voyage of the paper canoe-第19部分

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uss…lamp　I　ever　seed！〃　　Having　satisfied　the　curiosity　of　these　people；　and　been　much　amused　by　their　quaint　remarks；　I　was　quietly　smuggled　into　Mr。　Webb's　〃best　room；〃　where；　if　my　spirit　did　not　make　feathery　flights；　it　was　not　the　fault　of　the　downy　bed　in　whose　unfathomable　depths　I　now　lost　myself。

Before　leaving　Delaware　I　feel　it　an　　imperative　duty　to　the　public　to　refer　to　one　of　her　time…honored　institutions。

Persons　unacquainted　with　the　fact　will　find　it　difficult　to　believe　that　one　state　of　the　great　American　Republic　still　holds　to　the　practice　of　lashing　men　and　women；　white　and　black。　　　Delaware　　one　of　the　smallest　states　of　the　Union；　the　citizens　of　which　are　proverbially　generous　and　hospitable；　a　state　which　has　produced　a　Bayard　　is；　to　her　shame　we　regret　to　say；　the　culprit　which　sins　against　the　spirit　of　civilization　in　this　nineteenth　century；　one　hundred　years　after　the　fathers　of　the　Republic　declared　equal　rights　for　all　men。　　In　treating　of　so　delicate　a　subject；　I　desire　to　do　no　one　injustice；　therefore　I　will　let　a　native　of　Delaware　speak　for　his　community。


〃DOVER；　DELAWARE；　August　2；　1873。

〃EDITOR　CAMDEN　SPY：　According　to　　promise；　I　now　write　you　a　little　about　Delaware。　Persons　in　your　vicinity　look　upon　the　'Little　Diamond　State'　as　a　mere　bog；　or　marsh；　and　mud　and　water　they　suppose　are　its　chief　　productions；　but；　in　my　opinion；　it　is　one　of　the　finest　little　states　in　the　Union。　　Although　small；　in　proportion　to　the　size　it　produces　more　grain　and　fruit　than　any　other　state　in　the　country；　and　they　are　unexcelled　as　regards　quality　and　flavor。　Crime　is　kept　in　awe　by　that　best　of　institutions；　the　whipping　post　and　pillory！　These　are　the　bugbear　of　all　the　northern　newspapers；　and　they　can　say　nothing　too　harsh　or　severe　against　them。　　The　whipping…post　in　Kent　County　is　situated　in　the　yard　of　the　jail；　and　is　about　six　feet　in　height　and　three　feet　in　circumference；　the　prisoner　is　fastened　to　it　by　means　of　bracelets；　or　arms；　on　the　wrist；　and　the　sheriff　executes　the　sentence　of　the　law　by　baring　the　convict　to　the　waist；　and　on　the　bare　back　lashing　him　twenty；　forty；　or　sixty　times；　according　to　the　sentence。　　But　the　blood　does　not　run　in　streams　from　the　prisoner's　back；　nor　is　he　thrown　into　a　barrel　of　brine；　and　salt　sprinkled　over　the　lashes。　On　the　contrary；　I　have　seen　them　laugh；　and　coolly　remark　that　'it's　good　exercise；　and　gives　us　an　appetite。'　　But　there　are　others　who　raise　the　devil's　own　row　with　their　yells　and　horrible　cries　of　pain。　　The　whipping　is　public；　and　is　witnessed　each　time　by　large　numbers　of　people　who　come　from　miles　around　to　see　the　culprit　disgraced。

〃A　public　whipping　occurred　not　very　long　ago；　and　the　day　was　very　stormy；　yet　there　were　fully　three　hundred　spectators　on　the　ground　to　witness　this　wholesome　punishment！　　A　　person　who　has　been　lashed　at　the　whipping…post　cannot　vote　again　in　this　state；　thus；　most　of　the　criminals　who　are　whipped　leave　the　state　in　order　to　regain　their　citizenship。　The　newspapers　can　blow　until　they　are　tired　about　this　'horrible；　barbaric；　and　unchristian　punishment；'　but　if　their　own　states　would　adopt　this　form　of　punishment；　they　would　find　crime　continually　on　the　　decrease。　　What　is　imprisonment　for　a　few　months　or　years？　　It　is　soon　over　with；　and　then　they　are　again　let　out　upon　the　community；　to　beg；　borrow；　and　steal。　　But　to　be　publicly　whipped　is　an　everlasting　disgrace；　and　deters　men　from　committing　wrong。　　Women　are　whipped　in　the　same　manner；　and　they　take　it　very　hard；　but；　to　my　recollection；　there　has　not　been　a　female　prisoner　for　some　time。　　I　did　not　intend　to　　comment　so　long　upon　the　whipping…posts　in　the　state　of　Delaware。

〃The　pillory　next　claims　our　attention。　This　is　a　long　piece　of　board　that　runs　through　the　whipping…post　at　the　top；　and　has　holes　＇as　per　engraving＇　for　the　neck　and　arms　to　rest　in　a　very　constrained　position。　　The　prisoner　is　　compelled　to　stand　on　his　toes　for　an　hour　with　his　neck　and　arms　in　the　holes；　and　if　he　sinks　from　exhaustion；　as　it　sometimes　happens；　the　neck　is　instantly　broken。　Josiah　Ward；　the　villain　who　escaped　punishment　for　the　murder　of　the　man　Wady　in　your　county；　came　into　Delaware；　broke　into　a　shoe…store；　succeeded　in　stealing　one　pair　of　shoes；　　was　arrested；　got　sixty　lashes　at　the　post；　was　made　to　stand　in　the　pillory　one　hour；　is　now　serving　out　a　term　of　two　years'　imprisonment；　　and　he　never　got　the　shoes！　The　pillory　is　certainly　a　terrible　and　cruel　　punishment；　and；　while　I　heartily　favor　the　　whipping…post；　I　think　this　savage　punishment　should　be　abolished。

〃Since　writing　the　above；　I　have　heard　that　a　colored　woman　was　convicted　of　murder　in　the　second　degree　last　May；　and　on　Saturday　the　17th　of　that　month　received　sixty　lashes　on　her　bare　back；　and　stood　in　the　pillory　one　hour。

〃What　do　you　think　of　Delaware　law；　after　what　I　have　written？　　I　have　written　enough　for　the　present；　so　I　will　close；　ever　remaining；　Yours　very　truly；　　　　P。　P。〃

For　twenty　years　past；　Delaware　and　　Maryland　farmers　have　given　much　attention　to　peach　culture；　which　has　gradually　declined　in　New　Jersey　and　states　further　north。　　There　are　said　to　be　over　sixty　thousand　acres　of　land　on　the　peninsula　planted　with　peach…trees；　which　are　estimated　to　be　worth　fifty　dollars　per　acre；　or　three　million　dollars。　To　harvest　this　crop　　requires　at　least　twenty…five　thousand　men；　women；　and　children。　The　planting　of　an　acre　of　　peach…trees；　and　its　cultivation　to　maturity；　costs　from　thirty　to　forty　dollars。　The　canners　take　a　large　portion　of　the　best　peaches；　which　are　shipped　to　foreign　as　well　as　to　domestic　markets。

The　low　lands　and　river…shores　of　the　　peninsula　exhale　malaria　which　attacks　the　inhabitants　in　a　mild　form　of　ague。　　During　the　spring；　summer；　and　early　fall　months；　a　prudent　man　will　not　expose　himself　to　the　air　until　after　the　sun　has　risen　and　dispelled　the　mists　of　morning。　　The　same　caution　should　be　observed　all　through　the　low　regions　of　the　south；　both　as　to　morning　and　evening　exercise。　　Chills　and　fever　are　the　bane　of　the　southern　and　middle　states；　as　this　disease　affects　the　health　and　elastic　vigor　of　the　constitution；　and　also　　produces　great　mental　depression。　　Yet　those　who　suffer；　even　on　every　alternate　day；　from　chills；　seem　to　accept　the　malaria　as　nothing　of　much　importance；　though　it　is　a　well…known　fact　that　this　form　of　intermittent　fever　so　reduces　the　strength；　that　the　system　is　unable　to　cope　with　other　and　more　dangerous　diseases　for　which　it　paves　the　way。

Upon　a　little　creek；　tributary　to　St。　Martin's　River；　and　near　its　confluence　with　the　Isle　of　Wight　Bay；　a　long　day's　pull　from　the　swamp　of　Love　Creek；　was　the　old　plantation　home　of　a　friend　of　my　boyhood；　Mr。　Taylor；　who　about　this　time　was　looking　out　for　the　arrival　of　the　paper　canoe。　　It　was　a　question　whether　I　could　descend　Love　Creek　three　miles；　cross　Rehoboth　and　Indian　River　sounds；　ascend　White's　Creek；　make　a　portage　to　Little　Assawaman　Bay；　thread　the　thoroughfare　west　of　Fenwick's　Island　Light；　cross　the　Isle　of　Wight　Bay；　ascend　and　cross　St。　Martin's　River　to　Turval's　Creek；　and　reach　the　home　of　my　friend；　all　in　one　day。　　But　I　　determined　to　attempt　the　task。　Mr。　Webb　roused　his　family　at　an　early　hour；　and　I　rowed　down　Love　Creek　and　crossed　the　shallow　waters　of　　Rehoboth　Bay　in　the　early　part　of　the　day。

From　Cape　Henlopen；　following　the　general　contour　of　the　coast；　to　Cape　Charles　at　the　northern　entrance　of　Chesapeake　Bay；　is　a　　distance　of　one　hundred　and　thirty…six　miles；　from　Cape　Charles　across　the　mouth　of　Chesapeake　Bay　to　Cape　Henry　is　thirteen　miles；　from　Henlopen　south；　the　state　of　Delaware　occupies　about　twenty　miles　of　the　coast；　the　eastern　shore　of　Maryland　holds　between　thirty　and　forty　miles；　while　the　eastern　shore　of　Virginia；　represented　by　the　counties　of　Accomac　and　Northampton；　covers　the　peninsula　to　Cape　Charles。

Commencing　at　Rehoboth　Bay；　a　small　boat　may　follow　the　interior　waters　to　the　Chesapeake　Bay。　　The　watercourses　of　this　coast　are　　protected　from　the　rough　waves　of　the　ocean　by　long；　narrow；　sandy　islands；　known　as　beaches；　between　which　the　tides　enter。　　These　passages　from　the　sea　to　the　interior　waters　are　called　inlets；　and　most　of　them　are　navigable　for　　coasting　vessels　of　light　draught。　These　inlets　are　so　influenced　by　the　action　of　storms；　and　their　shores　and　locations　are　so　changed　by　them；　that　the　cattle　may　graze　to…day　in　tranquil　　happiness　where　only　a　generation　ago　the　old　skipper　navigated　his　craft。　　During　June　of　the　year　1821　a　fierce　gale　opened　Sandy　Point　Inlet　with　a　foot　depth　of　water；　but　it　closed　in　1831。　Green　Point　Inlet　was　cut　through　the　beach　during　a　gale　in　1837；　and　was　closed　up　seven　years　later。　　Old　Sinepuxent　Inlet；　which　was　forced　open　by　the　sea　more　than　sixty　years　ago；　closed　in　1831。　　These　three　inlets　were　within　a　space　of　three　miles；　and　were　all　north　of　Chincoteague　village。　　Green　Run　Inlet；　which　had　a　depth　of　about　six　feet　of　water　for　nearly　ten　years；　also　closed　after　shifting　half　a　mile　to　the　south　of　its　original　location。　　The　tendency　of　inlets　on　this　coast　is　to　shift　to　the　south