Athletics and manly sport . ntinues to overfloAv, and the wholevast extent of the swamp remains inundated. These are the rivers that, if traced to theirsource, will be found to take their rise in the Dis-mal Swamp: the south branch of the Elizabeth,the west branch of the Elizabeth, south branch ofthe Nansemond, the Deep Creek, the North River,the Northwest River, the Little River, the Per-quimans, and the Pasquotank. Granting that the dense foliage of the DismalSwamp lessens evaporation, there is still nothinglike a proportion between the rainfall and thewater that remains in and flows out of
Athletics and manly sport . ntinues to overfloAv, and the wholevast extent of the swamp remains inundated. These are the rivers that, if traced to theirsource, will be found to take their rise in the Dis-mal Swamp: the south branch of the Elizabeth,the west branch of the Elizabeth, south branch ofthe Nansemond, the Deep Creek, the North River,the Northwest River, the Little River, the Per-quimans, and the Pasquotank. Granting that the dense foliage of the DismalSwamp lessens evaporation, there is still nothinglike a proportion between the rainfall and thewater that remains in and flows out of this dis-trict. There is no field in America more deserving ofscientific investigation than the Dismal first thing is not known about it — how itwas formed. Fortunately the attention of theNational Geological Survey has now been turnedin this direction. A survey of the entire districthas been ordered and begun. Within a year, it ishoped, a perfect map of the Dismal Swamp, show- CANOEING IN THK DISMAL {SWAMP. 417. 418 ETHICS OF BOXING AND MANLY SPORT. ing its surface, with the accuracy of five-feet con-tours, will be published. The bed of the lake was formed by a fire thatburned the trees and the peaty earth, making ahollow where the water lodged, says generalopinion. But then it must have been a swamp before thefire, or there would have been no peaty earth toburn, and the rivers must have been flowing outof it as they do to-day. The fire could not makethe rivers, even if it did make the lake; and if itwere originally a swamp, the fire could not burndeep enough to form the present bed of the lake,which is from 7 to 15 feet in depth. The firesstill yearly occurring never burn below two feet,for at that depth is the percolating water, and itmust have been there always. The bottom of the lake is composed almostwholly of fine white sand, and the temperaturevaries greatly in parts. In our long rubber bootswe waded in the shallow water near the shore inseveral places, and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectgames, bookyear1890
