FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83  
84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   >>   >|  
evergreens, on shore, vie with voluptuous aquatic flowers to bewilder and delight the astonished traveller, accustomed hitherto only to the more unassuming productions of the sober north. Everything here was new, strange, and solemn. The gigantic trees, encircled by enormous vines, and heavily shrouded in grey funereal moss, mournfully waving in the breeze--the doleful night-cry of the death-bird and the whip-poor-will--the distant bugle of the advancing boats--the moan of the turbid current beneath--the silent and queenly moon above, appearing nearer, larger, and brighter than in our cooler latitudes--the sultry atmosphere--and most of all, perhaps, the sense of the near vicinity of death in this infected region--oppressed my spirit with an ominous feeling of solemnity and awe. As we passed the plantations which here and there varied the scene, gangs of negroes could be seen at labour--their sturdy overseers, of ruffianly mien, prowling sulkily about, watching every motion of the bondsmen, whip in hand; which weapon they applied with the most wanton freedom, as if the poor sufferers were as destitute of physical sensation, as they themselves were of moral or humane feeling. Armed with a huge bowie-knife and pistols, these embruted creatures were very cut-throats in appearance; and it is well known there, that their conduct in general towards those they lord over, justifies the appellation I have given them. The steamer halted at intervals to take in wood, which is invariably used, instead of coal as in England. This is piled in parrallelograms on the banks--the logs being split longitudinally. This forms a source of good profit, and is, in many instances, the chief maintenance of the squalid settlers of these plague-stricken and unwholesome places. After the measurement of the pile by the mate or captain, the deck-passengers and boat-hands stow it away in the vicinity of the furnaces--it being part of the terms of passage, that the lower order of passengers shall assist in the operation. This is much disliked by the latter, and many of the Germans of this class on board, endeavoured to escape the laborious duty by hiding amongst the packages on deck. A general search was, however, instituted by the officers of the vessel, just before it stopped at a wooding-station--and the skulkers were brought out, amidst the clamorous jeers of their fellows. The class of passengers I have just referred to, consisted chiefly of Ge
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83  
84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
passengers
 

vicinity

 

feeling

 

general

 

parrallelograms

 
England
 
creatures
 

embruted

 
pistols
 

profit


source

 

longitudinally

 
conduct
 

steamer

 
appellation
 

justifies

 
halted
 
intervals
 

appearance

 

invariably


throats

 

search

 

instituted

 

vessel

 

officers

 

packages

 

endeavoured

 

escape

 

laborious

 

hiding


stopped

 
fellows
 

referred

 

consisted

 

chiefly

 
clamorous
 

amidst

 
station
 

wooding

 
skulkers

brought
 

Germans

 
places
 
measurement
 

captain

 

unwholesome

 
stricken
 

maintenance

 
squalid
 

settlers