Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-12-20
THE ANTI-SLAvERY BUGLE.

'NHNN' - 'huh ~ " nlOutH ny Int OCtHn , tut
II 81 light elevation of the land, should some earth.
quake ever cause such u phenomenon, would join
many Keys that are now separated by IA broad
sheet Of water.
All kinds of sea.weed, shells, and sponges,
carpetlng the bottom of the sea, may be readily
seen through the clear shallow water. There are
two varieties Of sponge-,hc false and the true.
The true sponge preserves its integrity, when laid
out upon the beach tn dry, while its treach erous
image, under similar circumstances, passes away
IKE the water that mUistens it. Many Of the in
ha6itants Of Key West are "spongers," in a differ
ent sense from the bar-room acceptatiOn of the
term. Sponges are worth from t~hirty.hvc to forty
cents per pound though an inferior kind brings
ten cents. Formerly, they we're much less profit
able,hs twenty-five cents was esteemed u fair price.
Though shells occur in millions, yet really beauti-
full specimens are not so readily met with. The
hest are found near C@>ar's Creek, which bounds
the northern point of Key Largo.
We have already alluded to the intricacy and
difficulty OF the navigation among the keys. This
is Increased by the irregularity Of the tides, which
resemble those of n river, in the varying epuchs
OF high-water at different places. For instance,
suppose that. abuut half way up an inlet, it is
high-water at twelve o'clock. A mile nearer the
sea the time of high-tide will have already passed,
and the ebb commenced while, a mile higher up,
tide is still rising, as tho ;imc Of high.water has
not yet come. THUS. were we to draS an imag-
mary line Of high.tide across the mouth. we should
find this line to steadily sweep up the channel,
from the sea, for about six hours, and return
during She other six. 1t would not long retain its
uniformity, however, for a thousand shoals, and
other mpediments, would delay its progress in
some places, and hasten it in others. The greatest
variety of currents would be formed, which would
mutually act and react to produce a still greater
confusion. We may easily imagine how dlflcult
it is to calculate the precise state OF the tide at
any point, without actual experiment-the only
method, in fact, to he relied on.
There are many pilots in Key West, who have
made this navigation the study of their lives and
yet the journal of their voyage, If they kept one,
would frequently contain this item, or something
very like il: Ran aground on such C day got
the vessel off: ran aground again, etc. ,etc ) while
the smaller craft run ashore with the greatest
equanimity, and if the tide be low when tho
accident happens, coolly wait till it rises and
floats them off. If the tide is at its highest, the
crew are forced to leap overheard, and shove the
light vessel off by their own strength. They are
used to it, however, and seldom grumble.
Many of the vessels thas cruise about the keys
are wreckers. These are generally small, last
sailing scnponers, or slnops, that keep a vigilant
lockout for the various accidents tn " are constant.
ly occurring on the reef. If the natives. with all
heir skill and experience, find it difficult always
to preserve themselves from misfortune. we may
Judge how Liable are strangers, unacquaInted with
the labyrinthine channels of the reefs, to have
their voyage interrupted by unseen rocks and
shoals. The wreckers-tOr the name is applied in
uiscriminately to the vessels and their crew-en-
deavor to unite the practice OF Christian charity
towards the unfortunate with II AUDIBLE and cure
ful regard to their own interests Thus, they will
not only do their best to get your snip on II
aground, or to asaist her into pert, if she he leaky
or otherwise disabled, but their very worst to
wiring from you the utmost amount OF salvage that
your li6erality will allow, or Il decision Ut the ad-
miralty court compel you to give.
This is to be expected-as good Samaritans are
! M mara punnnrniS in tho pxtrnnla s,nth thap
further north, and the wieckers make 1t IA matter
OF business, not OF feeling Stlil, their exertlunS
deserve praise, as they have saved immense guam
titles OF valuable property--prOperty that without
their assistance, would he now unprottably stored
at the bottom OF the ocean, instead OF being sent
20 its destination, or sold at auction in Key
West.
Key West, their rendezvous, and the prlncipal
settlement on the keys, is Il well known town, OF
between three and four thousand inhabitants, sit
uated Mt the western extremity of II key bearing
the same name. The population IS composed o
Americans, English, Spanish and French, III vary
ing proportions with also a large infusion of black
brown, and yellow ingredients. A peculiar race
not SO well known to the world IN general. is tounC
here. A large portion of the people in Key Yves
are Wi carly called C"nchs; these are Bahamiar
emigrants, who have lett the government vi Grea
Britain for our oTp treer institutions, and wlselN
prefer Key West to the Bahama islands. The,
gained this peculiar n me from the circumstance
that, during an instruction III the Bahamas, th'
insurgents placed the figure OF IL large conch-shel
on the flag beneath which they tought-a yer,
appropriate emblem, us most Of them are fisher
men.
hey vest Is the nest from whlch issue swar'n'
OF wreckers; who lie IN wait at every point, and,n
certain hlShiy Respectable n'ruS are nt'focted ny III
most distant scent o, hlo"u' assemble WIN nLTvel
aus rap'dlty "t the iaihtest reporter Il wreck In
deen' the system Oh wrecElhg may oe S"'d'o ma"
builthp hey "eSt'and now n'a''r'aiiy heip''t" snF
port H.. Almost every prominent MAJ! ON the lSiah'
either Is or ms oceh connected MIN "recKlng
and though the profits are necessarily uncertain
yet IN ma y instances''hey arc great ne amour
of salvage IN every case Is determined by an al
miraiity court established Tor That purpose and