The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-06-24
OUR EDIToR'sExCURsIoN

OUR EDITORS EXCURSION.
OF on II Summer Jaunt From New Or.
| leans to Charleston on the Sc Greyhound
First Experiences at Sea.
ON BOARD THE GREYHOUND, }
Charleston, 8. G., June 16. 1882,
DEAR CHIEF:
Awaiting myself of the kind invitation
Of my genial k;nsman, Capt. r. j. Low
den-as handsome and jolly sea dog al
| ever trod q quarter deek-I started from
Donaldsonville on twenty -fonr hours
notice, and the New Orleans Pacific rail
way, last Saturday, to make voyage te
New York on the steam tug Greyhound
one Of the largest and finest vessels Of
her class on the Southern waters. 1t was
intended that we should leave New Or.
leans at 8 o'clock Saturday evening, bu,
owing to misapprehension on the part
Of the engineer, who understood the hou,
for departure to be 8 the next morning,
we did not get away until 5:55 A. NJ. Sun
day. The run down the river was made
at the rate of fifteen miles an hour and
better, and in seven hours after leaving
the wharf at New Orleans our noble little
vessel steamed through the jetties and
headed for sea. It would be like repeat
ing an oft told tale to describe to the
readers of the CHIEF the view presented
on either side of the river during this
portion of our trip. The banks were
lined with sugar plantations-among
them some of the finest in the State
and on those which have escaped over
flow by the waters Of the Story aud Live
Oak crevasses, the prospect for a fine
crop appeared to he all that could be de-
sired. As we neared the head of the
passes the limit of the sugar country was
reached and narrow strips of low, marshy
ground alone separated the river from
the contiguous bays and inlets of tho
Gulf. We put to sea through South Pass,
which is the outlet now used by all YES
sells of considerable draught, and had a
good view of the famous jetty works by
which Mr.. Eads has deepened the chan
mel of the Pass from twelve to minimum
of twenty-six feet.
We noticed with interest the varying
colors Of the water as we left the mouth
of the river and proceeded further and
further out upon the broad bosom of the
briny deep. First the familiar, muddy
color of the Mississippi predomnated;
then a greener shade became visible;
then blush tint was discerned, and
finally, when the Greyhound was leaping
through the troubled surface of water
hundreds Of fathoms deep, the liquid had
a brilliant blue color that ex-
cited my admiration and surprise, in spite
Of all had heard and read of "the deep
blue sea-" Ever and anon we would
shoot through a school Of porpoises and
the big creatures would ganlbol about
The boat, jump up into the air and dive
back again like SO many festive bathers
themselves in the surf. These
fish are very swift swimmers. saw one
keep alongside our vessel for some dis
lance without moving fn-gliding
through the water with no apparent ex-
ertion whatever and 1 am told they can
EASILY swim around the fastest steamers
under full Roadway. That peculiar COM
of fish and bird, the flying fish,
these waters in great numbers
and at all hours of the day we could see
hem spring from the sea near the Prov
Of our vessel and sail away for q hundred
yards or SD with outspread wings. One
If these creatures flew aboard the boat
night before last and struck with such
force against a window of the pilot-house
chat one of the fish's eyes was knocked
ont and immediate death from conclusion
If the brain resulted. Many jelly fish
and blue fish were to be seen at intervals,
md | never tired of looking at these
lenizens of the deep. The water is so
clear that objects can be discerned at
considerable depth.
We have had a fair passage so far on
our journey-only two spells of rough
weather, and the Greyhound withstood
those nobly. l had hoped to escape the
liscomforts of sea sickness, but was dis
appointed. Sunday evening paid my
Erst tribute to Neptune; nearly all day
Monday kept abed and could scarcely
think with -equanimity Of eating any
thing. Again during lively squall on
morning / suffered from an
internal disquietude only to be appreci-
,ted by those who have been there, but
N my tribulation I had the small satis-
faction of knowing that all but four or
i've Of the dozen persons aboard the
'oat were i'll similar predicament.
Some of those had often been to sea be-
ore, and if the perpetual pitching, roll
ing, rising and falling of the boat upset
heir hardened systems, it is not strange
hat l, the freshest kind of a land lubber,
should he alike denloralized. But let me
;hange the subject-it makes me faint to
wen think of this one.
We sighted the Tortugas islands, the |
most westerly of the long line of Florida |
eefs, Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock, and !
Turing the same night we rounded the |
outhern extremity of the Floridian
coast and pointed our PROV in a north |