Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-03-23
PEOPLE ON THE HATTERAS BANKS.

The people Of this region are of an amphib-
ious nature, and live so much on and in the
water that most of them, / am sure, are web
footed. They live mainly on fish, CLAIMS, oys-
ters, crabs, terrapins and wild fowl. When
they leave home they 60 in boat; and wheth-
er they 60 to court, or 60 courting, or to trade,
or to mill, or to funeral, they always 60 by
sail. Their corn-mills are run by sails, and
some of them pump their water with wind
mills. They don't go upstairs, but ''go aloft;"
when they 90 to bed they "turn in )" when
they are i'll they are "under the weather - and
when they are in robust health, they say they
are chung up and Dilge free" They speak of
their trim built sweethearts as "clipper-built."
If one is little stout they say she is ebroad
in the beam,'' or she is sswide across the tran
som.n Many of them have ships cabin doors
in their houses that slide on grooves; and to
their buildings they give a coating of tar, in
stead of painting them. The 'old woman
blows conch-shell when dinner is ready /; and
they measure time by SHELLS" Their babies
are not rocked !n.cradles, but are swung up in
hammocks.' They chew black pigtail tobacco,
and drink wild tea called 'Yeopon." They
manure the land with sea-grass, and bury their
yam potatoes in the sand-hills. When they
want doctor they hang red flag against
hillside as signal of distress, If he don't
come, "because the wind amt fair, /" they take
a dram Of whisky and copperas, soak their
(web) feet in sea water, ''turn in, /" and trust
to luck. If they die they will be buried on the
top Of sandridge and when you see several
sail-boats on the water in procession, with
flag at half-mast, you are looking at funeral.
They ornament their houses with whales ribs
and jaws, sharks teeth, .sword-6sh snouts,
devil-fsh arms, saW-fish swords six feet long,
miniature ships, camphorwood chests, spy
glasses, Honduras gourds, South American
lariats, war clubs from the Mozambique Isl
ands, Turkish pipes, West India shells, sandal
wood boxes, Chinese chessmen, japanese faces,
Madagascar idols, Australian boomerangss,
and other strange, outlandish things. Their
hogs are raised on CLAIMS, muscles, ofal 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 car
ried to the up-oountry, and fed on corn and
fodder, they will not live. Every man Is cap
tain of some kind Of boat, and she is always
better than any other boat in some way. She
is hard to beat in gale Of wind" or ''before
the wind" or Cheating to windward," or
''with the wind on the beam ;" or ssshe can
sail closer to the wind" or twill carry sail
longest" or ssis hard to beat in q light wind"
or 'stotes more stock, =" or she is a "big little
boat" or ssdraws the least water - or "needs
less ballast or "she is the newest, - or s'she
has the best ti1abers," or 'ssteers the best, or
is s'lucky boat" or "stands up BETTER or
needs less sail than any other boat, or ''she
is best for fishing" etc. It may be that ''she
comes about better than any other boat" She
is bound to have something about her better
than ANYBODY else'S boat.