New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-02
OLD TIMES ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
BY MARK TWAIN.
s'sou Peculiarly Neces-
A0ry TO n Pilot.

"
s.souu ding''-FacuIties Peculiarly Neces.
snry to Pilot.
When the river is very low, and ones
steamboat ia drawing all the water" there
IS in the channel-or a few inches more, as
was often the case in Old times-One must
be painfully circumspect in his plotting.
We used to have to ''sound" a number OF
particularly bad places almost every trip
when the river was at q very low stage.
Sounding is done in this way. The
boat ties up at the shore, just above the
shoal crossing; the pilot not on watch
takes his "cub" or steersman and a
picked crew of men sometimes an officer
also), and goes out in the yawl-pro-
vided the boat has not that rare and
sumptuous luxury, regularly devised
sounding boat''-and proceeds to hunt for
the best water, the pilot on duty watching
his movements through a spyglass mean
time, and in some instances assisting by
signals of the boats whistle, signifyng "try
up higher" or TRY down lower" for the
surface OF the water like an oil painting, is
more expressive and Ineligible when in
spected from little distance than very
close at hand. The whistle signals are sell
dom necessary, however; never, perhaps
except when the wind cOntuses the signif-
cant ripples upon the waters surface
When the yawl has reached the shoal place
the speed is slackened, the pilot begins to
sound the depth with pole ten or twelve
feet long, and the steersman at the tiler
obeys the order to "hold her up to star
board" or "let her fall off to larboard,'' or
steady-steady as you 60"
When the measurements indicate that the
yawl is approaching the shoalest part of
the reef the command is given to lease ALL
Then the men stop rowing and the yawl
drifts with the current. The next order is,
Stand by with the buoy.' The moment
the shalOwest point is reached the pilot
delivers the order, LET go the buoy !" and
over she goes If tho pilot is not satisfied
he sounds the place again; if he finds better
water higher up or lower down he removes
the buoy to that place. Being finally sat
isfied, he gives the order, and all the men
stand their oars straight up in the air, in
line; blast from the boats whistle indi
Gates that the signal has been seen; then
the men "give way" on their oars and lay
the yawl alongside the buoy; the steamer
comes creeping carefully down, is pointed
straight at the buoy, husbands her power
for the coming struggle. and presently
at the critical moment, turns on all her
steam and goes grinding and walowing
over the buoy and the sand, and gains
the deep water beyond. Or maybe she
doesn't; maybe she STRIKES and swings"
Then she has to while away several hours
tor uays) sparring herself OFT.
Sometimes buoy is not laid at all, but
the yawl goes ahead, hunting the best
water, and the steamer follows along in It's
wake. Often there is deal of fun and ex-
citement about sounding, especially if it is
glorious summer day or a blusteripg
night. But in winter the cold and the peril
take most of the fun out of it.
A buoy is nothing but a board four or five
feet long, with one end turned up; it is a
hnnS In1Iy Il
shoalest part of the reef by rope with a
heavy stone made fast TO the end of il. Rut
for the resistance of the turned up end the
current would pull the buoy under water AT
night paper lantern with a candle in it ia
fastened on top of the buoy, and this can
be seen mile or more, little glimmering
spark in the waste OF backness.
Nothing delights a cub so much as an
opportunity to go out sounding. There is
such an air OF adventure about it; often
there is danger; II is SO gaudy and man of
warlike TO sit up in the stern sheets and
steer u swift yawl; there is something fine
about the eXultant spring of the boat when
an experienced Old sailor crew throw their
SOULS into the oars; it is lovely to see the
white foam stream away from the bows; |
there is music in the rush of the water; it is |
eXhilaratipg in summer TO go |
speeding over the breezy expanses of the |
river hen the world of wavelets is dancing |
in the sun. Ut is such grandeur, too, to the
cub to get chance to give an order; fer /
often the pilot will simply say. Let her go
about" and leave the rest to the cub, who
cries, in his sternest tone OF
Ease starboard! Strong on
the larbOard! Starboard give way With
. will, mem" The cub enjoys sound
bg tor the further reason that the eyes
If the passengers are watching all the
,awl's movements with absorbing interest |
f the time be daylight; and if it DO night
le knows that those same wondering eyes
re fastened upon the yawls lantern as it
The term "larbosrd" 10 never used at sea now |
, signify the left hand, but was always uted on
Lily In n fimA i