Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-04-22


Sabbath and instead Of being "ashed" into obedience h
constantly treated with the utmost Kindness Many Of them
who choose 10 labor themselves have free permission 10
follow any employment they please and know Of several
individuals who thirty dollars per month by voluntary la
bor whose services valued by their only
ten fifteen doars that the servant pockets fifty per
Of his monthly earnings. Bot what proves con.
cusyey than any thing else that the black bondage is
not unbeatable the fact that they the moral and
religious people Of the country They are the same lime
the polite and the kindly spoken people that have
met with in my wanderings: and verify believe that they
would break the imaginary chain which binds them
to their confess that have natural rcpugnance
to the word bondage but my dread oa idea make
me deaf to the eoquence of what have seem true that
my experiences has not been extensive but that
the slaves called Of this region any to be ped
than the children Of any careful and aeconae parent
goodly number Of the blacks in this region free; and
know Of one individual whois only free but the Of
no less than three farms.
And now with regard those traits which the Accomacans
possess in common In religion they Mehodists Bap
fists, and in politics they belong to the rank and file of the
unterifed Democracy Those who all educated
highly educated but of the twenty five thousand souls who
nhabt the peninsula suppose that not than thou
sand could distinguish the difference between the English and
the Chippewa alphabet In the two counties Of Accomac and
Northampton the idea Of even weekly newspaper
dreamed Of The people fond Of amusemens which
principally of dancing and playing parties and the a
urday Of each week usually appropriated hoyday Amy
which bring together crowd is gladly welcomed,
that court days. training days. election days. the Fourth Of
July, Christmas day. New Years day, and Thanksgiving day
among the white days Of the unwen calendar ofhe Acco
macans The roads of the country by nature very good
and the people exceedingly fond Of going through the world
i-I--
Of owning gig and many of them particularly
unique and oteish, something like scow-boa in gale
Of wind
But the cownng popularity of this nook Of the great world
has reference the custom Of raising and tanning wild horses
Like every thing poetca connected with the habits of
people, this custom rapidly becoming obsolete and will
remembered merely idle and tale. The very
idea of having do with wild horses excited my fancy the
very heard the custom alluded and made every
effort to collect reliable information upon it, existed half
century ago. As good fortune would have it, found
intelligent and venerable gentleman, who supplied with
many interesting particulars The Coolest nhabtant to
whom alude the Rev. Dawn WATTS, of Horniown, who
in s2d year Of his age and the substance of his
information is follows:
In the Atlantic ocean, off the northeastern shore of Acco-
mac lies long aud sandy island known by Of
Assateague The distance from extremity the other
perhaps len miles, and in reaching it you have TO bay
that is perhaps eight miles wide At the present time there
only four families residing upon the island, Of them
having charge of the lighthouse the remaining three being
voted TO the fishing business From time immemoria has
famous uxuriant grass from the period Of the
Revolution down to the year 1900 supplied immense
Der of wild horses with food. When these animals first
introduced upon the island has been asceaued bu it is
said that they the abundant about half century
ago, AT that period there kind Of stock company
existence, composed principally of the weaher planters
siding the main shore. The animals Of the pony
Breed but generally beautifully formed and very fleet OF
deep black color, and with remarkably long tails and
They lived and multiplied upon the island without the least
from the hand Of man, and though feeding entirely
the grass of the salt meadows they in good condition
throughout the year. They employed by their owners
tot considerable extent for purposes agriculture but the
finer specimens kept disposed Of pets for the
ladies and children The prices which they commanded on
the island varied from ten twenty dollars but by the time
handsome animal could reach New York New Orleans he
likely command hundred and fifty two hundred
dollars.
But by far the most interesting circumstance connected
with the wild horses Of Assaieague had reference to the an
nua festival Of pennng the animals for the purpose not
only Of bringing them under subjecon, but of selling them
to any who might desire purchase The day in question
the tenth Of june which occasion was always
immense Of people assembled the island from
all parts of the surrounding country; only men, but
women and children planters who came make money,
strangers who wished TO purchase beautiful animal for pre-
sent together with the grooms or horseamers who were
noted at the time for their wonderful fea Of horsemanshp
But large proportion Of the multitude together for the
purpose Of having regular folic and easng and dancing
were carried on to great extent and that too upon the open
sandy shore Of the the people being exposed during
the day. to the scochng sunshine and the being
vened at night by immense bones made Of wrecked vessels
dh WOOD and the light Of the moon and Stars The sta
pie business Of these anniversaries however, to tame and
the horses but to give account all the particulars
attending these exciting would require time than
can spare at the present Suffice il say that the
horses were usually cornered pen perhaps hundred at
time, when, n the presence Of the Of peo
pie, the tanners would rush into the midst Of the herd and not
only moose and halter the wild and untamed creatures bot
mounting them, at times without BRIDE would rush
from the pen and perform thousand fantastic and daring
feats upon the sand Few any, Of these horsemsn were
ever killed wounded while performing exploits though
Is said that they frequently in such close with
the horses TO be compelled to wresc with them as man
with Bot what still more remarkable these men
known TO fail in completely subdung The horses
they attempted TO tame and often the that
NAL which wild hawk in the morning could be
safely ridden by child at the sunset hour But enough un-
Ill some future day, on this interesting tbcme