The morning call., 1890-07-08
LIFE In THE Big SWAMP.

~ eird Okefenokee Swamp-Savsge Sau-
rians-Sho oting Fish With Arrows.
The prairie land, which covers O cOnsid-
cradle portion of the Okeienoke Swamp, is
a very remarkable formation. and is, | am
told. peculiar to this swamp. 1t is open
land, entirely free from timber, and stretch
ing away as far as the eye can reach in
every direction. 1t has most of the charac-
teristics of huge inland sea, except the
waves. Interspersed here and there in this
huge prairie are small patches of dry
ground. Of available size and heavily tim
bered. called cowhouses. | am unable to
ascertain the prorpiety of this name. unless
it be that the cattle, deer and other animals
seek these places for shelter and get out of
the water. The surface of these prairies is
covered with deposit of decayed vegeta-
ton that has been accommodating for ceu-
turtles and is called muck. This varies in
thickness from four to ten feet, with water
beneath. and beneath the water sand. This
singular formation gives to the swamp its
name of Trembling Earth. 1t will support
the weight OF the average man If he keeps
moving onward; but II he pauses an in
slant he commences to sink, and may go
through to his waist or over his head At
every step the water o0zes up around the
feet, while the muck will tremble and
culver for yards around
There is something grand and even sub
lime to the visitor in the silent vastness of
this prairie formation. 1t stretches away
before the eye In every direction until only
limited by the horizon, its perfect stiffness
only broken by the occasional below of
some huge alligator, or the far distant
scream of some unknown bird. Here and
there can be seen the track left behind by
some hunter, where possibly years ago liz
had labori0usly poled his canoe along in
pursuit OF game, the path as distinct and
fresh now as II made only yesterday. All
around fish of endless species and sizes can
be seen SWIMMING and darting about, while
not infreQueutly the eye may fall upon
some immense alligator or snake summing
himself upon the surface of the muck and
water or slowly sinking out of sight as soon
as he is discovered. This description con-
yeys slight but at best very imperfect
idea of the prairie land of this swamp.
Upon the island where we are at present
encamped are living two families, with the
aged father. named Cheshire. The old
gentleman is nearly 80 years of age and has
spent thirty odd years of his life here in
this spot AT the time of the expedition
sent through the swamp by the Constitu-
ton he acted as guide and is full of remi-
niscences Of that trip. He is wonderful
fisherman. and, indeed, calls himself the
King of the Swamp, to which position he
says he was duly appointed and commits
stoned by DIR. Little, the State geologist.
families here. The men attempt to cult
vate small crops, but spend most Of their
time hunting. Their revenue is almost en-
tirely derived from the sale of hides of
alligators, deer and bears, The quantity of
these that they destroy and many of their
stories of hunting adventures are almost
incredible. Think of hunter shooting
down four deer with rifle one after
another and without moving from one spot.
In several of the lakes that are thickly in
terspersed throughout this prairie the alli-
gators are so numerous and fierce that they
will attack man in boat as soon as he
appears among them. and shooting them by
night, which is the way they are commonly
killed, is sometimes attended with no little
danger.
The entire armament of the Cheshire
family consists of one ten-gauge, ten pound
double barreled Remington shotgun and
two Winchester rifles, one thirty-eight cali
Der and one thirty-two. Also a small yell
low pine bow and few cane arrows. These
latter are used in shooting fish. and | feel
safe in affirming that the dexterity with
which these men use their rude bow and ar
rows will put to shame the average Atlanta
marksman with his rifle In passing over
the prairie, one of the Cheshires will sud
denly stop, poiSe his little bow and send
his little arrow into the water, ordinarily
into spOt where you or l would see moth
ing, but the way that arrow will dance
about for the next minute or two will con-
vince you not only that there is an object
at the other end of it, but that it is an OBJ
ject of some size. too. When your hunter
pulls up his arrow behold a four or six
pound trout or black bass, centrally trans
fixed, shot that very few Of our marks
men could make with gnn. Atlanta
Journal