out of their holes. Sometimes the alligator attained huge proportions,
measuring, from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail, fourteen
feet. It was fond of a given locality, and exercised exclusive dominion
over some favorite bend in the river, some chosen part of a lake, or
some attractive pool in the swamp. The patriarch, with its attendant
consort and progeny, there reigned supreme, unless, after severe
battle, it was driven away by one more powerful.
In ante-bellum days, when firearms were denied to the negro population,
alligators were far more numerous than they are at present. The great
demand for their skins which has arisen of late, the use of the rifle
in the hands of the tourist, and the employment of the shot-gun by
the freedmen have united in causing a frightful mortality among these
reptiles. Bartram says that when he visited the River St. John the
alligators at one point “were in such incredible numbers, and so close
together from shore to shore, that it would have been easy to have
walked across on their heads, had the animals been harmless.”
For the capture of animals drinking at the water’s edge, or swimming
in lake or river, the tail was employed. A stunning blow having thus
been delivered, the victim was caught in the open jaws, and thence
transported to the dwelling-place of the reptile, where it was guarded
until decomposition had fairly supervened. It was then eaten at leisure
and with apparent relish. Sometimes days were allowed to elapse before
the slain animal or bird became suitably seasoned for the feast.
While hogs, dogs, calves, sheep, geese, and ducks were often captured
by alligators, they seldom attacked human beings. Of mankind they
apparently entertained an inborn fear, and would quit the part of the
river or lagoon in which men or even boys were swimming. Instances are
rare in which human life has been sacrificed to the voracity of these
monsters. The writer remembers several occasions, however, on which
men and children were attacked by alligators. He will be pardoned for
recalling one of them.
Sawney had a wife who resided upon a neighboring plantation. It was
his habit to visit his wife every Saturday night, and remain with her
until Monday morning. On these journeys he would carry a bag containing
provisions and such choice morsels as he had been able, during the
week, to accumulate for his better half. Near the negro quarter, where
he resided on the home-plantation, was a small creek, in which the tide
ebbed and flowed. A large log furnished convenient means for crossing
it. On the night in question, shortly after dark, Sawney shouldered
his well-filled bag and set out for his wife’s house. The tide was
flowing into the creek. Instead of crossing on the log, he saw fit to
descend the gentle bank and wade through the water. It was not more
than half-leg deep, and the creek was only some ten yards wide. When
he was in the middle of the stream his attention was attracted by a
movement in the water. Instead of getting out upon the bank, which he
could readily have done, he paused, and began to parley with what, in
the darkness, he conceived to be a “sperit.” “Tan back, Mossa Sperit,
an lemme pass. Tan back, Mossa Sperit; me do you no harm.” In this
idiotic and frightened manner he stood idly talking, until what proved
to be a large alligator approached and laid violent hold of his right
leg. He was quickly thrown down by the reptile. In the confusion which
ensued, and amid the struggles and yells of the negro, the alligator
for the moment relaxed its hold, and was attracted by the fallen bag,
which it tore in pieces. Sawney had so completely lost his wits, was
so terrified, and was suffering so much pain, that he neglected to
improve the opportunity thus afforded, and betake himself to flight. He
remained rooted to the spot, howling, praying, and calling for help.
Having in a little while disposed of the bag, the alligator renewed
its attack upon the frightened negro, threw him down, broke his left
arm, and frightfully lacerated it and one of his legs.
The negroes at the quarter hard by, hearing the noise and cries for
help, armed with torches, hoes, axes, and billets, rushed to the spot
just in time to save the life of the unfortunate man. The alligator was
beaten to death. It measured nearly eleven feet, and was very stout.
Sawney’s wounds proved well-nigh fatal. He was confined to his cabin
for quite three months, and, during that time, required and received
the careful attention of a competent surgeon.
The lazy way in which the negro was in the habit of fishing, perched
upon a tussock, with feet and rod trailing in the water, somnolent and
in utter silence, did sometimes invite and receive a flirt from the
tail of the reigning alligator, defending its preserves against all
poachers.
The old memories are fast drifting away into the shadows, and the
modern negro and the alligator of the present are but partial types of
things that were.
LX.
SPERITS.
Among the negroes of the coast region of Georgia and the Carolinas a
belief in the existence of ghosts, “sperits,” and superhuman influences
was very general. Especially did it obtain among the ordinary
field-hands and those least educated. Comparatively few there were
who could lift themselves entirely above the superstitious fears born
in Africa and perpetuated by tradition in their new home. Memories of
Fetichism, of Totemism, and of Anthropomorphism were strangely mingled
with the teachings of Christianity, and in their religious exercises
the emotional predominated over the intellectual. The potency of charms
and philters was freely admitted, and it was necessary to restrain the
practice of Fetichism by positive inhibition, or by labored persuasion
of its utter absurdity. The fabrication of Fetiches, and their sale
to those who desired to utilize the powers of the deities which they
were supposed to represent, were monopolized by old women, who derived
considerable gain from this calling. The idea was by such means to
conjure the neighbor against whom enmity was cherished, and thus
subject him or her to the malign influences of the spirit or demon
whose power was supposed to inhere in the evil charm.
The ordinary Fetich consisted of a bunch of rusty nails, bits of red
flannel, and pieces of brier-root tied together with a cotton string. A
toad’s foot, a snake’s tooth, a rabbit’s tail, or a snail’s shell was
sometimes added. In price it varied from twenty-five cents to a dollar.
To insure the efficacy of the desired spell, it was necessary that
the charm should be secretly deposited under the pillow of the party
to be affected, placed upon the post of a gate through which he would
pass, or buried beneath the doorsteps of his cabin. Once persuaded of
the fact that he had been thus conjured, the patient became possessed
of superstitious fears, and often complained of bodily “miseries,”
which apparently defied the power of the healing art, and were wholly
dissipated only when some atonement was made for the alleged wrong, or
payment offered to have the spell broken through the intervention of
the conjurer who had devised it.
In the conduct of plantations, difficulty and annoyance were not
infrequently experienced from the interference of these old negro
women,--conjurers,--who, in plying their secret trade, gave rise to
disturbances and promoted strife and disquietude.
To the apprehension of the common field-hand there was no gainsaying
the fact that the spirits of the departed walked the earth and
revisited the scenes of their former occupancy. It was not accorded
to every one to see and to commune with them. Only those “born with
a caul” were capable of doing so. Such were never terrified by these
ghostly visitors. By their fellows they were held in special esteem.
To this favored class did July belong. I inquired, on one occasion,
whether he believed in ghosts and could see spirits. “Yes, Mossa,” was
his reply, “me kin shum. You know me bin born wid caul. People wuh no
bin born wid caul kin yeddy sperit, but dem cant shum. Sperit kin skade
um, too, but dem cant skade me. Me kin walk long um der road, talk ter
um een de bush, see dem een me bed, and yeddy um een de grabe yad. Me
an sperit good fren.”
How do they look? “Same luk wen dem bin libe, ceptin dem look lucker
shadder, an dem walk backwuds, an dem face tun backwud, an de heel teh
eh foot day way eh toe orter be. Dem dont tetch de groun wid dem foot,
but dem sorter dis skim pon topper de grass. Dem so light dem cant mek
track.”
What garments do they wear? “Same cloze wuh dem bury een. Way dem gwine
git any mo? De cloze hab eh shape, but you kin see dey yent nuttne
eenside er um.”
What do they do? “Nuttne, so fur es me know, cept walk bout, wisit dem
ole home, an notus wuh duh gwine on sence dem leff.”
Do they ever trouble anybody? “No, me nebber see dem trubble nobody.
Dem wunt talk ter you. Dem go een gang ob two er tree, an wander bout
tel sich an sich er time, wen dem haffer go back ter dem grabe. Me see
dem wuk dem mouf same luk dem bin er talk ter one anurrer, an shake dem
head, an pint dem finger. Dem onderstan one anurrer. Me bin question
dem mo na once, but dem nebber will mek answer. Heap er time me jine
compny wid dem der big road, an try fuh gage dem een conbersation, an
fine out who dem yis, an how dey mek out; but dem nebber will tell me,
an, befo long, look luk dem git bex, an den dey fade way een de wood an
leff me lone een de road.”
Can you recognize them? “Yes, Mossa, ef I bin know dem befo dey dead,
I kin know dem now. Me kin see dem dist es plain es me kin see you
now. Only tarruh night me bin comin from Barnedo plantation. Dest es I
cross de causeway an rise de hill by Shannul ole buryin-groun me see
Miley,--wuh bin dead de year arter freedom,--duh lean genst one oak
tree sider de road. Day dis biggin fuh broke. Me gone up ter um an me
try fuh pass de time er day wid um, fuh me yent bin see um sence dat
rainy ebenin wen we bury um in Shannul. Miley look say eh bin want fuh
ax me someting; an den, all ob a sutten, eh check isself, an eh tun
roun an mek off fuh de grabe-yad. Me foller um, an wen eh come teh eh
own grabe eh pit eh head down, an eh gie two er tree whul, an down eh
gone. Me walk up en sarche de grabe. Me cant fine out how Miley git
een. De grass yent mash. De groun yent broke; no hole day: an yet me
see um, wid me own yeye, gone down, head foremose, een eh grabe.
“Las winter me en George bin er hunt possum een Jerrido bottom. We bin
ketch two fat possum, an dest befo we mek up we mine fuh go back home
we buil one fire fuh wam weself. De night berry cole. Wen we bin er wam
we han an we foot roun de fire, yuh come ole Uncle Andrew, wuh nusen
ter dribe fur ole Mossa, an ole Uncle Jupter, wuh bin de gadner, an ole
Aunt Peggy. Dem walk up tarrur side de fire an look at we, but dem yent
bin crack eh teet ter we. Me see dem plain, en me try fuh pint dem out
to George. Him couldnt shum, cause George yent bin born wid caul. De
dog nebber notus um. Bimeby George hair biggin fuh rise. George skade,
an we leff fuh de nigger house.
“You member Jacob wuh dem bin heng een de Boro? Well, me an Sam meet um
one moon-shiny night een de big road, wid de een er de rope tie roun
eh neck. Me kin tell you bout heap er people me bin meet an see arter
dem done dead an bury. Me shum mose ebry night. Me kin show you some
ter-night ef you bin born wid caul. Many time dem people wuh cant see
sperit come pon top dem an dunno nuttne bout um. Enty wen you duh walk
long de road der night you suttenly feel hot win bresh by you cheek?
Enty you sometime smell dead man finger? Enty you yeddy bush crack der
wood wen de win yent der blow? Dem duh sperit, but you no know. Sperit
der walk close by you, but you no shum. Me could pint dem out an tell
you who dem yiz.”
Are you not afraid of these spirits? “No, Mossa; wuh me gwine fade um
fuh? Dem nuttne cept de shape er people wid de sperit eenside. De bone
an meat done leff um. Dem cant hot nobody. Eh breff cant pizen you; an
ef eh did knock at you, eh dis same es ef win try fuh hit you.”
Why do they come out of their graves? “Me dunno, cept dem want fuh see
one anurrer, an wisit dem ole home, an look pon topper dem ole fren.”
Are they all grown? “No, sir; you see dem all size, leetle an big, man
an ooman, gal an boy, an leely baby. My leely Sue, wuh dead, blan come
an play bout de house ebry now an den. One time me try fuh ketch um up
in me arm, but me han gone clean tru um dis luk er shadder, an den eh
wanish, an me so sorry.”
These notions of July may be accepted as typifying the belief on this
subject entertained by the great majority of the negroes on the coast.
Many went a step further, and invested these ghosts and “sperits” with
the ability to intervene in mundane affairs, and to entail harm and
misfortune upon those with whom they had not lived amicably while in
the flesh. It was the belief of some of the African tribes that the
power of a ghost bore some relation to that which the being possessed
when alive, and it may be that an inherited thought affords at least a
partial explanation of the ideas still entertained by their descendants
upon the shores of this New World.
LXI.
DADDY JUPITER’S VISION.
Dreams are intimately associated with the lower forms of
religion.... During sleep the spirit seems to desert the
body; and as in dreams we visit other localities and even
other worlds, living as it were a separate and different
life, the two phenomena are not unnaturally regarded as the
complements of one another.--SIR JOHN LUBBOCK.
Daddy Jupiter was an old man when I first knew him. In the capacity of
a body servant he had accompanied his master during the campaign of
1812-15; and this fact, apart from his excellent character, elevated
him in the esteem of all. For many years prior to his death he was
practically “off duty,” keeping in-doors whenever he did not feel
entirely well, and in pleasant weather working in the vegetable garden.
He was fond of his chickens and pigs, and cultivated on his own account
a small patch where arrowroot, long collards, sugar-cane, tanniers,
ground-nuts, benne, gourds, and watermelons grew in commingled
luxuriance. A widower and without children, he led, in the main, a
retired life; seldom visiting at the houses of the other negroes on
the plantation, but always chatting pleasantly with all who came to
see him. At the “Praise-House” his seat was never vacant when his
health permitted him to be present, and he filled the office of a
“watchman” upon the plantation. It was the duty of one occupying that
station to advise in spiritual matters, to lead in the semi-weekly
prayer-meetings, to set an example which others might well follow,
and to counsel in all religious difficulties. Although somewhat
quick-tempered, and jealous of that respect which he deemed his due
from others, he was upright, honest, full of Christian sentiment, and
pronounced in his condemnation of everything savoring of evil. In a
word, he was a man of good reputation, enjoyed the confidence of his
fellows, stood high in his church, and was supposed to be in special
favor with the Lord.
During the winter preceding his death Jupiter suffered much from
rheumatism. For weeks together he ventured no further than the door of
his cabin, where he would sit and sun himself and smoke his clay pipe.
A negro lad, Cæsar by name, had been deputed to cook for him, to wait
upon him, and to minister to his needs.
I called one morning to see the old man, to inquire after his health,
and to ascertain whether his wants were properly supplied. For an hour
and more he entertained me, as was his wont, with tales of the olden
time, and was evidently in excellent spirits. As I was about to depart,
Cæsar said: “Mossa, Uncle Jupter bin hab er wision las night. Leh him
tell you bout um.” My curiosity being excited, I resumed my seat,
and inquired: “Daddy, is that true? Have you had a vision?” “Yes, me
chile,” he answered, “me suttenly did hab er wision, an er berry good
one too.” “Tell me about it,” I rejoined. “Well, yeddy me,” replied the
old man, and he spoke as follows:--
“Las night, dis befo fus fowl crow, me bin er leddown een me bed. De
moon done set. Cæsar, him bin ter sleep by de fire een de tarruh room.
Eberyting on de plantation gone bed. Me bin study bout de time wen
ole Jupter hab ter meet him Lord and Master, an me berry happy een me
bussum. Den me drap ter sleep. How long me bin ter sleep me dunno,
but all ob er sutten pear like ebry shingle an boad hab er crack, an
de light stream tru, an de room bin bright es day. Wile me duh wonder
wudduh dat, four leely angel, wuh dress een wite an hab wing on eh
back, fly een de room. Two light topper de foot er de bed, an one on
arur side er me. My! but dem bin pooty! Me see heap er pooty wite
chillun een me time, but me nebber bin see nuttne teh come up ter dem,
nur ter ketch nigh um. Dem look pon topper me so kind, an dey open
an shet dem wing, an mek sich a cool breeze een de house. Bimeby me
retch out me han fuh tell de one huddy wuh bin tan close me bed on de
right side, but eh draw back, an eh say: ‘Jupter, we come fuh leh you
know de blessed Jesus duh commin fuh cahr you up ter Hebben an show
you de seat wuh eh hab ready fur you.’ Me dat glad me yent hab bref
fuh mek ansur. Me hard fuh bleebe me own yez. Me harte rise up een me
troat, an me yent duh say nuttne, but me duh watch fur de Lord. Soon de
blessed Jesus, wid de print er de nail een eh han an eh foot, an wid de
star on eh head, drap right down tru de top er de house dout crack er
shingle, an eh call me name, an eh tell me fuh rise, an eh pit eh han
onder me shoulder, an eh liff me up light es er fedder. Me ole cloze
an me ole body leff behine, an somehow narruh me sperit, him keep de
shape er de body. Den eh pit eh han onder me arm, an eh cahr me way up
eenter de element, beyant de sun an de moon an de star, an de leely
angel duh foller we. We gone an we gone way up tel we git ter er big
alablaster house, wid high piazza all roun an roun, wuh shine same luk
de sun, buil in de middle er a beautiful gaden wid flower, an fruit, an
hummin-bud, an butterfly, an angel wid harp duh sing an duh joy ehself
onder de tree. Dis es we git ter de big gate, wuh mek wid pearl, eh
swing open dout tetch um, an de blessed Jesus lead dis poor ole nigger
up de shinin pate to de big house way de Lord lib.
“We gone up de step an enter de pahler, way de great God bin er set on
eh golden trone. Den de blessed Jesus mek de good Lord sensible dat dis
duh Jupter wuh him hab sabe, an dat eh fetch um fuh show um eh seat
wuh eh done prepare fur um. Wid dat de Lord, him call teh one angel,
an eh tell um fuh bring one chair an set um down befo eh trone. Soon
es dis bin done eh say: ‘Jupter, yuh you chair; set een um. Eh blants
ter you.’ Mossa, you nebber bin see sech chair een all you life. Eh hab
gold rocker ter um. Eh hab welwit cushin een eh bottom. Eh hab high
back, an eh arm stuff. Eh so soffe an easy. Eh look pootier den dat big
rockin chair wuh ole Mossa bin gib Missy wen eh marry you farruh. Me
shame fuh set een de chair, but de blessed Jesus, him courage me, an me
tek me seat, an me so tankful dat me hab one chair een de mansion een
de sky.
“Den de blessed Jesus tell anurruh angel fuh bring me some milk an
honey fuh drink. Eh bring um een a nice glass tumbler, an eh gen me fuh
drink. Me tase um, an eh sweet mone anyting me ebber drink een me life.
Eh tell me fuh drink um down, an wen me drink all outer de glass, an me
yeye ketch sight er de bottom er de tumbler, me see some speck. De ting
trouble me, fuh me dunno wuh mek speck day een de bottom er dat clean
tumbler. Den de blessed Master notus me, an eh say: ‘Dont fret, Jupter;
dem speck duh you sin, but now dem all leff behine.’
“All dis time me bin er set wid me face tun way from de Lord an eh
trone, cause eh so great an bright me couldnt look pon topper um.
Mossa, me cant scribe wuh me see an yeddy een dat Hebben. Eh yent fuh
tell. De blessed Jesus tek me tru de gaden, down by de ribber, an een
de orchud way de bigges peach, an fig, an orange, an pomegranate, an
watermillion, an all kin der fruit der grow. Me see heap er good
people wuh me bin know befo eh dead. Ole Mossa, Cappne Maxwell, ole Mr.
Ashmore, Buh Jack, Sister Masha, me own Dinah, an mo bin day, an dem
all hab harp, an bin der sing, an walk bout, an der pledjur ehself. Dem
glad fuh see me too, an gen me de right han er fellership.
“Arter me bin in Hebben good wile, de blessed Master, him say: ‘Come,
Jupter, I gwine show you way de bad people go.’ Den eh lead me down to
one bottom wuh dark an kibber wid cloud. In de fur een me see smoke duh
rise, an me yeddy people duh cry an duh holler so bad. Wen we git ter
dat spot, lo an behole! day was de mouf er Hell. Satan, him bin day wid
eh pitchfork, an eh black head wid screech-owl yez, an eh red yeye, an
eh claw-han, an eh forky tail. Eh tan right at de mouf er de big hole
way de smoke an de fire duh bile out. Fas as de tarruh debble bring
sinner ter um, eh push um wid eh pitchfork an eh trow um een de fire.
Lord Amighty! Mossa, how dem sinner did kick an holler an try fuh pull
way! But twant no use. De minnit ole Satan graff eh claw on um eh gone,
an you could yeddy um duh fry een de fire same luk fat een me pan yuh.
Me bin rale skade. De ting mek me sick. Me hole on ter me Jesus, an him
tell me not teh fade, dat nuttne shill trouble me.
“Dis at dat time me wake. Me hair bin a rise on me head, an wen me come
fuh fine out me bin een me own bed, an fowl bin a crow fuh day. Oh,
Mossa! dat ting wuh dem call Hell duh a bad place. Me no wan shum no
mo, an me yent gwine day nurrer. Enty de blessed Jesus done show me de
chair wuh eh done sabe fuh me een Hebben? Yes, Mossa, me seat eh fix,
an ole Jupter ready fur go wenebber de Lord call.”
He was indeed prepared, and early in the spring we laid him to rest
beneath the venerable live-oaks which, with their solemn arms, guarded
the plantation burying-ground. Then, not in a vision, but in reality,
as we believe, the good old man claimed and was accorded his seat in
the “mansion not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.”
GLOSSARY
_Abnue_, avenue
_Agg_, egg
_All ob er sutten_, quickly and unexpectedly
_An_, and
_Arter_, after
_Arur_, each, either
_Ax_, ask
_Bactize_, baptize
_Bague_, to beg
_Barruh_, barrow
_Beber_, beaver
_Bedout_, without
_Ben_, bend, bent, been
_Berry_, very
_Bes_, best
_Bex_, vex, vexed
_Bidness_, business
_Biggin_, begin, began
_Bimeby_, by and by, presently
_Binner_, was, were
_Bittle_, victuals
_Blan_, in the habit of, accustomed to
_Blanks_⎫
_Blants_⎭ belongs to
_Bleebe_, believe
_Bleege_, obliged, compelled
_Bodder_, to bother
_Bode_, board, boards
_Bofe_, both
_Bole_, bold
_Boun_, resolved upon, forced to
_Bredder_, brother
_Bref_, breath
_Bres_, breast
_Bresh_, brush-wood, to brush
_Broke up_, to leave, to depart
_Brukwus_, breakfast
_Buckra_, white man
_Bud_, bird
_Budduh_⎫
_Buh_ ⎭ brother
_Buhhine_, behind
_Bun_, burn
_Buss_, burst, or break through
_Cahr_, carry
_Caze_, because
_Ceive_, deceive
_Cept_, accept, accepted, except
_Chillun_, children
_Chimbly_, chimney
_Chune_, tune
_Cist_, insist
_Clorte_, cloth
_Cloze_, clothes
_Cohoot_, bargain, agreement
_Cole_, cold
_Conjunct_, agree to, conclude
_Cote_, court
_Crack eh teet_, make answer
_Crap_, crop
_Crape_, scrape
_Cratch_, scratch
_Cut down_, disappointed, chagrined
_Darter_, daughter
_Day_, there, is, to be, am
_Day day_, to be there
_Den_, then
_Der_, was, were, into
_Dest_⎫
_Dist_⎭ just, only
_Destant_, distant, distance
_Det_, death
_Diffunce_, difference
_Disher_, this
_Do_, door
_Dout_, without
_Drap_, drop, dropped
_Duh_, was, were
_Dunno_, don’t know
_Dut_, dirt
_Edder_, other
_Eeben_, even
_Een_, in, end
_Eenwite_, invite
_Ef_, if
_Eh_, he, she, it, his, her, its
_Element_, the sky, upper air
_En_, end
_Enty_, are you not, are they not, do you not, do they not, is it not
_Faber_, favor
_Faid_, to be afraid
_Fambly_, family
_Fanner_, a shallow basket
_Farruh_⎫
_Farrur_⎭ father
_Feber_, fever
_Fedder_, feather, feathers
_Fiel_, field
_Fine_, supply with food, find
_Flaber_, flavor
_Flo_, floor
_Flut_, flirt
_Foce_, force
_Forrud_, forehead
_Fren_, friend
_Fros_, frost
_Fuh_, for
_Fuh sutten_, for a certainty
_Fuss_, first
_Gage_, engage, hire
_Gedder_, gather, collect
_Gelt_, to girt
_Gem_, to give
_Gen_, gave, again
_Gie_, give
_Gimme_, give me
_Glec_, neglect
_Glub_, gloves
_Gooly_, good
_Graff_, grab
_Gree_, agree, consent
_Grine salt_, fly round and round
_Guine_⎫
_Gwine_⎭ going, going to