The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-10-22
A Search after swamp Lands I'm
ArEansas.

through an almost unbroken wilderness of
thirty miles, in which we made the pas
sage of "Lost Swamp, - my companions
left me alone on the banks of a Bayou, that
served rs the outlet Of a narrow lake, ninety
miles in length, that had undoubtedly been
once the bed itself Of the Father of Waters;
some cut off, in an age long passed, had di-
verted its course, and the head of the old
channel being closed ap, a beautiful crystal
lake, fed by subterranean- currents, filtered
through stratas of sand and gravel, from
the river, as is shown by its slow and par
tial fluctuations with the rise ..ld fall in the
Mississippi been formed. The shores
of the Lake and its tributary Bayous, at
ford an inexhaustible supply Of the loftiest
and most majestic cypress. Trees rise from
their waters and wet banks to the height of
sixty and seventy feet straight as an ar
row, tapering from three feet to two feet in
diamater, without a limb or knot.
Near the spot where bid adieu to nv
fellow travellers, a saw-mill had been erect
ed to convert these noble cypress shafts into
lumber. In the silence of the inbroken
wilderness around it, the hoarse pufing of
its escape-pipe could be heard for miles
Near it there were but one small shanty.
andtwo open sheds, built on posts set in the
ground, covered with clap boards, and open
on all sides but one. One served as Kitchen
and dining hall, and the other as black
smith and carpenter shop. In and around
the mill were fifteen or twenty unshayen.
unshorn, rough and wild looking men, who
would have formed an admirable group, on
a stage, as representatives of Mountain Brig
ands, or Italian Bandits. The first refec
tionsiof lone stranger were naturally on
entering the group, what are the chances of
safety in such a company, in such place?
All misgivings were dissipated by the cor
dial aud hearty greeting that was given in
reply to frank and manly claim for hospi-
tality as traveller.
Dinner was over, but the table wa. re-
served and was conducted, with the po-
litest civility, and with a free and easy dig
nity-that would have done credit 70 q
ducal hall-by one of the entertainers, to
the dining shed, where, upon a rough board
table, supported on a stake driven into the
ground, with rough benches for seats, was
dish of bacon, swimming in fat AM bread
made Of bacon drippings and -four, of the
consistency and weight of lead, to which
was added raw onion as desert. Wh,'a
the representative host entertained me with
free and easy converse, that e,inced an in
telligence superior to his external appear
ance, upon the resources and prospects of
the regions around us, made an effort st
the bacon but in spite of the hunger ere
ated by mornings ride Of more than
twenty miles, could not make it pass my
palate, and my handkerchief was Obliged to
receive it and conceal my embarrassment
from my hosptable interlocutor. He seemed
to think no apology was needed for the meal
more than if it had been as bountiful a
feast as the game in the forest and the swim
ming fish in the lake could furnish.
After very social and chaity--though
poor-repast, my kind friends selected as
guide for me rough, brawny- looking chap,
in whose uufriendly clutches should hay,
had as much chance of escape as al infs
in the embrace of bear As we plum ID
into the deep forest for tramp, for the rst
time it occurred to me that I had TO no
one of the objects Of my slsit, nor my
route, and had left no trace behind by
which could be searched for by fr I'd or
relative should | turn up missing. bad
ventured without so much as rock, knife
as a weapon of defence, among Sc men
that were thought by those who rot
know them, and Judged of them their
external appearance, to be ruftians and out
laws. The first thought, as we entered
narrow path through a dense cane-brake,
was whether would be safest from treach-
erous blow in keeping good distance in
advance, or following at respectful pace
behind. We had not gone far, however, be-
fore we were ciambering over logs together,
and peering about in search of the dim
traces of the path, side by side. and hand in
hand. In an hour, we were intimate, con-
idential friends. | had, in that time, his
whole history, and knew all his future plans
and hopes; he had reviewed the depth of
his love for a mother and sister, in a dis
tant State, and the grief which the death of
young brother, whom he had brought into
the wilderness with him, had caused him.
A glistening tear in his eye, as he sat upon
a log relating his brothers death, told what
manner of man he was, and had we been
lost-as we feared we might be--amid the
thick care-brakes and dense forests into
which we had ventured, beyond the previous
roamings of the guide, should have laid
down at night, by his side, under the shell
ter of a tree, with as much confidence in
the safety of both purse and life, as should
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