he old slave, who now as a freedman is beginning to feel the
responsibility of his position.

These Crackers are a very kind-hearted people, but few of them can read
or write. The children of the negro, filled with curiosity and a
new-born pride, whenever opportunity permits, attend the schools in
large numbers; but the very indolent white man seems to be destitute of
all ambition, and his children, in many places in the south, following
close in the father's footsteps, grow up in an almost unimaginable
ignorance.

The news of the arrival of the little Maria Theresa at Piraway Ferry
spread with astonishing rapidity through the woods, and on Sunday, after
"de shoutings," as the negroes call their meetings, were over, the
blacks came in numbers to see "dat Yankee-man's paper canno."

These simple people eyed me from head to foot with a grave sort of
curiosity, their great mouths open, displaying pearly teeth of which a
white man might well be proud. "You is a good man, capt'n--we knows
dat," they said; and when I asked why, the answer showed their
child-like faith. "'Cause you couldn't hab come all dis way in a _paper_
boat if de Lord hadn't helped you. _He_ dono help only good folks."

The Cracker also came with his children to view the wonder, while the
raftsmen were so struck with the advantages of my double paddle, which
originated with the inhabitants of the Arctic regions, that they laid it
upon a board and drew its outlines with chalk. They vowed they would
introduce it upon the river.

These Crackers declared it would take more than "de shoutings," or any
other religious service, to improve the moral condition of the blacks.
They openly accused the colored preachers of disturbing the nocturnal
rest of their hens and turkeys; and as to hog-stealing and cow-killing,
"Why, we won't have any critters left ef this carpet-bag government
lasts much longer!" they feelingly exclaimed.

"We does nothing to nobody. We lets the niggers alone; but
niggers will steal--they can't help it, the poor devils; it's in
'em. Now, ef they eats us out of house and home, what can a poor
man do? They puts 'em up for justices of peace, and sends 'em to
the legislature, when they can't read more'n us; and they do say
it's 'cause we fit in the Confederate sarvice that they razes
the nigger over our heads. Now, does the folkes up north like to
see white people tyrannized over by niggers? Jes tell 'em when