THE EXCURSION TO MANDARIN.
The band struck up a lively air as the boat started; and nothing could
be more exhilarating than the strains of the music, in the soft
sunshine and mild, sweet air of that semi-tropical region. It was
March; but the air was like summer. As soon as we had passed the first
bend, the St. Johns appeared more like a far-reaching lake than a
stream. The river is from one to six miles wide below Pilatka. The
shores are never elevated, for there is not a bluff upon it that is
more than thirty feet high, while generally the land is only a few feet
above the level of the water. The highest elevation near the river
hardly exceeds sixty feet.
The country is almost wholly covered with woods, as seen from the
river. With the exception of a few villages, hardly a house can be seen
from the passing steamer. One seems to be nearly alone with nature
while voyaging on this broad tide. The trees are pines and magnolias,
and now and then one sees a patch covered with jasmine, the vine of
which climbs the trees and shrubs, and blossoms there. There are plenty
of flowers, even in the early spring. Compared with Maine or Michigan,
where I had spent most of my life, it was fairy-land in March.
"What are you doing here, Cornwood?" asked Colonel Ives, as he entered
the pilot-house, soon after we were under way.
The party was somewhat larger than it had been the day before, and both
the Mayor and Colonel Ives, with their families, were on board.
"I am the pilot of this steamer for the present," replied Cornwood; and
I thought he felt a little "cut" by the question.
"Isn't this a little derogatory to the profession?" laughed the
Colonel.
"I don't practise at the bar much, as you are aware: my health does not
admit of the confinement," the pilot explained.
"That is often the case with practitioners who don't have much to do in
their profession."
"I have always had all I could do at the bar; but the open air and an
active life agree best with me."
"It does with everybody who is short of cases."
"But he is a good pilot down the river, and I have no doubt he is just
as good up the river, Colonel Ives," I interposed. "His knowledge of
his native State surprises us all."
"I was only bantering him, captain," replied the passenger. "I think he
is a very good lawyer too, though he did not have a good case this
morning."
"When it comes to trial, I will show you that it is a better case than
you think it is," replied Cornwood, with more spirit than he had before
exhibited. "'Prisoners hang that hungry jurymen may dine,' and you and
the Mayor were in a hurry to finish the case, so that you could join
this excursion."
"I was not in the case," added the Colonel.
"But you prompted the magistrate to end it as soon as possible."
"What was the use of talking all day over a matter that was as plain as
day? The rascal would have killed the engineer, if the deck-hands
hadn't interfered," replied Colonel Ives. "The case might have been
finished in ten minutes, as well as in three-quarters of an hour."
I was willing the lawyers should fight it out between themselves, and I
left the pilot-house, which Owen and his ladies had not yet invaded. I
saw Washburn on the top-gallant forecastle, looking at the scenery of
the river, and I joined him in this retired place. I had not yet had an
opportunity to ask him if he had found Cobbington, and I went to the
forecastle for this purpose.
"I found him," replied the mate, in a disgusted tone. "But I might as
well not have found him."
"Why so?" I inquired, rather amused by the manner of my friend.
"Since I came on board, I have found out something more than I knew
before. Last evening, while you were ashore, Cornwood called a boat
that was passing, and sent a letter ashore by the boatman," continued
Washburn, as much dissatisfied as though he had been personally
injured. "Of course that note went to Captain Boomsby."
"How do you know Cornwood sent a letter on shore last night?"
"Buck," called the mate to the deck-hand who was on duty forward.
"On deck, sir," replied Buck, touching his cap to the mate.
"You told me this morning, when you set me ashore, that the pilot sent
a letter to the city last night by a boat he hailed."
"Yes, sir; three or four of us were on deck at the time, if there is
any doubt about it," replied the deck-hand.
"No doubt at all about it. Did you notice the boatman that took the
letter?"
"It was a blacky I have seen a dozen times about the steamer and on the
wharf, looking for jobs for that boat-yard," replied Buck. "He was in
the barge that brought off the passengers to-day."
"All right, Buck;" and the deck-hand retired. "After I heard about this
letter, I didn't expect anything of Cobbington, if I found him."
"Did you find him?"
"I did; he was not out of his bed when I called for him. He told me he
had two water moccasins, and one of them had got away while he had a
room at Captain Boomsby's. He did not know what became of him. He had
looked all about the house without being able to find him."
"Did he tell you what became of the other?"
"I asked him that question, and he told me he had him still. I asked
him to let me see him, but he refused in spite of all I could say to
induce him to show him. He said the snake was nailed up in a box, with
only some holes bored in it to admit the air; and he could not show the
snake without taking off the cover of the box. The moccasin was a
dangerous fellow, and he didn't want to run any risks with him. He had
left his last boarding-place because they killed a rattlesnake
belonging to him. I asked him to show me the box, but he wouldn't even
do that, and said it was all nonsense to show the box."
"You made up your mind that he had no moccasin?" I added.
"No more than I had. On my way down from the house I met his landlord,
coming home from the market. He asked me if I had found Cobbington. I
told him I had, and then informed him his lodger kept a live moccasin
snake in his room. He was greatly astonished at what I told him, and
declared that he wouldn't have a moccasin in his house for all the
money there was in Jacksonville; the snake might get loose, and bite
his wife or one of his children. He intimated that he should hasten
home and turn Cobbington out of his house: he would not have any man
under his roof who would endanger the lives of his wife and children."
"That was bad for Cobbington," I replied, with a smile.
"I told the landlord what his lodger said, that he had the moccasin
nailed up in a box. He didn't care how he kept him: he would not have
such a fellow about his house. I added that I did not believe
Cobbington had any such snake in his room, though he insisted that he
had. Then he either had a moccasin, or he lied about it, and in either
case he didn't want the fellow in his house. I came to the conclusion
that the landlord wanted to turn out his lodger, and only wished for a
reasonable excuse for getting rid of him. I left him; and I suppose
Cobbington has been turned out by this time. I shouldn't want a
poisonous snake in my house."
"Nor a man who would lie without a reasonable excuse," I added.
The steamer went along at her usual speed. I returned to the
pilot-house, where by this time Owen had installed all the young ladies
he could get into it. They were all full of fun and jollity, and were
enjoying the excursion to the utmost. As it seemed to me that they
ought to do so, I found no occasion to complain. I could not help
suspecting that the pilot might be guilty of some treachery, after the
events of the morning, and I deemed it advisable to have a close watch
upon him. But he kept the steamer in the middle of the river, where I
had been informed there were no shoals; and certainly no rocks, for not
one could be found in this part of the state, even big enough to stone
a stray dog.
"Mulberry Grove on the right," said Cornwood, who did not neglect his
duties as guide, while he attended to those of pilot.
We could see little besides a long pier, though there was a glimpse to
be obtained of a house through the vista of trees.
Twenty minutes later we ran up to the pier at Mandarin, where the pilot
made as handsome a landing as I ever saw in my life. It was half-past
eleven when we had secured the steamer to the wharf. The band played
some popular airs, and in a few minutes I judged that we had the entire
population of the village on the wharf. It was a lively time for
Mandarin, which is a remarkably quiet place. I believe I saw something
like a store there, though I am not quite sure. About all the houses
are on the bank of the river, and were reached by a long, narrow
foot-bridge, built over the lagoon. From the main bridge, cross bridges
extended to each house.
At twelve the lunch was ready, and the excursionists went down into the
cabin to attend to it, while the band on the hurricane-deck continued
to play. An oyster chowder and baked shad were the principal
substantials of the lunch; and while they were served, Gopher was the
greatest man on board. As soon as the lunch was disposed of, and the
cook had been sufficiently complimented, the party went on shore.
Cornwood led the way over the long foot-bridge.
"There is an alligator in the wild state," I said to Miss Margie, as I
was walking with her and her father.
"I don't see anything," she replied.
"Don't you see that splashing in the water, with something black in the
midst of it? That is an alligator, the first one I ever saw," I added.
It looked like a stick of wood. A little farther along we saw one on a
log. He was not more than three feet long. He attracted the attention
of the party, who had never seen one in his native element before; but
we expected to see larger ones in the course of a week or two. Mrs.
Stowe's cottage was one of the first we came to. It was a one-story,
wooden house, with no pretensions to elegance. An immense live-oak grew
near it, and covered the cottage with its branches. Around it was an
orange grove, on the trees of which many oranges still remained. The
distinguished lady was not at home, and we did not see her.
We walked to the end of the bridge, looking at the pretty dwellings on
the shore, and then went upon the land, where we had quite a ramble.
But an hour enabled us to see all there was of the place, and we
embarked for the return. Before five o'clock we were in sight of
Jacksonville. The pilot ran the boat as near the shore as it was safe
to go, and the barge I had engaged to be present transported the party
to the shore. Mrs. Mitchell's house looked very pleasant from the
outside; but we were principally interested in the garden and orange
grove. It was said that over five thousand oranges had been gathered
from one of the trees we saw. We examined a great variety of
semi-tropical trees and shrubs, such as lemon, banana, grape-fruit, and
others I cannot remember.
The party dined on the river, and landed at the market at six.