The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-11-26
EXCURSION AROUND THE HARBOR.
INTRODUCTION.

To native OF Charleston, or to o visitor to her
historic scenes, there can be no moro ble
employmcnt for q few idle days than an excursion
around the barbor. We say few lido days and
not an idle day, because do not mean one OF
those flying steamboat trips about tho bay which
leave the impression one's mind OF music and
dance room with Castle PInckney, Mount Pleas
ant, SnlIivan's Island, Sumter, Morris and James
Islands and White Point Garden littig indis inct-
ly by the window, but bona fide excursion to all
tho points ofntorest in tho harbor with Wow of
aBcertanng what sort OF places those arc #
which ono hosrs and reads 30 much, or else, il
Jou we'll acquainted with them in the past,
10 find out their present condition AID compare it
with your recollectiuns. Such an excur sion, how
ever, qnircs time and small outlay of money,
and su,jeats tho pleasuro-setGer to considerab @
Inconvenience. Few Charlestoniaus have cit her
timo or money to spare, and tho inconvenience is
Of kind that laties particularly DO not like to on
counter, and many of our country friends never
have All opportunity Of visiting tho battlo.grou DIS,
tho names Of which have become household
words in every olty, town and cottage in the land
1t being our business to entertain the readers OF
the NEWS, and especial! our lady patrons, We
thought that it would be good idea to make,
eurseIf IN excursion around the harDor, and then
describe it all in print. II, in carrying out ths
plan, shall seom somewhat egotis;ical our
critics will please pardon US for iudulging in tina
besettlpg sin OF hum ,nity, and be good euough to
believe that what may Mt first appear to be the
van-glory of self-esteem, is in reality q necessary
means for preserving the continuity of the nara
tive.
ON BOARD THE RoCKLAND.
Had You gone to sleep at the commencement of
tho war, and be now just waking up, you could
still nnd your way to Mount Pleasant as of yore
The ferry boat still leaves the foot of Market
wharf, and no change has been made iu the
neighhorh ood that could possibly lead ono astray
The unfinished custom house, the market ofic, g.
the fish dock, the noighboring shanties, all look as
come new JOSHUA had commanded the sun to
stand still, not for five hours, but for five years.
You see some blue uniforms and you are tempted
to e1elaim, ''Wny here are the very soldiers that
used to GROSS her3 five years ngo;'' but nearer
inspection you discover that the soldiers are black
and that you have been dreaming though you
might not have been as eep. You pay for your
ticket and discover that it costs 2j cents in-
stead Of 122, and that MURRAY takes tho
money and not BERRY. You still further
come to q sense of the reality, when you get OH
board the Rocaand and discover how FIR
superior she is to the Coffee or the Hibben.
The darkies now occupy what was once the gen.
Nemen's cabin, and q colored soldier lies there |
asleep with his head in the lap of fat dau htsr
Of Africa In the ladies' cabin, q few Mount
Pleasant ladies discussing their domestic sf-
fairs, how one has to wait dinner on her husband
until dark, and how the husband Of another has
forbidden her ever to wait. Step up on deck and
take look around. Your first glance is naturally
at the city, and there You can scarcely note @
change, save that there is not large crowd of
masts az formerly, and q new shed is being built
on Union Whsrves, which, being almost under
your nose, you can't help observing. just ahead
Of the Rockland the Plato is splashipg along, and
child at your side oxcaims, ''Whst little
bostl" II you are business man you know th It
tho Plato has o colored captain, and colored
crew, aud You set thinking on tho mutability
OF human affairs. Your reverie is disturbed by a
heavy swash Of the sea against the side OF the
boat, and you perceive that you are almost aloug
side Of large propeller. II is the Granada from
New York. little further on you low
schooner, with number of large iron things OIL
board that look like huge peg tops-these are
buoys and the schooner is buoy-tepder. The
day is fine, the breeze fresh, few sloops and sail
boats enliven tie scene with their rapid motion.
Such were some of the things we saw and such
are some Of tho things you might see any fine day
that you have mind to mako tho trip; but We
saw among the various objects in the harbor, ono
that is not only not seen every day. but is very
fy ever seen. The Golconda the ship with the
black emgrant for Liberia, lay in The stream, al
ordinary sight enough il YOU were ignorant OF the
nature OF her cargo, but, il you did, giving much
food for serious reflection. The poor negroes
were Said to be already anxious to leave tho ves-
sci, AMI cannot wonder that il they had no bet
ter appreciation of tho blessing OF freedom than
the Israoltes Of old, who fingered after the flesh
pots OF Egypt. Liberia is their land OF promise,
flowing with milk and honey, and abounding i'll
hsnanas but we doubt not that in the wilderness
Of the they will often wish for some rock Of
Horeb to supply them with water to drink. While
You are still thinking of the deluded nigs You are
and You are still rejecting on the miseries OF
prison life, when the boat nears Mount Pleasant,
and the houses of the little town seen scat
tered picturesquely among tho troes upon bluff
OF yellow sand. You can count twenty houses i'm
mediately on the bluff, and most conspicuous
among them is the light house. This is neat
cottage in the Swiss style, with o cupola for the
lamp. All the other houses are whitewashed, and
are built in plain Southern summer residence
fashion, but this is brown and built as f intended
tor the bottom Of an Alp, with its roof steep as
to effsctualy divide tho impending avalanche.
We hsd just made these observations and archi.
seoturAl criticisms, when tho boat struck the
wharf and we were at
noUNr PLEASANT