The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1888-08-02
NARROWING
ON THE SEA COAST OF GEORGIA
in 1865.
Incidents Encountered with Old Time
Rice Field Darkeys as Companions
in the Swamps and Rivers.
Written for the Marietta Journal.

eo from the exposed coast planta-
tons in the early days of the war.
but on some places a few of the most
trusted patriarchs had been left to
take care of the premises. When
the soldier boys returned in 1865
and found their families scattered. a
few of us organized NARROWING visit
to the old plantation home on the
seaboard of Georgia where we found
; old daddy Jack still faithful. He
had been the regular fisherman, &C.,
having seen the writer upon his re-
turn from a fishing excursion, he
laughed at the poor result and pro-
posed an excursion under his lead
ership with promises of better re-
suits. As near as possible let me
use his. own peculiar sea-island
patois, although different from the
negro dialect of the interior and
much more difficult TO be written
understandingly.
"Wudda you no call dem fish, is
you? Fo God, Misses wouldn't
feed de cats ON no SIGH ting like
dem, Mas Ned, let lone hab UNI on
de buckra table. Jis wait till de
moon git daak en- den I'll kyah you
fshenen way dey is sho nuff fish ;
; old Jack nebba wet he net ia no SIGH
ting like dem dey."
In pursuance of this promise dad
dy Jack, accompanied by grandson
4 Likum, fourteen year old boy,
4 with mullet net wrapped around
his neck and shoulders, sauntered
into our camp one night and in a
i few minutes we were en- route for
the landing where we found daddy
Jacks canoe in waiting and we
l were soon gliding down the stream,
/ daddy Jack, Likum, boy friends and
myself.
: Il gwine ky'ah you to de berry
place wey n use trow de net wen
ole misses sen me to ketch de finest
mullet in de ribba. You Likum |.
20 triflin rascal, keep dat boat
strait, wuh you de run UNI in de
mash fa-enty you kin paddle? l
boun you done bin gone sleep wild
yo y'eye stan out like ole banny
crab an yo mout same like cunnel
Hopkins yalla dog, you onerary
cuss, yo BETA keep dat boat in de
ribba, std run UNI in do mash"
With vigorous drives Of his pad
die as if imbued with renewed. en-
ergy, Likum answered in tone as
though wronged by the charge Of
sleeping, 'No sub f; me no de sleep,
no binna me run de coonoo in de
mash, dish va boat stick him own
nose in de mash-grass, no de me
| put um da."
At this juncture we heard the
loud blowing and splashing of a
porpoise a short distance ahead,
which aroused daddy Jack to other
interests as he said, "Nummo yeddy
how he blow, wudda enty bin
tell you we ketch huff fish to-
night? Dat ole porpos jis like dog
de drive de mullet out de main rib
ba up ento de cricK, only / hope
him no folla dem, kase dat might be
sort dangersome if we go up de
crick All fine Mr.. porpus ahead
we en- dat ole porprus git skade an
staat back ia de big ribba, him got
no perliteness, neider manners to
ak we to stan one side an let him
pass. No sab wen you yeddy him
fairly raise out de watah en- cum
down, ker-spashaw, you BETA move,
an dat powerful quick, else dey
will be some scatterin. | see one
dem cut coonoo rite smack in two
wuh bin turn crossways de crick en-
broke one nigga leg en- stan de
yedda one head tust in de mud, so
wen we git to de mout de crick,
wunna mus keep mighty still so tay
l kin listen an yeddy wedder him
gone up, or wedder him bin sacrity
wild wut mullet him ketch in de
main ribba."