voyage of the paper canoe-第46部分

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　work。　De　mill　　pebple　will　gib　us　lumber　fur　de　new　church；　odders　mus'　gib　money。　Tell　ebbry　cullud　　pusson　on　de　island　to　cum　on　Tuesday　and　carry　lumber；　and　gib　ebbry　one　what　he　can；　　one　dollar　apiece；　or　ten　cents　if　got　no　more。　De　white　gemmins　we　knows　whar　to　find　when　we　wants　dar　money；　but　de　cullud　ones　is　berry　slippery　when　de　hat　am　passed　round。〃

At　the　termination　of　the　preacher's　　exhortation；　I　proposed　to　my　companion　that　I　should　present　the　minister　with　a　dollar　for　his　new　church；　but；　with　a　look　of　dismay；　he　replied：　〃Oh；　don't　give　it　to　the　preacher。　Hand　it　to　that　other　negro　sitting　near　him。　We　never　trust　the　preacher　with　money；　he　always　spends　the　church…money。　We　only　trust　him　for　preaching。〃

Monday；　March　1st；　opened　fair；　but　the　wind　arose　when　the　canoe　reached　Three　Mile　Cut；　which　connects　the　Darien　with　Altamaha　River。　I　went　through　this　narrow　steamboat　passage；　and　being　prevented　by　the　wind　from　entering　the　wide　Altamaha；　returned　to　the　Darien　River　and　ascended　it　to　General's　Cut；　which；　with　Butler　River；　affords　a　passage　to　the　　Altamaha　River。　　Before　entering　General's　Cut；　mistaking　a　large；　half　submerged　alligator　for　a　log　on　a　mud　bank；　the　canoe　nearly　touched　the　saurian　before　he　was　roused　from　his　nap　to　retire　into　the　water。　　General's　Cut　penetrates　a　rice　plantation　opposite　the　town　of　Darien；　to　Butler's　Island；　the　estate　of　the　late　Pierce　Butler；　at　its　southern　end。　　Rice…planting；　since　the　war；　had　not　proved　a　very　profitable　　business　to　the　present　proprietors；　who　deserve　much　praise　for　the　efforts　they　have　made　to　educate　their　freedmen。　　A　profitable　crop　of　oranges　is　gathered　some　seasons　from　the　groves　upon　Butler's　Island。

From　the　mouth　of　General's　Cut　down　　Butler　River　to　the　Altamaha　was　but　a　short　row。　The　latter　stream　would　have　taken　me　to　　Altamaha　Sound；　to　avoid　which　I　passed　through　Wood's　Cut　into　the　South　Altamaha　River；　and　proceeded　through　the　lowland　rice…plantations　towards　St。　Simon's　Island；　which　is　by　the　sea。　About　the　middle　of　the　afternoon；　when　close　to　Broughton　Island；　where　the　South　Altamaha　presented　a　wide　area　to　the　strong　head…wind　which　was　sending　little　waves　over　my　canoe；　a　white　plantation…house；　under　the　veranda　of　which　an　elderly　gentleman　was　sitting；　attracted　my　attention。　　Here　was　what　seemed　to　be　the　last　camping…ground　on　a　route　of　several　miles　to　St。　Simon's　Island。

If　the　wind　continued　to　blow　from　the　same　quarter；　the　canoe　could　not　cross　Buttermilk　Sound　that　night；　so　I　went　ashore　to　inquire　if　there　were　any　hammocks　in　the　marshes　by　the　river…banks　between　the　plantation　and　the　sound。

The　bachelor　proprietor　of　Broughton　Island；　Captain　Richard　A。　Akin；　posted　me　as　to　the　route　to　St。　Simon's　Island；　but　insisted　that　the　canoe　traveller　should　share　his　comfortable　quarters　until　the　next　day；　and　when　the　next　day　came　round；　and　the　warm　sun　and　smooth　current　of　the　wide　Altamaha　invited　me　to　continue　the　voyage；　the　hospitable　rice…planter　thought　the　weather　not　settled　enough　for　me　to　venture　down　to　the　sound。　　In　fact；　he　held　me　a　rather　willing　captive　for　several　days；　and　then　let　me　off　on　the　condition　that　I　should　return　at　some　future　time；　and　spend　a　month　with　him　in　examining　the　sea　islands　and　game　resources　of　the　vicinity。

Captain　Akin　was　a　successful　rice…planter　on　the　new　system　of　employing　freedmen　on　　wages；　but　while　he　protected　the　ignorant　blacks　in　all　their　newly…found　rights；　he　was　a　　thorough　disciplinarian。　　The　negroes　seemed　to　like　their　employer；　and　stuck　to　him　with　greater　tenacity　than　they　did　to　those　planters　who　allowed　them　to　do　as　they　pleased。　　The　result　of　lax　treatment　with　these　people　is　　always　a　failure　of　crops。　The　rivers　and　swamps　near　Broughton　Island　abound　in　fine　fishes　and　terrapin；　while　the　marshes　and　flats　of　the　sea　islands　afford　excellent　opportunities　for　the　sportsman　to　try　his　skill　upon　the　feathered　tribe。

On　Monday；　March　9th；　the　Maria　Theresa　left　Broughton　Island　well　provisioned　with　the　stores　the　generous　captain　had　pressed　upon　my　acceptance。　　The　atmosphere　was　softened　by　balmy　breezes；　and　the　bright　sunlight　played　with　the　shadows　of　the　clouds　upon　the　wide　marshes；　which　were　now　growing　green　with　the　warmth　of　returning　　spring。　　The　fish　sprang　from　the　water　as　I　touched　it　with　my　light　oars。

St。　Simon's　Island；　　where　Mr。　Pierce　Butler　once　cultivated　sea…island　cotton；　and　to　which　he　took　his　English　bride；　Miss　Kemble；　　with　its　almost　abandoned　plantation；　was　reached　before　ten　o'clock。　　Frederica　River　carried　me　along　the　whole　length　of　the　island　to　St。　Simon's　Sound。　　When　midway　the　island；　I　paused　to　survey　what　remains　of　the　old　town　of　Frederica；　of　which　but　few　vestiges　can　be　discovered。　　History　informs　us　that　Frederica　was　the　first　town　built　by　the　English　in　Georgia；　and　was　founded　by　General　　Oglethorpe；　who　began　and　established　the　colony。

The　fortress　was　regular　and　beautiful；　and　was　the　largest；　most　regular；　and　perhaps　most　costly　of　any　in　North　America　of　British　　construction。　　Pursuing　my　journey　southward；　the　canoe　entered　the　exposed　area　of　St。　Simon's　Sound；　which；　with　its　ocean　inlet；　was　easily　crossed　to　the　wild　and　picturesque　Jekyl　Island；　upon　which　the　two　bachelor　brothers　Dubignon　live　and　hunt　the　deer；　enjoying　the　free　life　of　lords　of　the　forest。　　Their　old　family　mansion；　once　a　haven　of　hospitality；　where　the　northern　tourist　and　shipwrecked　sailor　shared　alike　the　good　things　of　this　life　with　the　kind　host；　was　used　for　a　target　by　a　gunboat　during　the　late　war；　and　is　now　in　ruins。

Here；　twenty　years　ago；　at　midnight；　the　　slave…yacht　〃Wanderer〃　landed　her　cargo　of　African　negroes；　the　capital　for　the　enterprise　being　　supplied　by　three　southern　gentlemen；　and　the　　execution　of　the　work　being　intrusted；　under　　carefully　drawn　contracts；　to　Boston　parties。

The　calm　weather　greatly　facilitated　my　　progress；　and　had　I　not　missed　Jekyl　Creek；　which　is　the　steamboat　thoroughfare　through　the　marshes　to　Jekyl　and　St。　Andrew's　Sound；　that　whole　day's　experience　would　have　been　a　most　happy　one。　　The　mouth　of　Jekyl　Creek　was　a　narrow　entrance；　and　being　off　in　the　sound；　I　passed　it　as　I　approached　the　lowlands；　which　were　skirted　until　a　passage　at　Cedar　Hammock　through　the　marsh　was　found；　some　distance　from　the　one　I　was　seeking。　　Into　this　I　entered；　and　winding　about　for　some　time　over　its　　tortuous　course；　at　a　late　hour　in　the　afternoon　the　canoe　emerged　into　a　broad　watercourse；　down　which　I　could　look　across　Jekyl　Sound　to　the　sea。

This　broad　stream　was　Jointer　Creek；　and　I　ascended　it　to　find　a　spot　of　high　ground　upon　which　to　camp。　　It　was　now　low　water；　and　the　surface　of　the　marshes　was　three　or　four　feet　above　my　head。　　After　much　anxious　searching；　and　a　great　deal　of　rowing　against　the　last　of　the　ebb；　a　forest　of　pines　and　palmetto…trees　was　reached　on　Colonel's　Island；　at　a　point　about　four　miles　　across　the　marshes　and　Brunswick　River　　from　the　interesting　old　town　of　Brunswick；　Georgia。


Home　of　the　Alligator　（101K）　


The　soft；　muddy　shores　of　the　hammock　were　in　one　place　enveloped　in　a　thicket　of　reeds；　and　here　I　rested　upon　my　oars　to　select　a　　convenient　landing…place。　The　rustling　of　the　reeds　suddenly　attracted　my　attention。　　Some　animal　was　crawling　through　the　thicket　in　the　direction　of　the　boat。　　My　eyes　became　fixed　upon　the　mysterious　shaking　and　waving　of　the　tops　of　the　reeds；　and　my　hearing　was　strained　to　detect　the　cause　of　the　crackling　of　the　dry　rushes　over　which　this　unseen　creature　was　moving。　　A　moment　later　my　curiosity　was　satisfied；　for　there　emerged　slowly　from　the　covert　an　alligator　nearly　as　large　as　my　canoe。　　The　brute's　head　was　as　long　as　a　barrel；　his　rough　coat　of　mail　was　besmeared　with　mud；　and　his　dull　eyes　were　fixed　steadily　upon　me。　　I　was　so　surprised　and　fascinated　by　the　appearance　of　this　huge　reptile　that　I　remained　immovable　in　my　boat；　while　he　in　a　deliberate　manner　entered　the　water　within　a　few　feet　of　me。　　The　hammock　suddenly　lost　all　its　inviting　aspect；　and　I　pulled　away　from　it　faster　than　I　had　approached。　　In　the　gloom　I　observed　two　little　hammocks；　between　Colonel's　Island　and　the　Brunswick　River；　which　seemed　to　be　near　Jointer's　Creek；　so　I　followed　the　　tortuous　thoroughfares　until　I　was　within　a　quarter　of　a　mile　of　one　of　them。

Pulling　my　canoe　up　a　narrow　creek　towards　the　largest　hammock；　until　the　creek　ended　in　the　lowland；　I　was　cheered　by　the　sight　of　a　small　house　in　a　grove　of　live…oaks；　to　reach　which　I　was　obliged　to　abandon　my　canoe　and　attempt　to　cross　the　soft　marsh。　　The　tide　was　now　rising　rapidly；　and　it　might　be　necessary　for　me　to　swim　some　inland　creek　before　I　could　arrive　at　the　upland。

An　oar　was　driven　into　the　soft　mud　of　the　marsh　and　the　canoe　tied　to　it；　for　I　knew　that　the　whole　country；　with　the　exception　of　the　hammock　near　by；　would　be　under　water　at　flood…tide。　Floundering　through　mud　and　　pressing　aside　the　tall；　wire…like　grass　of　the　lowland；　which　entangled　my　feet；　frequently　leaping　natural　ditches；　and　going　down　with　a　thud　i