voyage of the paper canoe-第17部分

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hich　seemed　to　grow　broader　as　I　advanced。　　The　bay　was　still　bordered　by　extensive　marshes；　with　here　and　there　the　habitation　of　man　located　upon　some　slight　elevation　of　the　surface。　　Having　rowed　twenty…six　miles；　and　being　off　the　mouth　of　Murderkill　Creek；　a　squall　struck　the　canoe　and　forced　it　on　to　an　oyster　reef；　upon　the　sharp　shells　of　which　she　was　rocked　for　several　　minutes　by　the　shallow　breakers。　　Fearing　that　the　paper　shell　was　badly　cut；　though　it　was　still　early　in　the　afternoon；　I　ascended　the　creek　of　ominous　name　and　associations　to　the　landing　of　an　inn　kept　by　Jacob　Lavey；　where　I　expected　to　overhaul　my　injured　craft。　　To　my　surprise　and　great　relief　of　mind　there　were　found　only　a　few　superficial　scratches　upon　the　horn…like　　shellacked　surface　of　the　paper　shell。　　To　apply　shellac　with　a　heated　iron　to　the　wounds　made　by　the　oyster…shells　was　the　work　of　a　few　　minutes；　and　my　craft　was　as　sound　as　ever。　　The　gunner's　resort；　〃Bower's　Beach　Hotel；〃　　furnished　an　excellent　supper　of　oyster　fritters；　　panfish；　and　fried　pork…scrapple。　　Mine　host；　before　a　blazing　wood　fire；　told　me　of　the　origin　of　the　name　of　Murderkill　Creek。

〃In　the　early　settlement　of　the　country；〃　　began　the　innkeeper；　〃the　white　settlers　did　all　they　could　to　civilize　the　Indians；　but　the　cussed　savages　wouldn't　take　to　it　kindly；　but　worried　the　life　out　of　the　new…comers。　　At　last　a　great　landed　proprietor；　who　held　a　big　grant　of　land　in　these　parts；　thought　he'd　settle　the　troubles。　So　he　planted　a　brass　cannon　near　the　creek；　and　invited　all　the　Indians　of　the　neighborhood　to　come　and　hear　the　white　man's　Great　Spirit　talk。　　The　crafty　man　got　the　savages　before　the　mouth　of　the　cannon；　and　said；　'Now　look　into　the　hole　there；　for　it　is　the　mouth　of　the　white　man's　Great　Spirit；　which　will　soon　speak　in　tones　of　thunder。'　The　fellow　then　touched　off　the　gun；　and　knocked　half　the　devils　into　splinters。　The　others　were　so　skeerd　at　the　big　voice　they　had　heard　that　they　were　afraid　to　move；　and　were　soon　all　killed　by　one　charge　after　another　from　the　cannon：　so　the　creek　has　been　called　Murderkill　ever　since。〃

I　afterwards　discovered　that　there　were　other　places　on　the　coast　which　had　the　same　legend　as　the　one　told　me　by　the　innkeeper。　Holders　of　small　farms　lived　in　the　vicinity　of　this　tavern；　but　the　post…office　was　at　Frederica；　five　miles　inland。　Embarking　the　next　day；　I　felt　sure　of　ending　my　cruise　on　Delaware　Bay　before　night；　as　the　quiet　morning　exhibited　no　signs　of　rising　winds。　The　little　pilot　town　of　Lewes；　near　Cape　Delaware；　and　behind　the　Breakwater；　is　a　port　of　refuge　for　storm…bound　vessels。　From　this　village　I　expected　to　make　a　portage　of　six　miles　to　Love　Creek；　a　tributary　of　Rehoboth　Sound。　The　frosty　nights　were　now　exerting　a　sanitary　influence　over　the　malarial　districts　which　I　had　entered；　and　the　unacclimated　　canoeist　of　northern　birth　could　safely　pursue　his　journey；　and　sleep　at　night　in　the　swamps　along　the　fresh…water　streams　if　protected　from　the　dews　by　a　rubber　or　canvas　covering。　My　hopes　of　reaching　the　open　sea　that　night　were　to　be　drowned；　and　in　cold　water　too；　for　that　day；　which　opened　so　calmly　and　with　such　smiling　promises；　was　destined　to　prove　a　season　of　trial；　and　before　its　evening　shadows　closed　around　me；　to　witness　a　severe　struggle　for　life　in　the　cold　waters　of　Delaware　Bay。

An　hour　after　leaving　Murderkill　Creek　the　wind　came　from　the　north　in　strong　squalls。　My　little　boat　taking　the　blasts　on　her　quarter；　kept　herself　free　of　the　swashy　seas　hour　after　hour。　I　kept　as　close　to　the　sandy　beach　of　the　great　marshes　as　possible；　so　as　to　be　near　the　land　in　case　an　accident　should　happen。　　　Mispillion　Creek　and　a　light…house　on　the　north　of　its　mouth　were　passed；　when　the　wind　and　seas　struck　my　boat　on　the　port　beam；　and　continually　crowded　her　ashore。　　The　water　breaking　on　the　hard；　sandy　beach　of　the　marshy　coast　made　it　too　much　of　a　risk　to　attempt　a　landing；　as　the　canoe　would　be　smothered　in　the　swashy　seas　if　her　head　way　was　checked　for　a　moment。　　Amidships　the　canoe　was　only　a　few　inches　out　of　water；　but　her　great　sheer；　full　bow；　and　　smoothness　of　hull；　with　watchful　management；　kept　her　from　swamping。　　I　had　struggled　along　for　fourteen　miles　since　morning；　and　was　fatigued　by　the　strain　consequent　upon　the　continued　　manoeuvring　of　my　boat　through　the　rough　waves。　I　reached　a　point　on　Slaughter　Beach；　where　the　bay　has　a　width　of　nearly　nineteen　miles；　when　the　tempest　rose　to　such　a　pitch　that　the　great　raging　seas　threatened　every　moment　to　wash　over　my　canoe；　and　to　force　me　by　their　violence　close　into　the　beach。　To　my　alarm；　as　the　boat　rose　and　fell　upon　the　waves；　the　heads　of　　sharp…pointed　stakes　appeared　and　disappeared　in　the　broken　waters。　They　were　the　stakes　of　　fishermen　to　which　they　attach　their　nets　in　the　season　of　trout…fishing。　　The　danger　of　being　impaled　on　one　of　these　forced　me　off　shore　again。


There　was　no　undertow；　the　seas　being　driven　over　shoals　were　irregular　and　broken。　At　last　my　sea　came。　　It　rolled　up　without　a　crest；　square　and　formidable。　　I　could　not　calculate　where　it　would　break；　but　I　pulled　for　life　away　from　it　towards　the　beach　upon　which　the　sea　was　breaking　with　deafening　sound。　　It　was　only　for　a　moment　that　I　beheld　the　great　brown　wave；　which　bore　with　it　the　mud　of　the　shoal；　bearing　down　upon　me；　for　the　next；　it　broke　astern；　sweeping　completely　over　the　canoe　from　stern　to　stem；　filling　it　through　the　opening　of　the　canvas　round　my　body。　　Then　for　a　while　the　watery　area　was　almost　smooth；　so　completely　had　the　great　wave　levelled　it。　　The　canoe　　being　water…logged；　settled　below　the　surface；　the　high　points　of　the　ends　occasionally　　emerging　from　the　water。　　Other　heavy　seas　followed　the　first；　one　of　which　striking　me　as　high　as　my　head　and　shoulders；　turned　both　the　canoe　and　canoeist　upside…down。


A　Capsize　in　Delaware　Bay　（100K）


Kicking　myself　free　of　the　canvas　deck；　I　struck　out　from　under　the　shell；　and　quickly　rose　to　the　surface。　　It　was　then　that　the　words　of　an　author　of　a　European　Canoe　Manual　came　to　my　mind：　〃When　you　capsize；　first　right　the　canoe　and　get　astride　it　over　one　end；　keeping　your　legs　in　the　water；　when　you　have　crawled　to　the　well　or　cockpit；　bale　out　the　boat　with　your　hat。〃　　Comforting　as　these　instructions　from　an　experienced　canoe　traveller　seemed　when　reading　them　in　my　hermitage　ashore；　the　present　application　of　them　（so　important　a　principle　in　Captain　Jack　Bunsby's　log　of　life）　was　in　this　emergency　an　impossibility；　for　my　hat　had　disappeared　with　the　seat…cushion　and　one　iron　outrigger；　while　the　oars　were　floating　to　leeward　with　the　canoe。

The　boat　having　turned　keel　up；　her　great　sheer　would　have　righted　her　had　it　not　been　for　the　cargo；　which　settled　itself　on　the　canvas　deck…cloth；　and　ballasted　the　craft　in　that　　position。　　So　smooth　were　her　polished　sides　that　it　was　impossible　to　hold　on　to　her；　for　she　rolled　about　like　a　slippery　porpoise　in　a　tideway。　having　tested　and　proved　futile　the　kind　　suggestions　of　writers　on　marine　disasters；　and　　feeling　very　stiff　in　the　icy　water；　I　struck　out　in　an　almost　exhausted　condition　for　the　shore。　　Now　a　new　experience　taught　me　an　interesting　　lesson。　　The　seas　rolled　over　my　head　and　　shoulders　in　such　rapid　succession；　that　I　found　I　could　not　get　my　head　above　water　to　breathe；　while　the　sharp　sand　kept　in　suspension　by　the　agitated　water　scratched　my　face；　and　filled　my　eyes；　nostrils；　and　ears。　　While　I　felt　this　　pressing　down　and　burying　tendency　of　the　seas；　as　they　broke　upon　my　head　and　shoulders；　I　　understood　the　reason　why　so　many　good　　swimmers　are　drowned　in　attempting　to　reach　the　shore　from　a　wreck　on　a　shoal；　when　the　wind；　though　blowing　heavily；　is　in　the　victim's　favor。　The　land　was　not　over　an　eighth　of　a　mile　away；　and　from　it　came　the　sullen　roar　of　the　breakers；　pounding　their　heavy　weight　upon　the　sandy　shingle。　　As　its　booming　thunders　or　its　angry；　swashing　sound　increased；　I　knew　I　was　rapidly　nearing　it；　but；　blinded　by　the　boiling　waters；　I　could　see　nothing。

At　such　a　moment　do　not　stop　to　make　vows　as　to　how　you　will　treat　your　neighbor　in　future　if　once　safely　landed；　but　strike　out；　fight　as　you　never　fought　before；　swallowing　as　little　water　as　possible；　and　never　relaxing　an　energy　or　yielding　a　hope。　The　water　shoaled；　my　feet　felt　the　bottom；　and　I　stood　up；　but　a　roller　laid　me　flat　on　my　face。　Up　again　and　down　again；　swimming　and　crawling；　I　emerged　from　the　sea；　bearing；　I　fear；　a　closer　resemblance　to　Jonah

（being　at　last　pitched　on　shore）　than　to　Cabnel's　Venus；　who　was　borne　gracefully　upon　the　rosy　crests　of　the　sky…reflecting　waves　to　the　soft　bed　of　sparkling　foam　awaiting　her。

Wearily　dragging　myself　up　the　hard　shingle；　I　stood　and　contemplated　the　little　streams　of　water　pouring　from　my　woollen　clothes。　　A　new　danger　awaited　me　as　the　cold　wind　whistled　down　the　barren　beach　and　across　the　desolate　marshes。　　I　danced　about　to　keep　warm；　and　for　a　moment　thought　that　my　canoe　voyage　had　come　to　an　unfortunate　termination。　　Then　a　buoyant　feeling　succeeded　the　moment's　　depression；　and　I　felt　that　this　was　only　the　first　of　many