mber.

One of the proprietors, a northern gentleman, occupied with his family a
very comfortable cottage near the store and steam saw-mill. As the Doboy
people had learned of the approach of the paper canoe from southern
newspapers, the little craft was identified as soon as it touched the
low shores of the island.

I could not find any kind of hotel or lodging-place in this settlement
of Yankees, Canadians, and negroes, and was about to leave it in search
of some lone hammock, when a mechanic kindly offered me the floor of an
unfinished room in an unfinished house, in which I passed my Sunday
trying to rest, and obtaining my meals at a restaurant kept by a negro.

A member of the Spaulding family, the owners of a part of Sapelo Island,
called upon me, and seeing me in such inhospitable quarters, with fleas
in hundreds invading my blankets, urged me to return with him to his
island domain, where he might have an opportunity to make me
comfortable. The kind gentleman little knew how hardened I had become to
such annoyances as hard floors and the active flea. Such inconveniences
had been robbed of their discomforts by the kind voices of welcome
which, with few exceptions, came from every southern gentleman whose
territory had been invaded by the paper canoe.

There was but one place of worship on the island, and that was under the
charge of the negroes. Accepting the invitation of a nephew of the
resident New England proprietor of Doboy Island to attend "de
shoutings," we set out on Sunday evening for the temporary place of
negro worship. A negro girl, decked with ribbons, called across the
street to a young colored delinquent: "You no goes to de shoutings, Sam!
Why fur? You neber hears me shout, honey, and dey _do_ say I shouts so
pretty. Cum 'long wid me now."

A few blacks had collected in the small shanty, and the preacher, an old
freed man, was about to read a hymn as we entered. At first the singing
was low and monotonous, but it gradually swelled to a high pitch as the
negroes became excited. Praying followed the singing. Then the black
preacher set aside "de shouting" part of the service for what he
considered more important interests, and discoursed upon things
spiritual and temporal in this wise:

"Now I'se got someting to tell all of yese berry 'portant." Here two
young blacks got up to leave the room, but were rudely stopped by a
negro putting his back against the door. "No, no," chuckled the
preacher,