Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-07-25
Navigating the Nozubee.

Capt. Marryatt the most famous anC
brightest of sea novelists. has on
character who persisted IN using words
in their strained and obsolete senses
and who was much ridiculed for using
the expression ''the party paved theil
way up the river" The phrase does moi
now sound so ridiculous to one who hal
come down tn reaches Of the middle
Noxubee, from Hashuqua to Howard'l
Lake.
When Camp Cupid broke up last Sat.
urday four of the campers embarked
in a boat on the Hashuqua and, amid
the plaudits Of admiring friends, started
out to make La Sale descending the
Mississippi river look like thirty cents.
Lifting the boat over a couple Of logs
in the Hashuqua the voyagers soon
were on the broad and ample bosom of
the Father of (Noxubee county, Waters.
Hereon they sailed for nearly a hundred
yards before encountering any obstacle.
But the boat was then light and was
soon lifted over a four foot cypress tree
lying athwart the river ike a barrier
placed to bar trespassers on the streams
quiet. Several hundred yards Of easy
sailing was now enjoyed and then an
other log. But this one was at one
point six inches above the water. and,
the ladies lying in the bottom. the boat
was forced under it. 1t would distress
the reader to recount seriatim the logs
and drifts encountered and over or un-
dercome, and besides repetition would
tire him or her. Sufficient it is to state
that seventeen times was the boat
lifted high in the air and carried over
logs and drift, half as many times
forced under, and drifts cut away in
other %places-and the sun wal hot, and
the boat, out of pure ~perversity, grew
heavier and heavier. The voyagers
paved" their way over about a mile
of the journey.
The trip began at 1920 a. m. and
ended at Towards Lake at 7:15 p. m.
Something more than an hour of this
time was spent at dinner. The distance
traversed was yariously estimated at
from fifty to five hundred miles; in
reality it is about eighteen or twenty.
1t is very interesting to come by
boat down the middle Noxubee. One
al see enough ire-wood TO run Hades
a week and never take his eyes from
the river. And when he gets out to
lift the boat over a log or drift, he dis
overs in pain and anguish that twice
as much more is under water and out If
sight. Another remarkable thing is
that judging by the number of fish-poles
on the bank left there temporarily by
fishermen, that part Of the country is
very thickly inhabited; yet not a single
human being was sighted from the
boat during the whole journey. Fish
baskets and set-hooks seem to yield
small returns in this part of the river.
The voyagers would sight a set hook or
basket; a kindly interest in the I'M
known owner would prompt them to
look and see what luck he was having.
Examination would be made and no fish
found. This is proven by the fact that
they brought no fish home with them.
The water of the middle Noxubee is
very wet and all runs down stream, the
logs which are generally of wood all lie
cross-ways the river mostly just touch
ing the water, the fish is this part of
the river are non-amphibious and live
down in the water out of sight The
above and many other interesting phe.
nomena were carefully observed and &C.
~curately noted during the journey and
will be made public in a memorial to
congress to improve the navigability of
our great little river.