The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-02-23
THE WACISSA SWAMP.
Fatigue and Disappointment
in the Morass.
IN WATER AND MIRE
Construction Of q Second
Herald Lockout.
THE "SMOkE" AGAIN SEEN.
Seventeen Degrees South Of East Of
the Herald Camp.


night they dried their clothing and rested themselves
by the genial fire. But its kindly warmth bounte-
supper OF venson and batter cakcs and ''toddy
all around" restored the normal degree OF cheerful
and kindled in our hearts more the needed
enthusiasm for a second days venture So. after
due time OF gossip and song the sonorous and magis-
teral snoring OF Judge" with its regular cadence
of rise and fall betokencd oblivion OF the toll OF
day The negroes in their palmetto shed chanted
lower and lower their "spiritoo hymns. and at last
the cracking OF the fire or the occasional dream
haunted mouthings of tho slumbcring hounds
subsded and the silence OF tho wilderness brooded
iorgctiuness
''THE JrDGE''
In the wilderness tho does not emerge from the
valo OF night early as elsewhere and 1t must be
time after his gaze broadens the IT,
u 'thIck' eastward of tho camp before could
venture into the water he chill OF tho early morn
ing would seek marrow and abide there during
the whole day. But at nine O'Clock the explorers
were tho terminus OF yesterdays advance, press
ing forward by the compass. In the march the
Judge" who was the engineer OF the expedition,
at tho head OF the line, always the foremost and
eager emulate the youth who waved the motto Of
Excelsior" He Is parsonage Of SO much impor-
lance in the HERALD enterprise that briet picture
may be interesting The .Judge" is only thirty
years old, but tho weight Of public has tinsed
WnlSkcTS
and muscular, surmounted by large head. which is
supported by neck. His features strong
and manly. His eyes have misty expression, veil
ing their pale depths Of blue, but suggest
ceptions differing in their boldncss and scope
from those OF ordinary men. forehead OF massive
strength and brows bent with habitua thought The
whole face is suhused with rubicund glow, the BAN
OF health and energy Such Is the chief assistant
OF the HERALD correspondent IN the direction of the
work Of exploration
AND DISAPPOINTMENT.
Tho second and third days progress in the swamp
like that OF tho first. but much more fatiguns
The lying in way deeper and deeper
as we advanced, and through the middle of them,
where we compelled wade with the chilly
water reaching up to armps, would often be swift
currents, which bore along fragments of with
great force. Tho peril hero considerable. but the
Judge" by q dexerous Of his Jacob stan, v
would turn the course Of the inert monsters just
they floating down upon US, and thus prevented
a possible tragedy occurring in the service OF
journalism.
We were astonishcd by the number OF streams which
crossed path. Some OF them we knew sink
before reaching the Wacssa, the country south Of
our had been explored to great extent, and
they not found there. In progress there
were no contemporary incidents lend encourage
ment. Two miles from the HERALD lookout
upon ridge tmbered by large pines, Ioltier than any
of those camp. One Of these selected aud
another station built which called HERALD
Observatory No Its construction did not interrupt
extension Of the line US two men continued with
US while the others employed in attaching Stats
TO the tree. Being much higher than observatory
No and 80 much the supposed mystery, we
congrat ulatcd ourselves seeing something really
worth all trouble from us top Fate willed that
we should be disappointed. Either the station To-
Gated on too low ground or the mystery was not al
any time when werc there manifesting itself. At
all events hope was rebuod the blue devils pock-
e,od our spirits Nothing remarkable had yet our
progress, and we podded campward our weary way,
with the shadows of scepticlsm resting upon GU
thoughts
A NEW OBSERVATION
The watch on Observatory No. 1. however, reported
smoke deserted. He was sent to locate It moro
as soon as reached camp and was ordered to take
the compass up the ladder with him. This was no
easy matter 1t dashed fast 10 him. and, thus
coutrcd he slowly mounted to tho topmost branch.
When there he drew the Jacobs staff" up to him
with rope and dashed II fast to limb OF tho pine.
The compass placed upon it and exactly balanced.
The watch obtained the direction OF the smoke as he
saw it from his station and tied tho needle. We re-
peatedly questioned him from below, SO that he might
describe the appartop which he saw nd he declared
It 10 DO identical with that which had pointed
TO him from childhood the ''wacssa smoke.'
When he descended we examined the compass. The
record was the that we had first obtained by
less reliable method. The "smoke'' rose seventeen
degrees south OF east. There seemed possibility Of
error in the observation
On tho succeeding day the line which had been pro-
cc carefully tested by backward sghtinps taken
with the com pass, and 1t ascertained that 1t was
true. We, therefore, pushed forward without varia-
ton of our directions but the foreman Of the assist.
tauts was sent with to the southwark TO con-
tnue old line projected some time before by the
.Judge" as to ascertain It's relation with the one
on which VIC we're working. 1t had also peen begun
on the basis OF an actual observation. II was followed
into tho wac,ssa River by Byrd the foreman, but no
found nothing to repay us for our trouble The line
bore no analogy its direction to the ono which we
were pursuing, and thus doubt was thrown on the
identity of tho "smoko' which We had seen.
A DEER HUNT.
| The "JudQen led the van into the morass on the
| next morning and I, accompanied by ''young" Will
iams splendid huntsman, and Jake Byrd set out te
| follow the hounds The deer in this region are very
plentiful the larder Of tho camp needed replcn
isn,ng the motive Tor seeking sport was a. much ne
ccssity as n desire for amusement
Past the camp runs an old faint path, dubbed y thu
hunters u ssroad, which leads to house known al
"Old Man Stevens" eight or ten miles distant ant
after that nowhere In particular 1t is bordcred b!
excellent game coverts. This path we accepted Al
our guide. was mounted on stout and sturdy litt
stced born and bred IN the woods and marshes, VIM
was commended to Tor her sagacty and coolnes
| In crossing the boys and sloughs.
THE HOUNDS.
We started right merrily, the dogs pushing ahcat
with an air OF proud excitement as If snuing the dis
| taut achievement. There were Flora Cricket Remu
and Bob Flora had been mater tan'ilids, for Cricke
and Rcmus were her progeny. Her faco expresses
profundty of wisdom seldom seen IN dogkind ant
sometimes lacking even certain specimens Of men
The soft anguor her eyes, when at rest was strikng
contrasted ON this morning, when sho thrilled witt
anticipating ardor, with their lambert nercencss
Cricket is CHIP OF tho old block and rotted along will