The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-20
THR GREAT DISMAL SWAMP.
fHB LOVELY LAKE DRUHH0ND.
The swamp Deserted by Man and Beast
A Description of The Wonderful
Growth-To the Angler the Lake
Offers Fishing of the Best.

Swamp, "a wilderness that covers an area
of more than forty miles. and which.
though II lies for the most part WITHIN
the boundary lines OF Virginia, - as NJ
tie known 10 many natives OF TINS stare
as tho Tcral ia India or any jungle IN
md-Africa- ~,
In this wise a desire TO see this wild
and forbl9ling waste had grown ana
strengthened TIL finally / determined TO
satisfy the craving, cost what IL nISh,'
But the resolution 10 30 was one thing.
and the ability 10 carry II out quite an
other.
Al the outset / was confronted by an
obstacle that nearly ~ owed InsGpeiable.
neither knew, nor could ma out, even
after diligcnt and persevering inquiry,
how 10 get TO the Dismal swamp. Parties
10 whom l applied for inforna tion seem
cl to have but vague ideas as 10 where
the swamp Was or how body couid ge.
there. However learning eTentualiy ,na t
the Norfolk and Western railroad was
my line. and Suffolk my Destination
bought a ticket and started;
Suffolk proved much liveller ana nor orr,
noteworthy place than accorded with my
preconccivCd ideas In regard 10 IL. IL
contains a population CT from six TO elsn'
thousand. Is In contact win i've ran
roads has several fiOurishing factories
FOR woodenwares. a canaery. three news,
papcrs-a daily ana two wecNncs-ani
two hotels and should iairly lie cliSsed
as one OF the towns In virginia that are
well advanced on the up-srbie. As l
strollcd about the place | saw many pref
Nv homes. not a few of which front uIon
neatly turfed plats garnish@dswlth shrubs
and flowers. OF several churches, repre-
kenting sUndry denominations. the bp's-
copaiian and Christian were the hand'
soonest | saw.
The country along the road TO Ports
mouth was. as far as | went an almost
unbroken succession of truck farms, wen
cultivated and apparently productive.
This part of the State seems to he par,
iicularly well adapted TO that branch OF
x..htc NJ. H.flhf has
Using future before IL.
Arrived at Suffolk. the next question
on my docket was how TO get to the
lake. Facilities for. the trip are measre.
and not Of a tempting character. My
only means OF reaching Lake Drummond
was 10 embark In a small canoe. padded
by colored boatman, Accordingly next
morning after an early breakfast ] set
out for the great Dismal. The head
OF the canal where ! was to embark Is
about two miles from Suffolk. "a distance
l achieved i'm about half an hour Though
called a canal. this waterway IS for many
miles Of it's course but little wider or
deeper than n big ditch indeed. the boat
men rarely designate IL by any other
term. Its mean depth is about four feet,
though / presume there are deeper sound
ings here and there. At one time. now
quite a remote past there was towing
Irath from the head of the canal 10 the
lake. but with the decay 2 the industry
to promote which IT was constructed. the
need for a towing path ceased. ana to-
TALLY submerged track. recurring at ir-
regular intervals for the first few miles
after leaving our point OF departure. the
rest has been utterly effaced. absorbed
in the ooze and slime OF the swamp. or
else covered with ferns, reeds rushes and
other water-loving plants that contend
for possession of every inch of space
down to the waters edge.
The "GnrAT DISMAL"
Stained by cypress and juniper roots
pyh.n 1irpa1 "A vessel is
a rich coffee color, but as seen In the
canal II looks more like ink than any
thing | can think of. Ferns. larger and
taller than any / had seen before. adorn-
ed the banks. their plume-like gracefully
curving sprays looking much like the
Prince of Wales insignia done In green.
Reeds stood as thick as straw-culms in
a wheat-feld. and every rotua log and
piece of decaying timber was carpcted
with moss. OF this there were many va
rieties-some as peculiar In form and
season had been rather backward for
flowers, yet a few were in bloom, Of
which a flag with light purple blossoms,
and q plant that bore clusters of brilliant
pink were the most conspicuous. Snakes
literally swarm In the luxuriant riparian
growth. mostly water moccosins, some
Of which attain quite large size. These
branches into the boats as they pass be
meath. Ben Jackson, my boatman. tells
me that blacksnakes are not often seen
4
was under the impression that the range
OF that reptile extends from Canada TO
Mexico.
To a tourist fond OF variety the seem
cry along the canal Is apt TO prove dis |
appointing. Soon after starting he en- |
ters a dense and savage wilderness that |
stretches without break from his point !
OF departure TO Lake Drummou1 Not |
a house, not even the humblest cabin. no |
clearing nor glade of natures making. |
but dense. crowded. choking underground |
from which Expresses, jumpers. gums. |
and trees of sundry kinds rise 10 light |
and air above. At intervals one sees an |
opening that suggests a. swatch cut In a |
field OF growing grain. made by swamp |
Cd. TO convey timber felled In the swamp |
to the canal for transportation These |
ew'ampers are the sole human tenants
OF this gloomy wilderness. They do not, /
Of course. dwell there. but have homes |
elsewhere 10 which they repair when |
the exigencies of work permit While AT |
work they live in rudely conyructel
camps. composed of shelters made of |
brush or given slabs. Although these |
men spend weeks and months IN osten-
sibly the very cradle and nursery OF ma
nowise more unhealthy than the aver
age OF residents outside. Indeed. l was
told that cases OF ague and fever are
more frequent among people who live In
among cojourners In the swamp itself
This sounds incredible. yet such, j was |
assured. Is the fact.
DRINK THE WATER.
Another inexplicable fact Is that the
colored boatmen drink the water of the |
canal freely. yet suffer no appreciate |
harm-water literally choked win aquat-
&c growth. and of course as a resulting |
feature Infested with ABUNDANT insecu |
and microscopic life. To look at thu |
masses of lilypadS. ferns. grasses, etc, |
that cumber the canal one might well |
fancy that single draught would prove
seem 10 be strangely confuted by inficxi-
be facts. Inc DARK color OF the water
In conjunction with its CLASSY smooth
ness causes the surface TO reflect objects
with the accuracy of q mirror. Trees
shrubs. etc, are reproduced with mi
OF fidelity almost startling. As
one gazes into its depths IL looks as II
the boat was passing over a neither fir
the blue concav witty and drifting
clouds OF which are undor ones keel i'm.
stead OF overhead. Even such petty de-
tails as the brars on bramblc or the !
s~ed-Scales on spray OF fern are eX- |
luisitely duplicated
Occasionally ono yasscs huge LOGS.
magnificent samples OF unlocr sound |
and III for tAe saH,mlll. boating half sub
merged In the STILL bla'n water.
The shinglc ana understanding indus
try was Formerly conducted on an cX- |
lensiye scale In the swamp but under
due TO destruction of me-
Il rial by fires. combined with other local |
circumstances, II has shrunkcn cons.d-
Prably
We often hear and read of TANGLED
Tickets. impenetrablc jungles ana alb |
dense growth OF various Kinds |
Ind In many lands. but in the Dismal |
10 y |