The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-12-25
STEAMER JOIN SYLVESTER, !
December %, 1878. !


STEAMER JOHN SYLVESTER,
December 3D. 1878.
ri..c inst made another visit to the good
..t r.,y Of Williamsburg. Going aboard
-. THlll.nta little after O'Clock Saturday
,..ri.n. found good deal Of excitement
49, .l,Ir,d bv the fact that the New York
..,.t,1,r bad Just run into the Twilight, but
l.l fortunately done no greater damage
...n TO smash her wheol-house TO some eN-
.,gt w had 4 very pleasant trip down the
...,r. except that the Stealn-radiator in the
..H.,u did not work, and the passengers
2.,r.ly tailed in their efforts to kcepit warm
~! certainly We had no right TO complain
ST.. In. flrc--unc dollar TO Norfolk, and the
..lar 10 all other poiutS--eXccpt that the
,.k did not feel that he could comply with
-. ,:tctrh$ed rates of The Richmond agent
FIX. dollar aud litty cents for the round trip
. Norfolk and back. But that will all be
..f.sted. and The travelling public will con.
...uc 10 reap the benefit Of nco boats on the
..yrr. Notwithstanding our colored driver
ION klns's Mill to Williamsburg said of
-, Twilight this morning, Oh, she as a
ai.r. matter Of m00nShtne.'
Tie many points of interest along the
..yeE have been before touched on by "Ni-
a,9.." and need lot be repeated. But |
atyr learned some points about the site of
oiI Jamestown which were new to me, and
may be 10 you: The site Of the main town
va, on tie neck of the original peninsula,
30 built in order that they might the more
.!i,c;ually resist the Indians by compelling
t.!~In when attacking the town TO approach
Is this narrow neck, and thus be exposed
:, a concentrated fire from the settlers. The
Ia church was built in the rear of the
IN. and 50 constructed that it might also
sr-Y" a. sort Of fort, into which, If defeated,
80 whites could retreat and make further
40 more stubborn resistance. The neck was
gradually washed away, thus converting the
original peninsula into an island, and leaving
.,.r.y the whole Of the old site of the town
covered with water. The brick ruins which
H14:.. The site OF the old church still stand to
IL BE story Of the first settlement the
;r> and sutierings Of the colonistS; John
smiths heroic deeds; the faithful devotion
Is: ilc4hontas (by the way, Mr.. Swinton in
.o"l., Us in his history of the United states
TIA; the story of her saving Smiths life is
al myth; =" Bacon's Rebellion" and other
ty"nts of the olden time.
learn that the island, which is now
owned by an enterpriSing northern settler,
.lpn, and Is now very productive.
But We are at Kings Mill wharf, and baye
;i.- choice between paying 81 to ride four
miles and paying fifty cents "wharfage"
and walking. choose the former, sympa-
tnizing with poor darkey who thought he
Tad escaped; but is oyertaken and asked for
- Wharfage" and have pleasant ride and a
cordial greeting in the hospitable old burg.
But little Of living interest has recently
aapIened in Williamsburg or its vicinity.
heard OF several instances in which CASH
drawers, turkey-coeps, and clothes-presses
We're made TO yield their contents to enter
Iri>!ng burglars who had "Christmas in their
bones"
hear that game Of every kind is more
II"ntifu in this section than ever before. l
IeTcr saw az many wild ducks as we scared
ny coming down the river. / saw in Will
I&m-burg more old hares than i had seen
ior 4 long time. hear that partridges,
squirrels, deer, foxes, &c, are very penti-
hi. law negro with the inevitable opos-
sun Srinning in way to excite Cuffee's en-
thG,la>tic delight; and was told that bea
NtE>, which have not been known in this re-
&iQn for over liity years, have recently made
tl"lr appearance, and gone TO work building
'3cr dams in a stream six miles below Will
haIn>5urg. Wild fowl Of every kind are SO
-tundant that wild geese Were sold in the
t1"n the other day at twenty-five cents
aIItce; and fish and oysters Of the finest
quality are so plentiful as TO make them very
c.e1p living.
Indeed, know Of scarcely place in Yir-
=lniH where one can live SO iuXuriousy On
80 small an income, and no place certainly
"herc one can lind more refined and ele-
P-'rd society Of the good Old Virginia type.
amt have greatly enjoyed seeing again the
many l'olots Of historic interest with which
Tie old burg abounds, and Of which wrote !
!OU during my last visit. did not find !
!He then to write of old William and Mary |
y!ese, which is now struggling against |
many difficulties, but must be a place of
pest interest 10 one at all acquainted with |
- grand history. AS early as 1867 fifteen |
ayu>aud acres Of land were appropriated |
wards founding university cat Hen. |
loo7 Tor the colonists and Indians. In |
SO Il 800 were contributed In England |
through The bishops) TO endow Il college for
4" Indian, in Virginia, and in 1G2l ESQ
sore subscribed TO endow the East India |
cAooI at Charles City, and one thousand |
eye, Of land, live servants, and III overoeer
uy..cd 10 ii.
J -c troubles with the Indians, "BacOn's
I "jiJD," and other causes defeated these
.e,scts, but II 1GSS-'S0 efforts to establish
tJ.cge were renewed. Rev. James Blair
4: I'll Hards =. Coynmissary y went to Eng
..c - lay the lirltter before William and
>, and was despite the bitter opposition
7 e. Saw far sllrIpsS-