creek debouching from the marsh, which I entered, and
from one watercourse to another, without a chart, found my way at dusk
into Bull's Bay. The sea was rolling in and breaking upon the shore,
which I was forced to hug closely, as the old disturbers of my peace,
the porpoises, were visible, fishing in numbers. To escape the dangerous
raccoon oyster reefs of the shoal water the canoe was forced into a
deeper channel, when the lively porpoises chased the boat and drove me
back again on to the sharp-lipped shells. It was fast growing dark, and
no place of refuge nearer than the upland, a long distance across the
soft marsh, which was even now wet with the sea.

The rough water of the sound, the oyster reefs which threatened to
pierce my boat, and a coast which would be submerged by the next
flood-tide, all seemed to conspire against me. Suddenly my anxiety was
relieved, and gratitude filled my heart, as the tall masts of a schooner
rose out of the marshes not far from the upland, telling me that a
friendly creek was near at hand. Its wide mouth soon opened invitingly
before me, and I rowed towards the beautiful craft anchored in its
current, the trim rig of which plainly said--the property of the United
States. An officer stood on the quarterdeck watching my approach through
his glass; and, as I was passing the vessel, a sailor remarked to his
mates, "That is the paper canoe. I was in Norfolk, last December, when
it reached the Elizabeth River."

The officer kindly hailed me, and offered me the hospitality of the
Coast-Survey schooner "Caswell." In the cosiest of cabins, Mr. W. H.
Dennis, with his co-laborers Messrs. Ogden and Bond, with their
interesting conversation soon made me forget the discomforts of the last
three days spent in the muddy flats among the lowland negroes. From
poor, kind Seba Gillings' black cabin-floor, to the neat state-room,
with its snowy sheets and clean towels, where fresh, pure water could be
used without stint, was indeed a transition. The party expected to
complete their work as far as Charleston harbor before the season
closed.

The Sunday spent on the "Caswell" greatly refreshed me. On Saturday
evening Mr. Dennis traced upon a sheet of paper my route through the
interior coast watercourses to Charleston harbor; and I left the pretty
schooner on Monday, fully posted for my voyage. The tide commenced
flooding at eleven A. M., and the flats soon afforded me water for their
passage in the v