voyage of the paper canoe-第41章

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e；　as　I　shot　past　the　landing…place　where　cotton　and　naval　stores　were　piled；　waiting　to　be　lightered　nine　miles　to　Pot　Bluff；　　so　called　from　the　fact　of　a　pot　being　lost　from　a　vessel　near　it；　　which　place　is　reached　by　vessels　from　New　York　drawing　twelve　feet　of　water。　　Though　still　a　long　　distance　from　the　ocean；　I　was　beginning　to　feel　its　tidal　influences。　At　Pot　Bluff；　the　landing　and　comfortable　home　of　its　owner；　Mr。　Z。　W。　　Dusenberry；　presented　a　pleasant　relief　after　the　monotony　of　the　great　pine　forests。　　This　　enterprising　business　man　made　my　short　stay　a　very　pleasant　one。

Wednesday；　January　20th；　was　cold　for　this　latitude；　and　ice　formed　in　thin　sheets　in　the　water…pails。　Twenty…two　miles　below　Pot　Bluff；　Bull　Creek　enters　the　Waccamaw　from　the　　Peedee　River。　　At　the　mouth　of　this　connecting　watercourse　is　Tip　Top；　the　first　rice　plantation　of　the　Waccamaw。　　The　Peedee　and　its　sister　stream　run　an　almost　parallel　course　from　Bull　Creek　to　Winyah　Bay；　making　their　debouchure　close　to　the　city　of　Georgetown。　　Steam　　sawmills　and　rice　plantations　take　the　place　of　the　forests　from　a　few　miles　below　Tip　Top　to　the　vicinity　of　Georgetown。

Mr。　M。　L。　Blakely；　of　New　York；　one　of　the　largest　shingle　manufacturers　of　the　south；　　occupied　as　his　headquarters　the　Bates　Hill　　Plantation；　on　the　Peedee。　This　gentleman　had　invited　me；　through　the　medium　of　the　post…office；　to　visit　him　in　the　rice…growing　regions　of　South　Carolina。　　To　reach　his　home　I　took　the　short　〃cut…off〃　which　Bull　Creek　offered；　and　entered　upon　the　strongest　of　head…currents。　　The　thick　yellow；　muddy　torrent　of　the　Peedee　rushed　through　Bull　Creek　with　such　volume；　that　I　wondered　if　it　left　much　water　on　the　other　side　to　give　character　to　the　river；　as　it　followed　its　own　channel　to　Winyah　Bay。

One　and　a　half　miles　of　vigorous　paddling　brought　me　to　a　branch　of　the　watercourse；　which　is　much　narrower　than　the　main　one；　and　is　consequently　called　Little　Bull　Creek。　　This　also　comes　from　the　Peedee　River；　and　its　source　is　nearer　to　the　Bates　Hill　plantation　than　the　main　Bull　Creek。　　To　urge　the　canoe　up　this　narrow　stream　three　miles　and　a　half　to　the　parent　river　Peedee；　was　a　most　trying　ordeal。　At　times　the　boat　would　not　move　a　hundred　feet　in　five　minutes；　and　often；　as　my　strength　seemed　failing　me；　I　caught　the　friendly　branches　of　trees；　and　held　on　to　keep　the　canoe　from　being　whirled　down　the　current　towards　the　Waccamaw。　　After　long　and　persistent　efforts　had　exhausted　my　strength；　I　was　about　to　seek　for　a　resting…place　in　the　swamp；　when　a　view　of　the　broad　Peedee　opened　before　me；　and　with　vigorous　strokes　of　the　paddle　the　canoe　slowly　approached　the　mighty　current。　　A　moment　more　and　it　was　within　its　grasp；　and　went　flying　down　the　turbulent　stream　at　the　rate　of　ten　miles　an　hour。

A　loud　halloo　greeted　me　from　the　swamp；　where　a　party　of　negro　shingle…makers　were　at　work。　　They　manned　their　boat；　a　long　cypress　dug…out；　and　followed　me。　Their　employer；　who　proved　to　be　the　gentleman　whose　abiding…place　I　was　now　rapidly　approaching；　sat　in　the　stern。　We　landed　together　before　the　old　　plantation　house；　which　had　been　occupied　a　few　years　before　by　members　of　the　wealthy　and　powerful　rice…planting　aristocracy　of　the　Peedee；　but　was　now　the　temporary　home　of　a　northern　man；　who　was　busily　employed　in　guiding　the　labors　of　his　four　hundred　freedmen　in　the　swamps　of　North　and　South　Carolina。

The　paper　canoe　had　now　entered　the　regions　of　the　rice…planter。　Along　the　low　banks　of　the　Peedee　were　diked　marshes　where；　before　the　civil　war；　each　estate　produced　from　five　　thousand　to　forty　thousand　bushels　of　rice　annually；　and　the　lords　of　rice　were　more　powerful　than　those　of　cotton；　though　cotton　was　king。　　The　rich　lands　here　produced　as　high　as　fifty…five　bushels　of　rice　to　the　acre；　under　forced　slave　labor；　now　the　free　blacks　cannot　wrest　from　nature　more　than　twenty…five　or　thirty　bushels。

Fine　old　mansions　lined　the　river's　banks；　but　the　families　had　been　so　reduced　by　the　ravages　of　war；　that　I　saw　refined　ladies；　who　had　been　educated　in　the　schools　of　Edinburgh；　Scotland；　overseeing　the　negroes　as　they　worked　in　the　yards　of　the　rice…mills。　　The　undaunted　spirit　of　these　southern　ladies；　as　they　worked　in　their　homes　now　so　desolate；　roused　my　admiration。

A　light；　graceful　figure；　enveloped　in　an　old　shawl；　and　mounted　on　an　old　horse；　flitted　about　one　plantation　like　a　restless　spirit。

〃That　lady's　father；〃　said　a　gentleman　to　me；　〃owned　three　plantations；　worth　three　millions　of　dollars；　before　the　war。　　There　is　a　rice…mill　on　one　of　the　plantations　which　cost　thirty　　thousand　dollars。　She　now　fights　against　misfortune；　and　will　not　give　up。　　The　Confederate　war　would　not　have　lasted　six　months　if　it　had　not　been　for　our　women。　　They　drove　thousands　of　us　young　men　into　the　fight；　and　now；　having　lost　all；　they　go　bravely　to　work；　even　taking　the　places　of　their　old　servants　in　their　grand　old　homes。　　It's　hard　for　them；　though；　I　assure　you。〃

On　Tuesday；　January　25th；　I　paddled　down　the　Peedee；　stopping　at　the　plantations　of　Dr。　　Weston　and　Colonel　Benjamin　Allston。　　The　latter　gentleman　was　a　son　of　one　of　the　governors　of　South　Carolina。　　He　kindly　gave　me　a　letter　of　introduction　to　Commodore　Richard　Lowndes；　who　lived　near　the　coast。　　From　the　Peedee　I　passed　through　a　cut　in　the　marshes　into　the　broad　Waccamaw；　and　descended　it　to　Winyah　Bay。

Georgetown　is　located　between　the　mouths　of　the　Peedee　and　Sampit　rivers。　　Cautiously　　approaching　the　city；　I　landed　at　Mr。　David　　Risley's　steam　saw…mills；　and　that　gentleman　kindly　secreted　my　boat　in　a　back　counting…room；　while　I　went　up　town　to　visit　the　post…office。　　By　some；　to　me；　unaccountable　means；　the　people　had　heard　of　the　arrival　of　the　paper　boat；　and　three　elaborately　dressed　negro　women　accosted　me　with；　〃Please　show　wees　tree　ladies　de　little　paper　boat。〃

Before　I　had　reached　my　destination；　the　　post…office；　a　body　of　men　met　me；　on　their　way　to　the　steam…mill。　　The　crowd　forced　me　back　to　the　canoe；　and　asked　so　many　questions　that　I　was　sorely　taxed　to　find　answers　for　these　　gentlemen。　　There　were　three　editors　in　the　crowd：　two　were　white　men；　one　a　negro。　　The　young　men；　who　claimed　the　position　of　representatives　of　the　spirit　of　the　place　and　of　the　times；　　published　〃The　Comet；〃　while　the　negro；　as　though　influenced　by　a　spirit　of　sarcasm；　conducted　〃The　Planet。〃　　The　third　newspaper　　represented　at　the　canoe　reception　was　the　〃　Georgetown　Times；〃　which　courteously　noticed　the　little　boat　that　had　come　so　far。　〃The　　Planet〃　prudently　kept　in　the　dark；　and　said　nothing；　but　〃The　Comet；〃　representing　the　culture　of　the　young　men　of　the　city；　published　the　following　notice　of　my　arrival：

〃Tom　Collins　has　at　last　arrived　in　his　　wonderful　paper　boat。　　He　has　it　hitched　to　Mr。　Risley's　new　saw…mill；　where　every　one　can　have　a　view。　　He　intends　shooting　off　his　　six…pounder　before　weighing　anchor　in　the　morning。　Hurrah　for　Collins。〃

I　left　Mr。　Risley's　comfortable　home　before　noon　the　next　day；　and　followed　the　shores　of　Winyah　Bay　towards　the　sea。　　Near　Battery　White；　on　the　right　shore；　in　the　pine　forests；　was　the　birth…place　of　Marion；　the　brave　patriot　of　the　American　revolution；　whose　bugle's　call　summoned　the　youth　of　those　days　to　arms。

When　near　the　　inlet；　the　　rice…plantation　marshes　skirted　the　shore　for　some　distance。　Out　of　these　wet　lands　flowed　a　little　stream；　called　Mosquito　Creek；　which　once　connected　the　North　Santee　River　with　Winyah　Bay；　and　served　as　a　boundary　to　South　Island。　　The　creek　was　very　crooked；　and　the　ebb…tide　strong。　When　more　than　halfway　to　Santee　River　I　was　forced　to　leave　the　stream；　as　it　had　become　closed　by　tidal　deposits　and　rank　vegetation。

The　ditches　of　rice　plantations　emptied　their　drainage　of　the　lowlands　into　Mosquito　Creek。　Following　a　wide　ditch　to　the　right；　through　fields　of　rich　alluvial　soil；　which　had　been　wrested　by　severe　toil　from　nature；　the　boat　soon　reached　the　rice…mill　of　Commodore　Richard　Lowndes。　A　little　further　on；　and　situated　in　a　noble　grove　of　live…oaks；　which　were　draped　in　the　weird　festoons　of　Spanish　moss；　on　the　upland　arose　the　stately