Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-09-14

1 SWAMP THAT Is NOT SWAMI. But ALMOST A
FAIRY LAND.
Alexandria, Va, Gazette Letter.

AteAaAN' 'H'iNa1ehte LSeeSA'
know of no trip more full of excitement
and varied pleasure than visit to the Great
| Dismal Swamp. The strange the beautiful, the
weird and solemn in nature are all blended
| together, forming scenic panorama attractive
and interesting to the highest degree. There
is nobody who has not actually been through
the Great Dismal" that has the slightest
| conception OF what kind of place 1t is.
Judging from its name the popular im-
agination makes it n vast smamp, quagmire
and unwholesoms fen, dark. silent and damp,
where the light of the blessed sun never
enters-a spot that seems cursed, and from
whose black, murky surface noisome vapOrs
arise that breed disease and death. This is
the popular belief, and it is popular tallacy.
No idea can be more erroneous.
The Dismal Swamp is not vast bog sunk
low i'll the ground. into which all the drain
ing of the surrounding country flows on the
contrary, it is above the level ground some
fifteen or twenty feet, as was demonstrated
by actual surveys. Instead of being re-
cep.acle into which rivers and streams enter
and flow, it is in reality an immense reser-
voir that in its vast sponge-like bulk, gathers
the waters which fall from the heavens, and
pours them in TO Ave different rivers, which
How onward to the sea. Any one would
imagine that the Dismal was a veritable
charnel-house that spreads its miasma
throughout the country On the contrary it is
tine healthiest place on the American cOnti-
nent The swamp is formed entirely of green
timber there is absolutely no decomposed
wood one sees trees lying all round in the
forest and swamps. The two principal
woods that grow in the places are the juniper
and cypress. which never rot. They fall
prone on the ground like other trees, but in
IL 1 -.
peat, and lies indissoluble by air and water
for ages perfectly sound.
There is nothing in the swamp to create
miasma no rising of the tides and decompo-
sition of rank vegetables; no marshes exposed
to the burning nays of the sun. All is fresh
and sweet, and the air is laden with rs sweet
OdOrs rs the fragrant woods i'll May. when
the sweet perfume Of flowers mingles with
the pungent scent of the pine and dOgwOod.
In the dHfs-belW DAYS all planters were any
ious to hire their slaves to shingle- makers in
the swamp on account Otits health. Mr.. Red
lex II well known contractor. says he workeda
gang Of fifty hands for fifteen years in the
Dismal, getting shingles, and in all the time
there was not Il single case of ague and fever.
| have seen numerous atlidayits of oyerseerS
and agents who have lived in the swamps
their lifetime, and never knew death caused
fever The air is pure and sweet, and the
water tingrd TO IL fAInt-wine hue hy the luni-
per is ns potent medicinal drink rs is the
famous watering laccs of the Virginia
Mountain Spas. Ii is often used by naval
vessels going on II long foreign cruise, on ac-
count oi the hcalthiul properties. and also
because it keeps fresh and clear for years.
Ii Is IL strong and iuyiguratins tonic, with
very pleasant taste.
The soil ofthe Great Dismal is composed
entirely of clay and vegetable peat. 1t is
suunl,y and loose. pole thirty itet long
was showed steadily down by my guide, and
did not begin Ia touch bottom The swamp
Is alive with game mnd the lake with fish.
The animals are bear, deer, utccoons and
squirrels. The fish are the black-hass, or
chuh, rs they call them here, which rise
readily to the fly. speckled fish. beach fish,
gq,rs. catfish and perch They all bite freely
nt hnit and make II game fight If hooked.
Fishing is entirely done with rod and reel.
Though the bear abound in the swamp. it is
very hard to get IA shot ut them. You can
often hear them crashing through the cane
brakes hut rarely see them. few months
ago one Ing black bear deliberately passed |
through the village ON ~ doStrot. 1t raised |
the village Old men took their si;.gle bar |
rtls that hadn't gone 20 for n hundred years |
and that were for all the world like Rip Van |
Wnkle's fowliuE piece. and instantly snap
ped them oil Everybody got their arms. but !
Monsieur lc Brum kept on regardless ot the |
bird shot that ratified against his side, and Mt |
list. after trtverslng the entire town. dishp-
Irnrcd III the woods beyond, where no
doubt, in bear language he told his compan-
IONS ui hIs wonderful adventure.
There Is no highway Or ROAD through the
swamp. only canal runs some distance up
II tr bring out the shingles which. being
made oi juniper and cypress. are the most
durable m the world. There Is nothing else
in the pisud that can be turned To- use.
The lumber business has fallen hmcntahly
nl since the war. and hut few shingles ARE
made nov.