The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-09-28
DOWN THE POTOMAC.
Instructive Account Of a Charm
ing Canoe Voyage.
A Trip which Must Prove a Revelation to
the Lover of Nature - Some lime
Samples of Local Nomenclature
The Aqua Quarrles.
rsnecial Washington letter.

Especial Washington Letter.
The Washington Canoe association is
=an organization of which any chief of
the old Analostans, PowtowmaclIs, Ac-
-comacs. or Susquchannas would have
been very proud. In the days of the
aborigines the placid Potomac was
plowed by the dug-out, birch-bark
and RATED handicrGft of ambitious cop
per-colored sportsmen and warriors.
They went a-fishing in those days, but
they did not go cunning. They had
bows and arrows and crude traps; but
such as they had they used for captur-
ing or killing the reed-birds, ortolans,
ducks. deer and other game. They in
vaded the flats and marshes, and
tramped over the islands for mere wan
tonness. They had tribal fleets, too,
and went to war as heroically and fero-
.ciously as did their white brethren be-
yond the tracklcss Atlantic waste. But
they had no Armada, nor any panoplied
flotilla such as that in which Cleopatra
led Mare Antony to disgrace and in
fanny
headquarters near the spot on which
81 the greatest battle was ever fought in
prehistoric times. The Analostans,
Accomacs and Powtowmacl1s formed a
confederacy; a sort of tIi-partite agree
ment for their mutual protection
against the invading hordes of the
north, called Susquehannas. The lat
ter tribe came down like wolves on the
fold. Their ranks were as the sands of
the seashore in number. But, upon one
occasion, when they came by land and
by water, the southern confederacy of
= copper-colored warriors entrenched
themselves upon an eminence NOW
known as Observation hilD. repulsed
them. drove them back, followed and
smote them hip and thigh; so that they
never again approached the Potomac
region. Even until this day the bones
of those slain in that great battle on
the river, as well as on the land, and
that on Analostan island. midway be-
tween the river banks. are occasionally
eXhumed, when buildings are erected
on the spot where thousands of duSky
warriors battled for supremacy. 1t is
near this battle-ground that the modern
feet casts and weighs anchor to-day.
But the complete crafts of the pleas
-ure-seekers are models of ease and COM
fort In such a safe vessel as the lit
tie Mariner. it is a great pleasure to
explore the bays and shores of the
lower river. For several days proceed
ing the cruise, active preparations had
been going on to insure a complete out
fit, and the tent, cooking utensils,
blankets and provisions were now
snugly slowed under the deck IN such
"a manner as to ballast the cruiser for
her best sailing. Rapidly the familiar
shores of the river near the city were
passed, and once under the long bridge
we felt that our cruise had really be-
gun. The temptation to stop for a
brief visit to the wooded bluffs of the
Four Mile run, favorite rendezvous
of the Potomac canoeists, was resisted
by desire to make camp as far down
the river as possible the first night, so
we kept our course in midchannel
past Alexandria, the former home of
Lord Fairfax, and Jones Point just be-
low, where on April Is, 1871, the initial
corner stone of the present District of
Columbia was laid by a notable gather
ing of distinguished officials, in &C
cordance with President Washington's
proclamation of March 80, 1871, an
nouncing the bounds of the new feder-
al territory afterwards named the Dis
trict of Columbia. The present light
house at Jones Point stands on the
site of the interesting ceremonies, and
in the beginning of this century it was
proposed to erect q strong fort there to
be called Columbia in commemoration
of the event.
The Mariner is so different in every
way from the original craft called
~''canoe" that it seems to be a great
misnomer. II the first place no oars
are required for its propulsion, for it
has two large, light but strong sails
which make it leap through and over
the water like thing of life. In the
next place it has a keel, and one does
not have to maintain an absolute
equilibrium, as in the aboriginal canoe.
know how it is myself, for once upon
a time dug-out canoe, without mo-
ment's warning, dumped me in the
middle of the Mississippi river on the
Des Moines rapids, and tried to ride me
lover the rocks That canoe had no
deck. The Mariner has a substantial
deck and requires ballast 1t is really
more fun for young fellow to go
canoeing in dug-out or birch-bark
affair. But few years later the mod
'ern canoe is much more enjoyable.
Off Hunting creek our craft sails
through large flock of anchored de-
-coys, which from a distance appear SO
lifelike as they float on the glistening
waves Forts Foote and Washington,
the scenes of many jolly camping par
ties, are LETT behind, and rounding
Sheridan point, where the river makes
its first bend below the city, the tall
shaft of the Washington monument
disappears from view just as the his
toric mansion at Mount Vernon is
seen, one and three-fourths miles
away. All sail is now crowded on and
our boat headed for this hospitablc
sshore. where we know a hearty wei