Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-14
You-alls can't git any honey now" is the

You-alIs can't git any honey now" is the
reply, in the plsintive negro sing-sonng;
dis we're time dey don't get nothin' but
pizen lowers" Are there many snakes
in the swatup7" We asked. "Oh, yes.
dere's right smart o. moccasiIs.' Any
malaria? 2" We all has de shakes bad"
There are no particular complaints. but
there is u hopeless cast of melancholy, q
dreary, sodden look On almost every face.
Il is relief when we meet and hail boat
load of young sportsmen-N ouberners APP
parently-with guns and fishing tackle;
the athletic youthful forms in white fan
nels, bending to the oars, and the glowing
manly faces upturned 10 ours with look
OF interest
At last, down the interminsble straight
vista OF intense green glooms, the funereal
juniper. the teathery, graceful cypress, the
glossy-leaYed maguOlia, with its thick ivory
cups of an Intoxicating SWEETNESS, we see
beneath and beyond perfect arch Of ioli-
age i CLEAN of white iight-the Lake Of the
Dismal swamp Nothing could be more
wild than the scene which meets cur eyes
as we glide smoothly un Ter the arch, ana
in Il moment cur fail craft is rocking on
these remote waters. The change is start
ling from the stiffness of the long canal to
|, the wild waves of this inland sea, breaking
in sheets OF the color of black coffee, and
tossing their spray far up among the
branches of the trees For tile effect is
heightened, not only by tia color of the
water" juniper water, they call IL, and
il is clear as enber snd de.ic;uu3 to the
taste-but BY the leau,rg wrecks and hol-
low stump5 Of gigantic Expresses which
stand knee deepalt Iuund the shore and far
out into the lake. Their gnarlei and tSist-
ed boughs mike one shudder rs he recalls
Dore's trees ii tae Inferno" with their
writhing forms of hall human agOuy.
Lake Drummond is seven miles long, they
tell US, and only eight feetsdeep in the cen
ter. This sbalowness doubtless explains
something of It's turbulence, which is ilde-
soribable and somewhat alarming, III the
midst of this sunken and halfsunken for
est. 1--WE learned afterwards that on the
day following our visit boat struck ono of
these suGgs and came near sinking We
anoher to a log for a few minutes, and then
set out on our return, with haunting men
tai picture of what superstition still terms
the -" haunted lake" which negro " log
gers" still believe to be trayeised by the
FREELY lamp and the white can0e" of the
lost maiden.
Il is nos necessary TO dwell upon the re-
turn-the sunset, the threatening masses of
CLOUDS, tnS Suduen UaTkueSS ana sudden
thunderstorm. the alternate flashes of
| lightning and silver tsngle" OF myriads of
freflies. Protected by our water-proofs, we
huddle under the awning, or in the dark
little cabin, when the rain falls hardest,
singing plantation melodies" and telling
ghost stories. 1t has partially cleared again
when we reach the little backwoods settle
ment at Gilmanton Locks, and zee by the
light of swaying lanterns crowd OF black
faces gathered on the bank. In bright and
| wonderful contrast to the rest are the eager,
smiling faces of two" Hampton students"
impatient to greet their old teachers.
One young man, graduate, is teaching
school with success in the little log school
house and the other, who left in her junior
year, handsome. neatly clad girl, is also
| teaching, and does great honor to Hamp-
ton. As. after the cordial recogniiions,
salatations and inquiries on either side in
the strange semi-darkuess, We swing of
again down the canal, letting the plaintiye
strains of the "Suwanee River" f0at back
for "good-by," we feel that we have had
one glance of hopeful brightness on the
dark human life of the Dismal Swamp
Eiafnc Geodale tn Chicago Herald.