he great, black-mouthed fireplace, and while the
bright coals of live-oak spread a streak of light through the darkness,
black men and black women stole into the room until everything from
floor to ceiling, from door to chimney-place, seemed to be growing
blacker and blacker, and I felt as black as my surroundings. The scant
clothing of the men only half covered their shiny, ebony skins. The
whole company preserved a dignified silence, which was occasionally
broken by deep sighs coming from the women in reply to a half-whispered
"All de way from de norf in a _paper_ canno--bless de Lord! bless de
Lord!"

This dull monotony was broken by the entrance of a young negro who,
having made a passage in a sloop to Charleston through Bull's Bay, was
looked upon as a great traveller, and to him were referred disputes upon
nautical matters. He had not yet seen the boat, but he proceeded to
tell the negroes present all about it. He first bowed to me with a
"How'dy, how'dy, cap'n," and then struck an attitude in the middle of
the floor. Upon this natural orator Seba Gillings' dignity had no
effect--was he not a travelled man?

His exordium was: "How fur you cum, sar?" I replied, about fourteen
hundred miles. "Fourteen hundred miles!" he roared; "duz you knows how
much dat is, honnies? it's jes _one tousand_ four hundred miles." All
the women groaned out, "Bless de Lord! bless de Lord!" and clapped their
shrivelled hands in ecstasy.

The little black tried to run his fingers through his short, woolly hair
as he continued: "What is dis yere world a-coming to? Now, yous ere
folks, did ye's eber hear de likes o' dis--a _paper_ boat?" To which the
crones replied, clapping their hands, "Bless de Lord! bless de Lord!
Only the Yankee-mens up norf can make de _paper_ boats. Bless de Lord!"

"And what," continued the orator, "and what will the Yankee-mens do
next? Dey duz ebery ting. Can dey bring a man back agen? Can dey bring a
man back to bref?" "No! no!" howled the women; "only de Lord can bring a
man back agen--no Yankee-mens can do dat. Bless de Lord! bless de Lord!"
"And what sent dis Yankee-man _one tousand_ four hundred miles in his
_paper_ boat?" "De Lord! de Lord! bless de Lord!" shouted the now highly
excited women, violently striking the palms of their hands together.

"And why," went on this categorical negro, "did de _Lord_ send him down
souf in de _paper_ boat?" "Kase he couldn't hab cum in de _paper_ boat
ef de Lord hadn