Recollections of rambles at the South

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Chapter I. Settikg Out

A desire to ramble — Opposition from my friends — Other difficulties — Conclude to go South — A traveling companion — My parents' fears— My plan of operation— Journey to New-Haven — Engage my passage — Attempts to discourage us— These attempts unsuccessful — Fears of the water Page 13

CHAPTER n.

LONG ISLAND SOUND AND NEW-YORK BAY.

Sailing along the Sound— Bad weather— Beating— Hnrlgate—New- Tork — Accident there — Trying to get to sea — Difficulties — Anchoiing in Now- York Bay for the night 20

CHAPTER ni.

ON THE MAIN OCEAN.

Morning — The wind favorable — Out of sight of land— Seasickness — The hold— Eheumatism — Eapid sailing — Trouble with the captain— OflF Cape Charles and Cape Henry — In the Gulf-stream — Huge waves— Sweeping the deck — Getting wet— Sleeping in the midst of danger — Pseudo resignation— A great curiosity at sea — Its supposed cause— The temperature of the Gulf-stream — How to avoid seasickness, or at least to mitigate it — Oflf Cape Hatteras 25

CHAPTER IV.

EMPLOYMENTS AT SEA.

How I spent my time— Why I had no books— Bad books and foul conversation — Blackguards, mimics, and buffoons — Playing at cards— Catching fish — The dolphin — Boiling it with silver — "Schools" of tortoises — A turtle sleeping on the waves — Sea birds — The stormy petrel — A shark following the vessel night and day — Attempts to take him — Evening serenading at sea — Sight of land— No pilot obtained— Driven off — Eeturn — A pilot on board— Description of him Page 84

CHAPTER V.

ARRIVAL AT CHARLESTON.

Sailing up the harbor— Sullivan's Island— Landing— Getting off our sea legs— Appetite— Walking about tlie city— A Sunday in Charleston — Jewish synagogue — The market — The yellow fever —Escaping shipwreck on the land 41

CHAPTER VI.

CHARLESTON TO COLUMBIA.

"Ways and means of traveling iu Carolina — Countrymen's wagons — Engage a passage with one of these— Description of our caravan—My companion and I— Oddity of our appearance— State of our health— Slow traveling 49

CHAPTER VII.

CAMPING OUT.

Five miles out from Charleston— The "camping ground"— Description-Building fires— Eefreshment— Manner of sleeping — Eeasons why they camped out — Bed of pine needles — Noisy companions — Rum on board the wagons — Suffering from cold — The burnt coat— Breakfasting— Going to the spring— Ginger and water— Unsound advice 53

Contents

CHAPTER VIII.

TRAVELIXG IX CAEOLIKA.

Eesuining our journey — Face of the country — Saucy dogs— Birthplace of President Jackson— Slaves picking cotton — Laborers at Monk's Corner— Their food— Sickness in the country— No fruits except the persimmon — Description of the persimmon — Oranges — The three kinds of cotton— Mode of picking it — Eice and rice fields — Indigo at Granby — Arrival at Columbia. Page 59

Chapter II. Long Island Sound And New-york Bay

On the morning of October 4:tli we set sail. Our progress was slow, for two or three reasons. First, there was not much wind. Secondly, our vessel, though large and dr^^ was a dull sailer. Thirdly, she was, as I afterward found, rather heavily laden.

I have already said that our vessel was a schooner. Her name was " Enterprise.'^ She had been built in Eden, Maine, and the captain was going south to sell her. To defray his expenses he had taken passengers and freight.

We were a whole day and night in passing the southern shore of Connecticut. The next day the wind blew, but it was " ahead.'' Of course, we had to " beat," as the sailors say. That is, we had to tack this way and that, so as to bring the sides of the vessel alternately toward the wind. In this way we gained something; but it seemed, at

LO^TQ ISLAND SOUND. 21

times, very little. We were almost all that daj in reaching New-York, and glad were Ave to get there at all. I do not suppose, indeed, that we were, at any time, in much danger; hut to us, who were most of us mere landsmen, it seemed as if the danger was, occasionally, imminent. In running close to the wind, the schooner sometimes appeared about to dash on a precipice or rock, on a hold shore, when suddenly the sails would flap and swell in another direction, and away the vessel would go, to run within a few feet, perhaps, of some rock or bluff on the other side. The Sound, when we have passed Connecticut, and are approaching New- York, becomes quite narrow, so that this beating against the wind, of which I have been speaking, if not dangerous, is at least difficult.

But the greatest danger we encountered was in passing through Hurlgate, or, as it was formerly called. Hell-gate. This is a narrow place, a little way east of New- York, which is beset with rocks — or once was — so that, at low tide, it is full of whirlpools, and is not passed without difficulty and danger, even by the oldest and most skillful pilots. The waters, when we passed, whirled and foamed and roared ; hut we passed through safely. Of late, as I understand, some of the rocks of this dangerous pass have been removed.

In these days of rapid traveling, when Long Island Sound may be traversed, even against wind and tide, in a few hours, the journey I have just spoken of would hardly be thought worthy of notice. But it was then very different; and to me, especially, it seemed, as it were, a little life.

We arrived at New- York just at evening ; but as we were not to make a long stay there, the captain said we must none of us go ashore, except to remain a few moments. Most of us kept within sight of the ship ; but a few wandered so far into the city that they did not return till the vessel had sailed. Whether they all got on board, in the end, I never knew, as we were almost all strangers to each other. I believe, however, that they came on board that night, or the next morning.

Just at dark we set sail for Charleston.

NEW-YORK BAY. 23

But tlie wind was unfavorable, and it was next to impossible to get out of the bay. And yet several other vessels found their way out. What was the matter with ours ? I have already told you she was a dull sailer. But she was old and decrepit, as well as dull. In truth, she was totally unfit for the voyage which had been undertaken, especially in the case of high winds and tempestuous weather. But there was another difficulty. She was not well manned. Some of us had reason to believe, in the end, that neither the captain nor the mate knew much about commanding a vessel. But, however 'this may have been, they certainly had too few hands to assist them. Seeing this to be the fact, some of us volunteered our aid to assist in getting out of the bay.

It was all to no purpose, however. We toileii half the night, and yet were as far from having accomplished our purpose as when Ave started. We were, indeed, worse off, in one particular. In attempting to get out we had struck on a sand-bar, and considerably injured the vessel.

At last we gave all up, and anchored in a safe place till morning. Those of us who could, went to sleep. It was not so easy to sleep, however, as you may imagine ; for, in order to go " cheap," we had nothing hut the hold of the vessel to sleep in; and landsmen do not hecome at once reconciled to naked floors, with trunks, or billets of wood, for pillows. Besides, some of us were too much excited, or, at least, too much fatigued, to sleep well. It is an ill wind, however, that blows nobody any good. Our delay enabled some of our tardy associates to join us.

Chapter III. On The Main Ocean

Morning at length came, and with it a favorable wind. We were soon under weigh for Charleston. The scenery was grand as we passed out of the bay — the city in our rear, Staten Island on our right, and Long Island on our left. But we gradually lost sight of them all, and of Sandy Hook and Jersey shore besides.

Those who have never been in similar circumstances will find it not a little difficult to understand, merely from being told, what our feelings were, when, for the first time in our lives, we saw no land — the sky and ocean appearing to meet all around us.

New troubles now arose. The passengers began to be seasick — myself among the rest; for though the wind was fair, yet it blew pretty hard, and the sea was rough. Before sunset, nearly every one on board was pale and helpless, or sick and vomiting.

Our habitation — the steerage, or hold — was more like a hospital than like a sleepi noroom. Some of the old sailors were as sicli as the passengers.

As may he supposed, I slept hut little that night. How could I, in the midst of forty or fifty sick men, and severely sick myself? I did not, indeed, vomit as much as some of my companions ; for I found that by lying still on my back, I could, in part, suppress it. To add to my trouble, I suffered considerably from rheumatism. One of my lower limbs I could hardly move ; I could only drag it in a particular direction ; and even this movement was painful.

The wind, however, continued fresh, and we were wafted onward, during the night, at the rate of nearly ten miles an hour — which, considering the dullness of the schooner, was thought to be very tolerable progress- At length the day broke in upon us again, to show us nothing, however, but sky, clouds, and water, with here and there another vessel under full sail.

Nothing new or strange occurred the next day. Most of us kept our places in the hold. We had little disposition to eat or drink ; nor were our desires to eat greatly increased by the reports which came to our ears concerning the badness of our provisions. It was now generally believed, among the passengers, that the captain had bought spoiled meat, and other injured articles, for our use, to save expense. One thing which tended to confirm our suspicions was, the irritability of the captain when the subject was mentioned to him. If he had intended to furnish good provisions, and a mistake had been made, why did he not say so ? This would have satisfied us far better than angry words and vile oaths.

The captain was a bad man, as was obvious from his whole conduct. He was almost constantly in a passion, at one thing or another. But what grieved me most was — when I had strength to get on deck — to see his treatment of a colored cabin boy. He seemed, in truth, to vent half his displeasure toward others on this poor lad. Once I saw him seize him by the collar of his jacket, and then kick him off the quarter-deck — which was several feet higher than

28 BAMBLES AT THE SOUTH.

the main-deck — with so much violence as to leave the jacket in his hand. Such oaths I had never heard before.

Sometimes I suspected strongly that he drank spirituous liquors ; and I have seen men, since I became more acquainted with the world, on whom rum and brandy, and even cider and wine and ale, had precisely this effect. He was, however, a tyrant, whether he drank rum or not ; and we could hardly bear the sight of him. The mate was a better man.

All day long, during this second day of our progress from New- York, the wind blew fresh and strong, so that, by evening, we were in the latitude of Cape Charles and Cape Henry, in Virginia. Of course, we were not near them ; for the captain had purposely stood off at sea, a long distance from any known capes, shores, islands, or sand-bars.

At evening the sea became still more rough than before, and the wind more \\olent. But our vessel, though dull and heavy, was, as I said before, quite dry. It was seldom that the deck was wet all over.

Sometimes, however, as I must confess, the seas ran over us, and if the "hatchway'^ was not closed, gave us a fine sprinkling below. Nor did those above wholly escape. One huge wave, as I was standing on the deck, wet me almost to my hips, and, perhaps, would have swept me away, had I not clung to the ropes with all my might.

The second night from New- York, though the sea was raging, and the people all around me were sick, I slept quite soundly. How strange ! Six days before, I should have been terrified at the bare thought of crossing a river ; now, here I was, on the tempestuous ocean, nearly a hundred miles from land, with nothing between me and a watery grave but a plank or two, and yet sleeping as quietly as a lamb.

Something is said of the divine hand — that it " tempers the wind to the shorn lamb ;'' and I have no doubt it is so. Many people, in circumstances like these, however, think themselves wonderfully resigned to the will of God; when all their apparent resignation grows out of a tendency in our nature to submit, of necessity, to what we cannot avoid. Mj su"bmission, at the time of which I am speaking, was, I dare say, of this description.

But though I slept quietly enough this night, I rose once or twice, and, despite of sea sickness, rheumatism, wind and storm, crept upon deck. We were now in the Gulf-stream, and the wind unfavorable, so that we were making but little progress. The Gulf-stream runs northeastward, at the rate of three miles an hour, which was as much as our vessel knew how to contend with, had the wind been right.

On reaching the deck, and approaching the bow of the vessel, a scene presented itself of which I had read, but which I had never expected to witness. The schooner seemed to be actually ploughing her way through waves of fire. Now, to see the water thus sparkling like fire, was to me, I assure you, a most novel aifair. It almost repaid the trouble of one day's sea sickness.

What may be the cause of this strange appearance — phosphorescence in the water — is beyond my power to determine. Some naturalists say it is caused by certain small animals which, like the glow-worm and firefly, are phosphorescent. I know not why sea animals may not be phosphorescent, as well as land animals ; but I think it more likely that the phenomenon arises from the agitation of phosphorescent pustules in the water.

Morning came at length, but with it no better weather. Indeed, the weather was worse. The wind became very strong against us, and, together with Uie opposing current of the Gulf-stream, drove us backward instead of helping us forward. During the next twenty-four hours we fell to the northeast — to leeward, as sailors say — a whole degree of latitude.

You may wonder why we sailed so far from shore as to carry us into the Gulf-stream ; and so did I, then. But the mate of the vessel said it was in order to keep clear of shoals and bars, which abound off the coast of North Carolina.

The water in the Gulf-stream is warmer than it is in other parts of the ocean. If you thrust your hand into a pailfull of it, Avhen first drawn up, you will tind it almost o2 RAMBLES AT THE SOUTH.

as warm as the fresh-drawn blood of an ordinary animal, wliich is about 98° or 100° of the common thermometer. It is, moreover, as blue, or nearly so, as the sky.

The wind continuing unfavorable, we went on heavily many days. Most of our sick slowly recovered, though a few did not till they reached the land. They looked pale, and had no appetite all the rest of tho voyage. I was one of this number. I was obliged to keep still more than nine-tenths of the time ; for, if I did not, my sea sickness would return. Tlie best thing I could do, I found, was to lie still on my back, and abstain almost wholly from food.

Sometimes I would have given all the world — had it been mine to give — to have been on shore again, and at my father's farm. But I had adventured, and I must now abide the consequences. " It is an ill wind,'' I repeatedly said to myself, " that blows nobody any good ;" and perhaps the voyage will be useful to me. after all.

At length we found ourselves in the latitude of Cape Hatteras, in North Carolina.

This is a stormy and wincly place. Many sailors say the}' have never passed it except in a thunder storm ; and though it was now almost the middle of October, it thundered and lightened when we passed it ; but the storm was not very severe.

Chapter IV. Employments At Sea

You will be curious to know, perhaps, how I spent my time on the voyage. Not very agreeably, I assure you ; for, in the first place, I was sick, more or less, as long as the voyage lasted. But, secondly, when I was able to do anything, it was not easy to employ myself very profitably or very usefully.

At this period of my life I had no books, or none worth mentioning ; and what I owned were left at home. Then it was in vain to look for books on board sueli a vessel, either among the ofiicers and crew, or the passengers. Some of the latter had, indeed, a few bad books ; but for these 1 had no relish.

Of conversation — agreeable, profitable conversation — I had almost as little as of profitable reading. I love conversation, dearly, when it is anything worthy of the

EMPLOYMENTS AT SEA. oO

name; but 1 do not love the conversation of blackguards, mimics, or buffoons ; or of those who choose to make beasts of themselves. There were, it is true, one or two intelligent young men on board, but they were nearly all the while extremely sick.

Many of the young men spent their time in playing cards ; but for such amusement I never had any relish. Indeed, although I have been much among people who played cards, I never paid any attention to them ; and never in my life so much as knew their names. To tell you the truth, I always desj^ised a pack of cards, ever since I saw one.

But, sometimes, when the sea was calm, we amused ourselves by going upon deck, and looking at the dolphins, which came around the vessel as thick — almost so — as bees in a swarm. They are among the most beautiful fish in the world.

Some would have found it an amnsement to catch them. In truth, the sailors did take some of them: for I remember that when they came to boil tliom they threw a piece of silver into the vessel, to see whether it would be safe to eat them. They say that if the silver turns black, in such cases, the fish has been poisoned by sucking up copper, on the copper banks. I do not know how this notion originated. That the dolphin is sometimes poisonous is well understood ; but so are several other fishes that have never been near the copper banks.

I did not amuse myself in any attempts to catch them, for several reasons. The principal of these, however, was sufficient to preclude all others. Once I had been addicted to trapping, snaring, angling, &c. ; but moral considerations, at the early age of eleven years, had compelled me to abandon all such cruel sports — and tliat forever.

It was amusing to see the porpoises. They are a heavy, clumsy fish ; but to behold them, when the waves are rolling like mountains, leaping from the margin of a mighty wave, to fall, with a heavy splash, into the deep valley that yawned beneath it, was, to say the least, quite curious. Sometimes you will see them in large com-

EMPLOYMENTS AT SEA. 37

panics, called schools ; and the water will appear to be full of them.

One day we saw a huge tortoise floating on the top of the rolling waves. Was he dead? The sailors said he was alive, but fast asleep. A singular place to sleep, you will say ; and so did I. Perhaps the statement of the sailors was without authority, for sailors are a class of people very wise in tlieir own estimation. They would think it beneath their dignity not to be able to exl?lain everything. Science sometimes dares to say, " I do not know ;" but ignorance seldom, if ever.

We saw birds occasionally, even at great distances from the land. Apparently very much fatigued, they would sometimes alight on various parts of the vessel. A hawk seated himself at mast-head one day, when a sly sailor w^ent softly up the ropes and caught him in his hand.

While sitting on deck, in another instance, a small bird alighted on my knee ; but as I put out my hand to take it, away it flew, and perched upon the rigging.

The stormy petrel, or, as the seamen call liim, "Mother Carey's Chicken/' is a wonderful bird. We saw him often. He is about as large as a robin, and is found in every part of the world, and at the greatest distances from land, on the wide ocean. Where he builds his nest I never heard. He can almost live on the water himself; but how can his young be raised there?

But I do not know that anything of the kind interested me more than the fact that we were followed, night and day, for many days, by a shark. Do you ask why he followed us ? I can only tell you, as sailors say, that sharks follow vessels to get j^ieces of meat, or the dead bodies of men, or other animals, that happen to be thrown overboard. But this one did not appear to be hungry ; for the sailors baited a large hook with a piece of pork, in hopes to catcli him ; and yet he would not bite. Had they taken him it must have cost them much time and trouble to get him on board; for, judging from the appearance of his fins, which projected always from the water, lie must have been from twelve to fifteen feet in length.

EMPLOYMENTS AT SEA. 39

He was always at just about the same distance from tlie vessel.

One of our amusements I forgot to mention. There were several musicians on hoard who had their musical instruments. When the wind was not too violent, those of them who were well enough to do so, would form a little hand and go upon the deck, in the evening, and give a sort of serenade. Music on the water, especially during a moonlight evening, is delightful.

After being out of sight of land ten days and eleven nights, the captain told us we were not far from Charleston. Indeed, we could see land in the distance, very plainly ; but we were ignorant what it was, and there were doubts whether the captain knew much better than we, only he must have been better able to tell the latitude and lono-itude. There was a large dog on board that seemed to know nearly as much about it as any of us ; for he would go to the side of the vessel, look to^vard the land, and wag his tail ; and sometimes even utter a low moan.

But so ignorant were our officers concerning the coast, that they did not know where to look for the harbor ; and we were off and on till almost night ; and though our colors were set for a pilot, none came till we were enveloped in thick darkness and fog. Nor was this the worst. A gale came on, and we were driven off the coast, a long way toward Bermuda.

Next day the wind abated, and the captain made another effort to find Charleston harbor. Before night we were again near it, and our colors were reset. A pilot at length came on board and took the command. He was the first South Carolinian I had ever seen ; but I dared to indulge the hope that he was not a fair sample of his countrymen ; for he was a profane swearer, and, in many respects, a very vulgar man. Some pilots on our coasts, both north and south, as I have since found, are very worthy citizens.

ARRIVAL AT CIIARLESTOX. 41

Chapter V. Arrival At Charleston

Our pilot, tliongh a vulgar and profane man, knew his duty, and we were now being safely conducted into tlie harbor of Charleston. You may easily suppose that we were not sorry to approach land again, after having been more than two weeks in coming from New- York — a distance often traversed by steamboats, at present, in about two days ; and by other vessels, in three or four.

In entering Charleston harbor we passed, on our riglit hand, Sullivan's Island, a place famous in the history of the American Revolution. It is noAv simply a barren plain, with a few evergreens upon it, and a small number of light, airy, but oddly-constructed dwellings, where many of the wealthy inhabitants of the city come to reside during the hot season, partly on account of its superior healthfulness, and partly that they may enjoy the delightful sea breezes which prevail here.

We were now fairly in sight of Charleston, and under full sail. In a little time we were approaching one of the wharves. But before we were permitted to land, a health officer came on board to examine us. Seasickness had, indeed, blanched some of our ruddy northern cheeks ; but the doctor knew the cause, and pronouncing us healthy, we were permitted to land. It was the twentieth day of October.

We had become so accustomed, during a voyage of about seventeen days from New- Haven, to the rocking motion of the vessel, that it was next to impossible for us, at first, to realize that we were on the firm earth again. The wharf seemed to swing to and fro, and we staggered about like drunken men. Even for a day or two, you would have laughed at my rocking gait, had you seen me. I had learned, more than two weeks before, how difficult a thing it was to "put on sea legs,^' as it is called : I was now learning the difficulty of putting them off.

ARRIVAL AT CHARLESTON. 43

Not a little surprise was expressed, bj some of the people of Charleston, on seeing us arrive ; for it had been so long since the vessel left New- York that she was supposed, by most, to be lost. Several vessels had, indeed, been lost on the coast during the storms and gales we had encountered; and, considering all the circumstances, it was a wonder of divine mercy that we had escaped.

I had been so ill, and our food and water had been so bad, that I had scarcely eaten anything while on board. ' I was still sick and weak ; but my strength was returning, and so was my appetite. Seeing some beautiful New- York pippins for sale, I inquired the price, and was told it was six cents each. This was the first time in my life that I had known apples sold for such a price. However, I soon found that three could be bought for twelve and a half cents. The truth was they did not use any copper change ; a thing was six and a quarter cents, or it was nothing. The half-dime, or five- cent piece, had not then been coined.

After several attempts at eating, I began to conclude that the restoration of mj appetite must be the work of time, and could not, after all, be very much hastened by particular or favorite dishes.

Weak though I was, I walked about the city with my companion, a little while, before retiring to rest, and visited several of the principal streets. Charleston is a beautiful place, but not large ; it was scarcely larger than Providence or Salem now is. The streets are broader and handsomer than those of Boston ; but the buildings, both public and private, are not so good. There are, liowever, a few very elegant buildings. The city is on a tongue of land lying between Ashley and Cooper rivers, and the streets run from river to river, and are intersected by others running across them at right angles.

The market in Charleston is very liberally supplied with fish of all kinds, as well as with most of the vegetables, both of the south and the north. The market building is very long — some say nearly a mile. It is, however, a very miserable concern — a mere shanty, as western people would call it.