The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-01-09

III Soiiic time. itai1 uTOWn-
ed. | felt the warm blood trick
ing down my face. my suit wa,
cut and my paddle broken. |
hallooed, and a man came out
ana saw something struggling in
the water. He turned his Ian
tern down and tried tc throw a
rope, but when he saw a glisten-
ing man, with a grotesque head
piece and his face covered with
blood, he fled with a cry of fear.
Away Went the rope and bang
went the door behind him. |
hallooed again, but | could not
make him return. | therefore
began padding again. and once
more fell asleep. When | woke
up | was shivering with cold.
1t was then daylight. I was
then at Komorn. Two officers
came out and picked me up, and
took me to the surgeon, who did
up my wounds. After having
some refreshment | went on all
that day again. | was almost
cut into by the paddle of a s.ea-
mer.
From Au tria | went into
Italy to do the Pc. started on
this river without any knowl-
edge of Italian. | had no knowl
edge Of the river. 1t passes
through a rice country and is a
bad one for fevers. This was
the first time ! intended to make
a voyage a feat of endurance. !
started in the best possible con
dition. The Alps at the time
were all covered with snow. |
got into the river at Turin,
where it is very shallow. This
was the first time | intended to
carry provisions for the entire
journey. [ took with me a little
boat about two feet long, made
Of tin. | loaded it with bread,
cigars, a bottle OF whiskey, meat
and a lot of other things like
that. | stared away about
nine o'clock in the morning. 1t
was Saturday. The stream was
the most ''ornary cuss" of a riv-
err l ever met. She ran me over
gravel beds and [ grounded fire.
quently. | ran all that day
through a pretty country and
was nicely received by the peo-
pie. That night in flying over
a dam the boat came flying after
me and capsized, and when |
righted it / found all my provis-
ions converted into a kind OF
pudding, dotted with cigars In
stead of fruit. The bottle of
whiskey was the only thing that
was all right-there was no va
ter in that. At nine o'clock |
came near finishing the voyage.
Some people Were out shooting
ducks. There was one fellow IN
a boat with bushes all about it
and with a great long swivel.
He turned it straight on me and
was lowering it. [ jumped up
and shouted out, Don't you let
90, ithere.' He stuck up his
head and dropped the swivel,
which restored my confidence.
Il ran all that day. The cur
rent was pretty stiff, but still ran
mostly over gravel beds. / ran
all Sunday night, and was trou-
bled with the mills all night. |
could hear them all about. At
three o'clock on Monday morn
ing | came to a narrow place on
the river where there were posts,
where some engineering work
was going on. | came against
one of the posts and was hurt.
| kept padding down all Mon
day morning, and presently came
to a part of the river enclosed
between high, muddy banks.
On Monday evening | was faint
and was becoming exhausted,
but l kept padding along. |
slept a bit and was very nervous.
[ saw a fisherman on the bank.
He looked at me two or three
times, AS [ passed him he gave
me a good look and then ran