The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-05-07
OLD TIMES on THE MISSISSIPPI.
Another Chapter OF Mark Twain's Re-
miniscences Of His Early Days.
[From the Atlantic for May.

FROM the Atldntlc fOf May.
When the river Is very low, and one'
steamboat is - drawing all the water
there il In the channei--or few niche
more, a. was often the case in the oil,
times-one must be painfully circumspec
in his plotting. We used 10 have I,
"sound number of particularly ba,
places almost every trip when the rive
was at a very low stage.
Sounding Is done In this way. Tn,
boat ties up at the shore, just above ia,
shoal crossing the pilot not on watch
takes his cub or steersman and q
picked crew OF men sometimes AN officer
also). and goes out In the yawl-pro-
vidcd the boat has not that rare and
sumptuous luxury. a regularlv-devised
sounding-b0at and proceeds To hunt
for the best water, the pilot on duty
watching his movements through spy
glass, meantime, and lin some instances
assisting by signals of the boats whistle,
signifying "try higher up F" or " try lower
down - for the surface OF the water, like
an oil painting. is more expressive and in
telligible when inspected from little dis
lance than very close at hand. The whis.
tie signals are seldom necessary, however I;
never, perhaps, except when the wind
coniuses the significant ripples upon the
wa;er's 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 steers man at the tiller obeys the
order to "hold her up to starboard;' or
" let her fail of to larboard " or " steady
steady Us you 90"
When the measurements indicate that
the yawl is approaching the shoalest part
of the reef, the command Is given 10 " ease
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 shaliowest point is
reached. the pilot delivers the order. " Let
go the buoy ~ and over she goes. If the
pilot is not satisfied. he sounds the place
again; if he finds better water higher up
or lower down, he removes the buoy 70
that place. Being finally satisfied, he
gives the order. and all the men stand
their oars straight up i'm the air. in line
blast from the boats whistle indicates that
the signal has been SEEM then the men
= give way ON their oars and lay the
yawl alongside the buoy :ihe steamer
comes creeping carefully down. j. 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 walloWing over
the buoy and the sand, and gains the deep
water beyond. Or mavbe she does MT /:
maybe she strikes and swings" Then
she has 10 while away several hours Tor
days sparring herself of.
Sometimes buoy is not laid at all. but
the yawl goes ahead. hunting the best
water. and the steamer follows along in
its wake. Often there Is deal OF fun and
excitement about sounding. especially if
IL is glorious summer day. or blus-
tering night. But IN winter the cold and
the peril take most of the fun out oft.
\ buoy is nothing but board four or
five feet long. with one end turned up; II
is reversed boot jack. Ii is anchored on
the shoalest part OF the reef by a rope with
"A heavy stone made fast 10 the end of IL.
But for the resistance of the turned-up
end, the current would pull the buoy
under water. At night paper Ian
tern with candle in IL i fastened
on top Of the buoy. and this can
be seen mile or more. little glimmer-
ing spark in the waste OF blackness.
Nothing delights a cub so much as an
opportunity to 40 out sounding. There
is such an air of adventure about il; often
there il danger; il Is so galidy and man
of-war-like To sit up in the stern-sheets
and steer swift yawl: there il something
fine about the exultant spring of the boat
when an experienced Old sailor crew throw
their souls into the oars; II l. lovely to
see the white foam stream away from the
bows. there i music in the rush OF the
water. " il deliciousiy exhilarating. In
summer, To 90 speeding over the breezy
expanses of the river when the world of
wayelets Is dancing i'm the sun. Ii Is such
grandeur. too. TO the cub. to get chance
10 give an order; for often the pilot will
simply say. LET her 20 about" and
leave the rest 10 the cub, who instantly
cries. i'm his sternest tone OK command,
4" Ease starboard, Strong on the lar
board Starboard give way. With a
will, men, The cub enjoys sounding
for the further reason that The eyes of the
passengers are watching all the yawfs
movements with absorbing interest. il the
time be daylight; and if il be night he
knows that those same wondering eyes
are fastened upon the yawl's lantern rs il
glideS out into the gloom aud fades away
in the remote distance.
One trip pretty girl Of sixteen spent
her time in our pilot-house with her uncle
and aunt, every day and all day long. |
fell in love with ntr. so did Mr.. rs
cub, Tom c.. Tom and | had been
bosom friends until this time but now a
GOODNESS began to arise. ! told the girl a
good many OF my river adventures, and
made myself out good deal of a hero
Tom tried TO make himself appear to be a
hero. too. and succeeded 20 some eN ent.
but then he always had a way of embrold-
ering. However. virtue H. its own re-
ward. so was barely perceptible tritle
ahead In the contest. About this time
something happened which promised
handsomely for me: the pilots decided
To sound the crossing III the head
OF 81. This would occur about
nine or ten o'clock az night,
when the passengers would be still up; il
would be Mr.. rs watch. therefore
my chief would have 10 DO the sounding.
w Ind a nnrf..nf lnA.a of a snlInlin no. hnaI