. The Southern states of North America: a record of journeys in Louisiana, Texas, the Indian territory, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland . n from Vicksburg onone of the larger and finer of thesteamers; and the journey was a per-petual succession of novel one point, when I supposed weboniaancs the boat .to^.. at a coai:n„ .tatioii ^^^.^ comfortably holdlng our way in the channel, a torch-light flared up, and showed us nearing a scraggy thin, long prow of the
. The Southern states of North America: a record of journeys in Louisiana, Texas, the Indian territory, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland . n from Vicksburg onone of the larger and finer of thesteamers; and the journey was a per-petual succession of novel one point, when I supposed weboniaancs the boat .to^.. at a coai:n„ .tatioii ^^^.^ comfortably holdlng our way in the channel, a torch-light flared up, and showed us nearing a scraggy thin, long prow of the boat ran upon the land. Gangways werelowered; planks were run out from the boats side to the bank; fortynegroes sprang from some mysterious recess below, and huddled beforethe capstan. The shower of harmless sparks from the torches cast momentary red gleamsover the rude but kindly black faces. A sharp-voiced white man, whom Ilearned afterwards to call the Wasp, because he always flew nervously aboutstinging the sprawling negroes into activity, thrust himself among the stings from his voice, and the dusky forms plunged into the darknessbeyond the gangways. Then other torches were placed upon the bank—lighting up long WOODING UP. 69 The Wasp flitted restlessly from sliorc to deck, from deck to shore, while thenegroes attacked the piles, and, each taking half a dozen sticks, hurried to thedeck with them. Presently there was an endless procession of black formsfrom the landing to the boat and back through the flickering light, to thetune of loud adjurations from the Wasp. Now and then the chain of laborersbroke into a rude chant, beginning ^\ith a prolonged shout, such as • Oh ! I los my money dar ! and followed by a gurgling laugh, as if the singers were amused at the sound oftheir own voices. When any of the darkies stumbled or lagged, the Wasp,generally kind and well- ^ _ __ disposed towards the ne-groes, despite his roughways, broke into appea
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidsouthernstat, bookyear1875
