voyage of the paper canoe-第44节

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〃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　ladies　left；　two　Irish　laborers；　dressed　in　sombre　black；　with　high　hats　worn　with　the　air　of　dignity；　examined　the　boat。　　There　was　an　absence　of　the　sparkle　of　fun　usually　seen　in　the　Irish　face；　for　this　was　a　serious　occasion。　They　did　not　see　any　romance　or　sentiment　in　the　voyage；　but　took　a　broad；　geographical　view　of　the　matter。　　They　stood　silently　gazing　at　the　canoe　with　the　same　air　of　solemnity　they　would　have　given　a　corpse。　Then　one　addressed　the　other；　as　though　the　owner　of　the　craft　was　entirely　out　of　the　hearing　of　their　conversation。

Said　No。　1；　〃And　what　did　I　tell　ye；　Pater？〃　〃And　so　ye　did；〃　replied　No。　2。　〃And　didn't　I　say　so？〃　continued　No。　1。　〃Of　course　ye　did；　and　wasn't　me　of　the　same　mind；　to　be　sure？〃　responded　No。2。　〃Yes；　I　told　ye　as　how　it　is　the　men　of　these　times　is　greater　than　the　men　of　ould　times。　There　was　the　great　Coolumbus；　who　came　over　in　three　ships　to　see　Americky。　What　did　he　know　about　paper　boats？　　Nothing　at　all；　at　all。　He　cum　over　in　big　ships；　while　this　young　feller　has　cum　all　the　way　from　Canada。　　I　tell　ye　the　men　of　ould　times　was　not　up　to　the　men　of　these　times。　　Thin　there's　Captain　Boyton；　who　don't　use　any　boat　or　ship　at　all；　at　all；　but　goes　　aswimming　in　rubber　clothes　to　keep　him　dry　all　over　the　Atlantic　Oshin。　Jis'　look；　man；　how　he　landed　on　the　shores　of　ould　Ireland　not　long　since。　Now　what's　Coolumbus；　or　any　other　man　of　the　past　ages；　to　him？　　Coolumbus　could　not　hold　a　candle　to　Boyton！　No；　I　tell　ye　agen　that　the　men　of　this　age　is　greater　than　the　men　of　the　past　ages。〃　〃And；〃　broke　in　No。2；　〃there's　a　　Britisher　who's　gone　to　the　River　Niles　in　a　　canoe。〃　　〃The　River　Niles！〃　hotly　exclaimed　No。　1；　〃don't　waste　your　breath　on　that　thing。　It's　no　new　thing　at　all；　at　all。　　It　was　diskivered　a　long　time　a　go；　and　nobody　cares　a　fig　for　it　now。〃　　〃Yet；〃　responded　No。2；　〃some　of　those　old…times　people　were　very　enterprising。　　There　was　that　great　traveller　Robinson　Crusoe：　ye　must　confess　he　was　a　great　man　for　his　time。〃　〃The　same　who　wint　to　the　South　Sea　Islands　and　settled　there？〃　asked　the　first　biographer。　〃The　〃very　same　man；〃　replied　No。2；　with　animation。

This　instructive　conversation　was　here　　interrupted　by　a　party　of　ladies　and　gentlemen；　who　in　turn　gave　their　views　of　canoe　and　canoeist。




CHAPTER　XIII。　　FROM　THE　SAVANNAH　RIVER　TO　FLORIDA。



ROUTE　TO　THE　SEA　ISLANDS　OF　GEORGIA。　　STORM…BOUND　ON　GREEN　ISLAND。　　OSSABAW　ISLAND。　　ST。　CATHERINE'S　SOUND。　　SAPELO　ISLAND。　　THE　MUD　OF　MUD　RIVER。　　NIGHT　IN　A　NEGRO　　CABIN。　　〃DE　　SHOUTINGS〃　　ON　DOBOY　ISLAND。　　BROUGHTON　ISLAND。　　ST。　SIMON'S　AND　JEKYL　ISLANDS。　　INTERVIEW　WITH　AN　ALLIGATOR。　A　NIGHT　IN　JOINTER　HAMMOCK。　　CUMBERLAND　ISLAND　AND　ST。　MARY'S　RIVER。　　FAREWELL　TO　THE　SEA。


On　February　24th；　the　voyage　was　again　　resumed。　　My　route　lay　through　the　coast　islands　of　Georgia；　as　far　south　as　the　state　boundary；　Cumberland　Sound；　and　the　St。　　Mary's　River。　　This　part　of　the　coast　is　very　　interesting；　and　is　beautifully　delineated　on　the　Coast　Charts　No。　56…57　of　the　United　States　Coast　Survey；　which　were　published　the　year　after　my　voyage　ended。

Steamers　run　from　Savannah　through　these　interesting　interior　water…ways　to　the　ports　of　the　St。　John's　River；　Florida；　and　by　taking　this　route　the　traveller　can　escape　a　most　　uninteresting　railroad　journey　from　Savannah　to　　Jacksonville；　where　sandy　soils　and　pine　forests　present　an　uninviting　prospect　to　the　eye。　　A　little　dredging；　in　a　few　places　along　the　steamboat　route；　should　be　done　at　national　cost；　to　make　this　a　more　convenient　and　expeditious　tidal　route　for　vessels。

Leaving　Greenwich；　Bonaventure；　and　　Thunderbolt　behind　me　on　the　upland；　the　canoe　　entered　the　great　marshy　district　of　the　coast　along　the　Wilmington　and　Skiddaway　rivers　to　　Skiddaway　Narrows；　which　is　a　contracted；　crooked　watercourse　connecting　the　Skiddaway　with　the　Burnside　River。　　The　low　lands　were　made　　picturesque　by　hammocks；　some　of　which　were　　cultivated。

In　leaving　the　Burnside　for　the　broad　Vernon　River；　as　the　canoe　approached　the　sea；　one　of　the　sudden　tempests　which　frequently　vex　these　coast…waters　arose；　and　drove　me　to　a　hammock　in　the　marshes　of　Green　Island；　on　the　left　bank　and　opposite　the　mouth　of　the　Little　Ogeechee　River。　　Green　Island　has　been　well　cultivated　in　the　past；　but　is　now　only　the　summer　home　of　Mr。　Styles；　its　owner。　　Two　or　three　families　of　negroes　inhabited　the　cabins　and　looked　after　the　property　of　the　absent　proprietor。

I　waded　to　my　knees　in　the　mud　before　the　canoe　could　be　landed；　and；　as　it　stormed　all　night；　I　slept　on　the　floor　of　the　humble　cot　of　the　negro　Echard　Holmes；　having　first　treated　the　household　to　crackers　and　coffee。　　The　　negroes　gathered　from　other　points　to　examine　the　canoe；　and；　hearing　that　I　was　from　the　north；　one　grizzly　old　darky　begged　me　to　〃carry〃　his　complaints　to　Washington。

〃De　goberment；〃　he　said；　〃has　been　berry　good　to　wees　black　folks。　　It　gib　us　our　　freedom；　　all　berry　well；　but　dar　is　an　noder　ting　wees　wants；　dat　is；　wees　wants　General　Grant　to　make　tings　stashionary。　　De　storekeeper　gibs　a　poor　nigger　only　one　dollar　fur　bushel　corn；　　sometimes　not　so　much。　　Den　he　makes　poor　nigger　gib　him　tree　dollars　fur　bag　hominy；　sometimes　more'n　dat。　Wees　wants　de　goberment　to　make　tings　stashionary。　　Make　de　storekeeper　gib　black　man　one　dollar　and　quarter　fur　de　bushel　of　corn；　and　make　him　sell　de　poor　nigger　de　bag　hominy　fur　much　less　dan　tree　dollars。　Make　all　tings　stashionary。　　Den　dar's　one　ting　more。　　Tell　de　goberment　to　do　fur　poor　darky　'nodder　ting；　　make　de　ole　massa　say　to　me；　You's　been　good　slave　in　ole　times；　　berry　good　slave；　now　I　gib　you　one；　two；　tree；　five　acres　of　land　for　yoursef。'　　Den　ole　nigger　be　happy；　and　massa　be　happy　too；　den　bof　of　um　bees　happy。　　Hab　you　a　leetle　bacca　fur　dis　ole　man？〃

From　the　Styles　mansion　it　was　but　three　miles　to　Ossabaw　Sound。　　Little　Don　Island　and　Raccoon　Key　are　in　the　mouth　of　the　　Vernon。　　Between　the　two　flat　islands　is　a　deep　passage　through　which　the　tides　rush　with　great　force；　it　is　called　Hell　Gate。　　On　the　south　side　of　Raccoon　Key　the　Great　Ogeechee　River　pours　its　strong　volume　of　water　into　Ossabaw　Sound。

I　entered　the　Great　Ogeechee　through　the　Don　Island　passage；　and　saw　sturgeon…fishermen　at　work　with　their　nets　along　the　shores　of　　Ossabaw；　one　of　the　sea　islands。　　Ossabaw　Island　lies　　between　　Ossabaw　　and　　St。　Catherine's　sounds；　and　is　eight　miles　long　and　six　miles　wide。　　The　side　towards　the　sea　is　firm　upland；　diversified　with　glades；　while　the　western　　portion　is　principally　marshes　cut　up　by　numerous　creeks。　　All　the　sea　islands　produce　the　long　staple　cotton　known　as　sea…island　cotton；　and　before　the　war　a　very　valuable　variety。　　A　few　negroes　occupy　the　places　abandoned　by　the　proprietor；　and　eke　out　a　scanty　livelihood。

There　are　many　deer　in　the　forests　of　　Ossabaw　Island。　　One　of　its　late　proprietors　　informed　me　that　there　must　be　at　least　ten　　thousand　wild　hogs　there；　as　they　have　been　　multiplying　for　many　years；　and　but　few　were　shot　by　the　negroes。　　The　domestic　hog　becomes　a　very　shy　animal　if　left　to　himself　for　two　or　three　years。　　The　hunter　may　search　for　him　without　a　dog　almost　in　vain；　though　the　woods　may　contain　large　numbers　of　these　creatures。

The　weather　was　now　delightful；　and　had　I　possessed　a　light　tent　I　would　not　have　sought　shelter　at　night　in　a　human　habitation　anywhere　along　the　route。　　The　malaria　which　arises　from　fresh…water　sinks　in　many　of　the　sea　islands　during　the　summer　months；　did　not　now　make　camping…out　dangerous　to　the　health。　　Crossing　the　Great　Ogeechee　above　Middle　Marsh　Island；　I　followed　the　river　to　the　creek　called　Florida　Passage；　through　which　I　reached　Bear　River；　with　its　wide　and　long　reaches；　and　descended　it　to　St。　Catherine's　Sound。

Now　the　sea　opened　to　full　view　as　the　canoe　crossed　the　tidal　ocean　gateway　two　miles　to　North　Newport　River。　When　four　miles　up　the　Newport　I　entered　Johnson's　Creek；　which　flows　from　North　to　South　Newport　rivers。　　By　means　of　the　creek　and　the　South　Newport　River；　my　little　craft　was　navigated　down　to　the　southern　end　of　St。　Catherine's　Island　to　the　sound　of　the　same　name；　and　here　another　inlet　was　crossed　at　sunset；　and　High　Point　of　Sapelo　Island　was　reached。

From　among　the　green　trees　of　the　high　bluff　a　mansion；　which　exhibited　the　taste　of　its　builder；　rose　imposingly。　　This　was；　however；　but　one　of　the　many　edifices　that　are　tombs　of　buried　hopes。　　The　proprietor；　a　northern　　gentleman；　after　the　war　purchased　one…third　of　Sapelo　Island　for　fifty…five　thousand　dollars　in　gold。　　He　attempted；　as　many　other　enterprising　northerners　had　done；　to　give　the　late　slave　a　chance　to　prove　his　worth　as　a　freedman　to　the　world。

〃Pay　the　negro　wages；　treat　him　as　you　would　treat　a　white　man；　and　he　will　reward　your　confidence　with　industry　and　gratitude。〃　So　thought　and　so　acted　the　large…hearted　　northern　colonel。　　He　built　a　large　mansion；　engaged　his　freedmen；　paid　them　for　their　work；　and　treated　them　like　men。　　The　re