a　boat　enters　it　from　one　river　with　a　　favorable　tide；　it　has　a　strong　head　current　on　the　other　side　of　the　middle　ground　to　oppose　it。　Thus　pulling　at　the　oars　at　some　parts　of　the　creek　becomes　hard　work　for　the　boatmen；　hence　this　name；　which；　though　profane；　may　be　considered　geographical。

After　leaving　the　Cooper　River；　the　　watercourses　to　Savannah　were　discolored　by　red　or　yellow　mud。　　From　Pine　Island　I　descended　New　River　two　miles　and　a　half　to　Wall's　Cut；　which　is　only　a　quarter　of　a　mile　in　length；　and　through　which　I　entered　Wright's　River；　　following　it　a　couple　of　miles　to　the　broad；　　yellow；　turbulent　current　of　the　Savannah。

My　thoughts　now　naturally　turned　to　the　early　days　of　steamboat　enterprise；　when　this　river；　as　well　as　the　Hudson；　was　conspicuous；　for　though　the　steamer　Savannah　was　not　the　first　　steam…propelled　vessel　which　cut　the　waves　of　the　Atlantic；　she　was　the　first　steamer　that　ever　crossed　it。　　Let　us　examine　historical　data。　Colonel　John　Stevens；　of　New　York；　built　the　steamboat　Phoenix　about　the　year　1808；　and　was　prevented　from　using　it　upon　the　Hudson　River　by　the　Fulton　and　Livingston　monopoly　charter。

The　Phoenix　made　an　ocean　voyage　to　the　Delaware　River。　　The　first　English　venture　was　that　of　the　steamer　Caledonia；　which　made　a　passage　to　Holland　in　1817。　　The　London　Times　of　May　11；　1819；　printed　in　its　issue　of　that　date　the　following　item：


〃GREAT　EXPERIMENT。　　A　new　vessel　of　three　hundred　tons　has　been　built　at　New　York　for　the　express　purpose　of　carrying　passengers　across　the　Atlantic。　　She　is　to　come　to　Liverpool　direct。〃


This　ship…rigged　steamer　was　the　〃Savannah；〃　and　the　bold　projector　of　this　experiment　of　　sending　a　steamboat　across　the　Atlantic　was　Daniel　Dodd。　The　Savannah　was　built　in　New　York；　by　Francis　Ficket；　for　Mr。　Dodd。　　Stephen　Vail；　of　Morristown；　New　Jersey；　built　her　engines；　and　on　the　22d　of　August；　1818；　she　was　launched；　gliding　gracefully　into　the　element　which　was　to　bear　her　to　foreign　lands；　there　to　be　crowned　with　the　laurels　of　success。　　On　May　25th　this　purely　American…built　vessel　left　Savannah；　and　glided　out　from　this　waste　of　marshes；　under　the　command　of　Captain　Moses　Rogers；　with　Stephen　Rogers　as　navigator。　　The　port　of　New　London；　Conn。；　had　furnished　these　able　seamen。

The　steamer　reached　Liverpool　June　20th；　the　passage　having　occupied　twenty…six　days；　upon　eighteen　of　which　she　had　used　her　paddles。　A　son　of　Mr。　Dodd　once　told　me　of　the　sensation　produced　by　the　arrival　of　a　smoking　vessel　on　the　coast　of　Ireland；　and　how　Lieutenant　John　Bowie；　of　the　king's　cutter　Kite；　sent　a　boat…load　of　sailors　to　board　the　Savannah　to　assist　her　crew　to　extinguish　the　fires　of　what　his　Majesty's　officers　supposed　to　be　a　burning　ship。

The　Savannah；　after　visiting　Liverpool；　　continued　her　voyage　on　July　23d；　and　reached　St。　Petersburg　in　safety。　　Leaving　the　latter　port　on　October　10th；　this　adventurous　craft　completed　the　round　voyage　upon　her　arrival　at　Savannah；　November　30th。

I　pulled　up　the　Savannah　until　within　five　miles　of　the　city；　and　then　left　the　river　on　its　south　side；　where　old　rice…plantations　are　first　met；　and　entered　St。　Augustine　Creek；　which　is　the　　steamboat　thoroughfare　of　the　inland　route　to　Florida。　Just　outside　the　city　of　Savannah；　near　its　　beautiful　cemetery；　where　tall　trees　with　their　　graceful　drapery　of　Spanish　moss　screen　from　wind　and　sun　the　quiet　resting…places　of　the　dead；　my　canoe　was　landed；　and　stored　in　a　building　of　the　German　Greenwich　Shooting　Park；　where　Mr。　John　Hellwig；　in　a　most　hospitable　manner；　cared　for　it　and　its　owner。

While　awaiting　the　arrival　of　letters　at　the　Savannah　post…office；　many　of　the　ladies　of　that　beautiful　city　came　out　to　see　the　paper　canoe。　They　seemed　to　have　the　mistaken　idea　that　my　little　craft　had　come　from　the　distant　Dominion　of　Canada　over　the　Atlantic　Ocean。　　They　also　looked　upon　the　voyage　of　the　paper　canoe　as　a　very　sentimental　thing；　while　the　canoeist　had　found　it　an　intensely　practical　affair；　though　　occasionally　relieved　by　incidents　of　romantic　or　amusing　character。　　As　the　ladies　clustered　round　the　boat　while　it　rested　upon　the　　centre…table　of　Mr。　Hellwig's　parlor；　they　questioned　me　freely。

〃Tell　us；〃　they　said；　〃what　were　your　thoughts　while　you　rowed　upon　the　broad　ocean　in　the　lonely　hours　of　night？〃

Though　unwilling　to　break　their　pleasing　　illusions；　I　was　obliged　to　inform　them　that　a　　sensible　canoeist　is　usually　enjoying　his　needed　rest　in　some　camp；　or　sleeping　in　some　sheltered　place；　　under　a　roof　if　possible；　　after　it　is　too　dark　to　travel　in　safety；　and　as　to　ocean　　travelling；　the　canoe　had　only　once　entered　upon　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　and　then　through　a　mistake。

〃But　what　subjects　occupy　your　thoughts　as　you　row；　and　row；　and　row　all　day　by　yourself；　in　this　little　ship？〃　a　motherly　lady　inquired。

〃To　tell　you　honestly；　ladies；　I　must　say　that　when　I　am　in　shallow　watercourses；　with　the　tides　usually　ebbing　at　the　wrong　time　for　my　convenience；　I　am　so　full　of　anxiety　about　getting　wrecked　on　the　reefs　of　sharp　coon…oysters；　that　I　am　wishing　myself　in　deep　water；　and　when　my　route　forces　me　into　the　deep　water　of　sounds；　and　the　surface　becomes　tossed　into　wild　disorder　by　strong　currents　and　stronger　winds；　and　the　porpoises　pay　me　their　little　attentions；　chasing　the　canoe；　flapping　their　tails；　and　　showing　their　sportive　dispositions；　I　think　longingly　of　those　same　shoal　creeks；　and　wish　I　was　once　more　in　their　shallow　waters。〃

〃We　ladies　have　prayed　for　your　safety；〃　said　a　kind…looking　German　lady；　〃and　we　will　pray　that　your　voyage　may　have　a　happy　and　　successful　end。〃

When　the