Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-08-17
The Great Dismal Swamp.


! correspondence of the Alexandra Gazette.
SUFFOLK. Aug. Is, 1877.
| know Of no trip more full OF ,xctemett
and varied pleasure than visit 10 the Great
Dismal Swamp The strange, the beautiful,
tie weird ard the soemo in nature are all blend
/ cd together, forming scenic panorama attrac-
tive and interesting to the highest degle..
There is nobody who has not actually been
through the Great D small that has the slight
est conception Of what kind Of place it is.
judging from lis name The popular ina gination
luakcs ii IA vast swamp, quagmire and uuwhole.
some fen; dark silent and damp, where the
light of the blessed sue never enters SPOT
that sccmes cursed, and from whose black,
mulky surface, noisolne vapors arise that breed
disease aud death. This is the popular belief,
aud it is popular talaoy No idea can be
more erroneous.
The Dismal Swamp is noL vast bog, sunk
lose 10 the ground, inlo which all the DRAWINGS
Of lie sGrrouudng couolry has; uu the con.
tray il is abosc the level ground some fifteen
oi twenty feet, as was demonstrated by actual
surveys. lustead of Icing q receptacle into
whlch rivers and streams enter aud fl1w it is in
really an immense reservoir that 10 its vast
sprnEe like bulk, gathers the waters which
fall from the heavens and pours them into
five different rivers which flow onward TO The
sea.
Any one would imagine that the Dismal"
was Variable cbarnel house that spreads its
Elasma throughout tho couulry on the con.
Ta1y i; is Tic hcalhleSt place on the American
u2t:tincut. Tho swamp Is formed entirely Of
green timber there is absolutely 10 decompOsd
wood Que secs trees lyiog all around in The
forests and swamps. The Two principle woods
that grow in the place are the juniper and cy.
press, which never rot. They fall prone Oh
the ground like other trees, but instead Of The
wood decomposlDg, it turns into peat, and lies
udissoIubIe by air and water for ages, perfectly
sound,
There is nothing 10 the swamp to create
masma no rising Of the tides and dccompo-
sition of rank vegetation ; no marshes exposed
to the burning rays Of the sun. All is fresh
and sweet, and the air is laden with as sweet
odors as the fragrant woods in May, when the
sweet perfume of flowers mingles with the pun.
gent scent OF the pine and dogwood. In the
bellum days all planters were anxious to
hire theif slaves to the Single makers 10 the
swamp on account Of its health. MIR. Reddiok,
: a Well.knoWn contractor, says be worked gang
of fifty hands for fifteen years 10 the Dismal,
getting shingles, and in all that time there
was not single case Of ague and fever. | have
seen numerous a6idavits of oversecrs and agents
who have lived 10 the swamp their whole life
time, and they never knew death caused by
lnasula, or solitary instance of ague and
fever
The air is pure and sweet aud the water,
tinged to faint wine hue by the juniper, is as
potent medicinal drink as is the famous wa.
tering places of the Virginia Mountain Spas"
1t Is often used by naval vessels going on q
long foreign cruise on account of its healthful
properties, and also because it keeps fresh and
clear for years. 1t is strong and invigoratiug
tonic with very pleasant taste.
The soil OF the Great Dismal is composed
entirely OF clay and vegetable peat. 1t is
spongy aud loose A pole thirty feet long
was showed steadily down by my guide, and did
not begin to touch bottom.
The swamp is alive with game and tho lake
With fish. Ths animals are bear, deer, racooons
and squirrels. The fsh are the Black Bass or
Club, as they call them here, which rise read.
lily to the fly, specklod fish, beach fish, CARS, cat.
fish and perch. They all bite freely at bait and
make game fight If hooked. Fishing is en-.
trely done.wlth rod and reel. Though the bear
abound IL The swamp it is very hard 10 get Il
shot at them. You can often hear them crash
ing through The cane breaks but rarely sec
them. A few months ago one big black bear
deliberately passed through the village 10 dog
trot. 1t raised the village. Old men took their
single barrels that hadn't gone off for hun.
dred years. aod that were all the world like
Rip Van Wrinkles fowling piece. and instantly
snapped them off. Everybody got their arms,
but Nlouser lc Bruin kept on regardless of the
bird shot that ratified against his hide and ut
last alter travcrsiDg the entire town disappear
ed in the woods beyond where, no doubt, in
bear language, lie told his companions Of his
wonderful adventure. have never liked hears
since ny childhood days when | was in love
with little Fantan Of the fairy tales, and read
how bear ate her up, and all because she told
o story and lost her way in the woods
There Is no highway or road through The
swamp, only a canal runs some distance up
it 10 bring out The shingles, which, being
made Of juniper and cypress, arc the mcst dur
abe in the world. There is nothing else in the
Dismal that can be turned to use. The lumber
business has fallen lameDtably of since the war
and but few shingles arc made now.
The best route to Llko Dfummond is TO 70
to Suffolk, thence take boat by canal and pad
die up distance Of ten miles, Guides are east
ly found and are moderate in their charges.
Aud now after having given the solid facts
and described this swamp will plunge in this
mysterious land and live for q time 10 the real
realm of Pluto, who reigns supreme, and keep
but single hcnchman, one cbaron, who ferries
all corners over the lake, which is after all the
famous river Styx. "CHAssEUR."
TIE WHITE SULPHUR WAITERs.-A dis
patch 10 The New York Herald, from the
Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs, last night,
says:
Asstrkers the colorcd walters here arc not
| II hot ,ft nr tbo Goro al