The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-03-25
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla,
Mo~oL < 1000

EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla,
March 5. 1869.
/ left home just sixteen days ago
to-day, on the Prop. Truesdell, Capt.
Mcdonald. Our trip to Milwaukee was 8
very quick one, making no stoopages at
Sheboygan or Pt. Washington and arriv-
ing at our destination in about seven
hours. On the afternoon of the day of
our arrival in the commercial metropolis
Of our State we proceeded on our journey
to New York and from there to the
Sunny South" and the ''land of flow
ers.' The boats which are now on the
line between New York and Savannah
are not fitted up especially for the pas
senger trade. but Notwithstanding. their
accommodations for the travelling public
aFe not so very bad; there is one thing,
however, which is worthy of mention and
that is, the very good table they set for
their passengers.
When we stepped on board the steam
ship, We confidently expected to be sea
sick. We had read so much about the
dangers Of the Hatteras coast. No ves-
eel had ever passed it without encounter
ing terrible storm. When we left Now
York the wind was blowing pretty fresh,
and the white caps were trolling beau
tiful." This last expression is not orig
inal, being borrowed, for the occasion,
from the lips Of regular ''old salty of
fifty years experience. This old sea cap
tain was Jolly old boy and proved to
be about as good companion to travel
with, as person could well ask for. His
grist of stories. / confidently believe, if
he would keep talking whole year, would
never exhaust. He was what the daily
newspaper is to me at home. ] don't
see how could have got along without
him during our three and a half days trip.
He was my solitary companion. All the
rest of the passengers, ten in number,
were sea sick during the entire voyage.
The officers Of our boat did not mix with
the passengers. You could never see
anything of them, except at meal time.
On the second morning out from New
York, we passed Hatteras. We went
within about seven miles of the Light
House, which is about as near as boats
generally venture. A dangerous reef ex-
tends six miles into the ocean, from the
Light House, on which, in many places,
are but six feet of water. It was a clear
beautiful morning, and we could see the
tall, white tower, at least an hour before
We were abreast of it, and greatly to our
surprise the ocean was about as calm as
it possibly can be. This was something
unexpected to me, and upon asking the
captain if he had erer passed Cape Hat
teras in such calm day as the present,
he informed me that it was nothing so
verY strange, and that during the last
three or four trips the weather had been
equally fine. But, he added, that when
ever the wind did blow, it seemed that
it bowed here harder than anywhere else
and that the sea rolled higher at least. as
far as his experience went This idea that
1t always stormed was only Imagination
with some people.
On the morning of the fourth day we
steamed up the river-about twenty
miles-to Savannah. The country be-
tween the ocean and the city is not very
inviting, being low swampy grounds, but
just the thing for rice fields. All along
the edge of the river the fishermen have
built their little shanties, about the size
Of good comfortable dog house, in which
they live for eight or ten days at time,
in the pursuit of their business. This
mode of living must be anything but
pleasant, but presume they enjoy it
just as much as those who are more COM
fortably situated. It occurred to me
however that but few Western or North
ern people could be induced to live a
week, or even day or two, all alone
and with but poor show 70 enter into
conversation with anybody. They would
certainly build little larger house and
have their families with them, if they
6h inclined to follow the fishing business.
Fish are plenty and the business must be
quite profitable one. At any rate, large
quantities must be sold, for there is not a
day and hardly meal, where fish in
some shape is not on the table. Ducks
too, are quite plenty.
| learned from one of the passengers on
the nsede~ operandi of shooting ducks.
the boat on the Savannah river,
Itseems they have large "blunder bus"
ABOUT ten feet long, which is mounted on
= sort of carriage in boat, and covered
up with swamp grass. This FIRE arm is
charged with one pound of powder and a
proportionate supply of shot. Two men
are generally in the boat-one to paddle
aod the other to FIRE Of the
young cannon" Whenever they come
near flock of ducks that is large enough
SO it will pay to "blaze away" good
aim is taken, according to the artillery
tactics, l presume. and the result is
thirty to fifty dead ducks, every time.
This l should call hunting on little lar.
ser scale than our Manitowoc folks are
accustomed to.
AS before stated, we arrived in Savan-
nah on Saturday morning, after three
and = half dau. xo~..o NJ