Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-21
A PECULIAR
Queer Ways of Livia
teras BanlKs-HOgn
RaIsfoh Eescs and I

t1eGtSH AetDS QIt0
The people Of this re
amphibious nature, and liI
and In the water that most ad
sure, are web-footed. They ave mainly
on hsh, clans. oysters, crabs, terrspins
and wild fowl. When they leave home
they go In a boat, and whether they 60
70 court or go counting, or to trade, or TO
MIL, or to funeral, they always go by
sail. Their corn mills are run by Sails
an some OF them pump their water
with windmills. They don't go up stairs,
but "go aloft;" and when they 90 to bed
they turn in" when they are i'll they
ARE under the weather" and when
in robust health they say they are
'bung up and bilge free" They speak
of trim built sweetheart as ''cliIper
built" If she is little stout, they say
she is "broad IN the BEAM" or she IS
"wide across the transom." Many of
them have ships cabin doors in their
houses that slide on grooves, and to their
buildings they give coating of tar in
stead of painting them. The "old
woman" blows conch shell when din
ner is ready, and they measure time by
"bells." Their babies are not rocked in
cradles, but swung in hammocks. They
chew black pig tail tobacco, and drink
wild tea called 'Yeopon." They manure
their land with sea grass, and bury their
yam potatoes in the sand hills. When
they want the doctor they hang red
flag against hill side as a signal of dis
tress. If he don't come because the
'wind amt fair, they take dram of
whisky and copperas, soak their feet in
sea water. ''turn in" and trust TO luck.
If they die they will be buried on the
top of a sand ridge; and when you see
several sail boats on the water in pre-
cessiOn, with flag at half.mast, you are
looking at funeral.
They ornament their houses with
whales ribs and jaws, sharks teeth.
swoldfish snoots, devilfish arms, sawfish
swords (six feet long,, miniature ships,
camphor-wood chests, Honduras gourds,
spy glasses, South American lariets, war
clubs from the Mozambique Islands,
Turkish pipes, West India smells, sandal
wood boxes, Chinese chessmen, Japan
ese faces, Madagascar idols, Australian
boomerangs, and other strange, outland-
ish things Their hogs are raised on
clans, mussels. offal of fish and garbage,
and their cattle wade out on the shoals
for miles, where the water covers their
backs, to:feed on sea grass, and if they
are carried up country rand fed on corn
and fodder they will not live.
Every man is captain of some kind of
a boat, and she is always better than
any other boat in some way. 'She is
hard to beat in gale of wind" or ''be-
fore the wind" or beating to the wind
ward" or with the wind on the BEAM
or ''she can sail closer To the wind f" or
will carry sail longest" or "hard to-
beat in light wind" or 'totes more
stock" or is stronger" or dryer" or
bigger, or ''she is big little boat, or
'draws the least water, or "needs less
ballast" or "she is the newest, or "has
the best timbers," or 'steers the best"
or "she is lucky boat, or Stands up
better" or "needs less sail than any
other boat" or "she is best for fishing"
etc. Perhaps "she comes about better
than any other boat" She Is bound to
have something about her better than
anybody else's boat.