Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1877-08-28

otiioi Sl'ihE Olhtto VI lllG GlO vi tic
boatswain piping to quarters.
At last, as | turned to 90 | saw, or
thought [ saw, as clearly as ever
beheld anything in my life, a white
canoe pass in my front, and as the
memory of the tradition came to my
mind | tried to follow the spectral
boat across the star lit and fre-lit
lake. 1t was gone, and again and
yet again it came, and in the evenes>
cant beams 1t was lost.
If the legend isn't true it ought to
be. Moore has rendered it minors
tai Gy his genius, and as l watched
aud waited, half hoping, half fearing
that | might see what mortal eyes
had never beheld l caught myself
grooming over the old couplet so
perfectly in keeping with the scene,
"Oft from the Indian hunters camp,
The maid and her lover so true,
Are seen at the hour of the midnight damp,
To cross the lake by their fire fly lamp,
And paddle their white canoe"
The lake has no beech or shore,
the swamp encompasses it all around i,
with no outlet save the two canals.
In the olden times the Great Dis
NAL" was never entered. 1t was to
the people land Of the lost, from
the Plutonian shadow of which once
entered none ever returned Dark
tales were told Of this horrible swamp,
and the boldest sportsman only skirt
ed the edge in pursuit of game
One day a keen, cougar huntsman,
followed deer he had wounded so
far in the recesseS of the swamp that
he lost his clue and wandered in the
labyrinth for three days, and at last
after giving up hope. faint, hungry,
wearied and departing, he stumbled
on the lake, which lay before him
rad antly lovely in the sunlight
Emboldened and buoyed up he cons
tirued his wanderings and got out
and reported the news of the wonders
full lake hid away in the morrass, and
the place was called after him,
being one of the instances where a
discOverer was ever known to leave
his name and render it famous.
There is but one house near Lake
Drummond and that is inhabited by
two separate families. 1t stands a
few hundred yards from the lake.
and is built upon ground artlfcialIy
constructed. The people of the
house are Of that kind known as 'tlow
downers,' and are about the hard
est set | ever yet stumbled against.
The "Mansion de Doree' was
shanty like the Irishman's "with the
rooms in one--parlor, bedroom and
hail. Into this all crowded and
slept, and there were more pigs. cats
and babies in one habitation than |
ever saw before. The pigs were the
cleaneSt, the cats more aggressive,
and the babies the dirtiest and loud
est Of all. Fortunately | brought a
hammock and swung it outside, an
lying in it watched the domestic cons
Germs of this happy family, who had
lived all their lives IN the swamp,
There were five women, one boy,
sixteen children of all coIors and
sizes, thirteen sucking pigs, four
cats, (tlree Tables and tom) two
little kittens, five MISUNDERSTANDING
ducks, three hens, a melancholy look.
ing rooster, one sociable SOW, and
ninety million mosquitoes. Between
the fowl, the flesh and the family
there was perfect equality they all
mixed together and seemed to enjoy
each others society amazingly.
My guide, bringing our provisions
from the boat, got them to serve up
supper. A table was set under a
shed. There were only two knives
and one fork on the whole table. -
Our eating was signal for IN incipi>
ent bread riot. Two of the largest
children watched the table with sticks
not to keep away flies, but to beat
off the rest of the brute family. The
discord was deafening-the SOW
grunted, tie pigs squealed, babies
yelled, cats fought, spit and clawed )
all united in one Internal uproar that
resounded through the swamp and
must have scared many a bear from
his lair.
When supper was finished the night
was we'll advanced; the great South
ern Bear had risen high in the sky,
still pointing true to the polar star.
The varied noise of the swamp was
clearly audible-the hoarse croaking
of the frogs, which seemed to have
gubernatorial convention of their
own, Judging from the uproar they
made, the boding boot of the owl,
the plaintive cry of the whip>poor-
will, and the other imaginable sounds
born of night, were in perfect con-
trast to the supreme quiet of the
swamp in the day time.
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