Arizona weekly enterprise., 1882-04-01
4 PECULIAR PEOPLE.
queer Ways of Living on the TEattcra, Rnnks-Hnws and CnftIn

From the Raleigh News and observerJ
 The people of this region are of an amphlblous nature, and live so much on and in the water that most of them, am sure, are web-footed. They live mainly on fish, clans, oysters, crabs, terrapins and wild fowl. When they leave home they go in boat, and whether they go to court or go courting, or to trade, or to the mill, or to a funeral, they always go by sail. Their corn-mills are run by sails, and some of them pump their water with windmills. They don't go up stairs, but "go aloft, and when they go 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 "clipper built" If she is Q 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 instead of painting them. The told woman blows a 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 doctor they hang red flag against a hillside as 2 signal of distress. If he don't come, be- cause the "wind ain't fair, they take a 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 sand ridge, 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, swordtish shouts, devilhsh arms, sawfish swords (six feet long), miniature ships, camphor-wood chests, Honduras gourds, eyeglasses, South American lariats, war clubs from the Mozambique islands, Turkish pipes, West India shells, san dal-wood boxes, Chinese chessmen, Japanese faces, Madagascar idols, Aus tralian boomerangs and other strange, outlandish 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 and fed on corn and fodder they will not live.
 Every man is Captain 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 "be- fore the wind," or "boating to wind ward. or "with the wind on the beam" or "she can sail closer to the wind" or twill 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 a 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.