_Nov. 30th._--Just entered my room, after having been for the last hour
engaged waiting for, and watching the progress of, one of those
startling phenomena which in the earlier ages were wont to be hailed as
especial manifestations of the Creator's anger,--whose influence has
been known to stay the onset of engaging hosts, making men deaf to the
sound of the trumpet, and dead to the yet more stirring influence of
their own furious passions, when standing armed before the array of
their enemies,--which have been known to scare the robber from his
spoil, and join in renewed amity the hands of long hating brothers.
And even at this day, when natural causes have been assigned for the
appearance of this wonder, and science has learned to anticipate the
minute and the effect of its coming, still, what power does it exercise
over the imagination of the mass! Few minds can watch the progress of
such an event, natural though it be, untouched by awe, unelevated to
that Being who is the cause of all; the hearts of the simple and the
profound, of the sinner and of the saint, alike own the influence of the
hour, and render up nature's involuntary homage to nature's God.
It had been already calculated that at Charleston and in its immediate
vicinity this eclipse would be total; and, consequently, here were drawn
together, from different points, several scientific men, astronomers and
others, for the purpose of observing its progress.
Nothing could have chanced more happily for their object than the
present state of the atmosphere. At meridian the sky was cloudless; the
page of heaven lay open, fair, to all who could read therein: at the
same time the thermometer stood at 75 degrees in the shade; but from
this hour until two P.M., when the obscuration was complete, continued
gradually to fall, remaining stationary at 50 degrees.
As the great luminary became slowly covered, the shadows kept deepening,
until, at last, day was exchanged for the sober effect of moonlight:
thin filmy clouds then became observable, slowly sailing beneath the
diminished orb; one by one the stars came twinkling forth; the household
poultry gathered uneasily together in the yard, and retired to their
roosting-places; the hurrying tread of frequent passers gradually
ceased; the buzz of the thousands of eager watchers died away; the voice
of man was silent, or heard but in whispers, and the profoundest silence
reigned throughout the city; till, at the moment when the interposition
was complete, the bells of the different churches tolled out, adding a
thrilling solemnity to the scene.
At this point of the eclipse the effect was grand beyond description: a
well-defined, narrow circle, of the most brilliant crimson colour,
surrounded for a few moments the darkened orb, which then seemed to
diverge into a glorious halo composed of equal rays: but only for a
minute was this clearly definable; the rays quickly faded from the side
of the luminary once more given to view; and again a soft daylight, like
the gradual spreading of a fine dawn, chased away the night shadows that
had thus prematurely usurped day's fair dominion.
From every quarter was now heard the cheerful crowing of the "early
cock;" the fowls came briskly forth, pluming themselves in the
recovered sunshine; the tramp of numerous passers-by was again echoing
from the street; and again the cheerful buzz of human voices filled the
air.
This was the first time I had ever witnessed a total eclipse; and I
confess I fully shared the general interest with which all about me
appeared inspired. Upon the covered gallery fronting the south, the
inmates of the hotel were all assembled; whilst, in the yard below, were
congregated the servants and household slaves of the family, with
upturned anxious faces, now watching the progress of the phenomenon, and
now casting their eyes upon the group of white men, to gather from their
looks the effect likely to follow this hiding of the sun, in whose
presence the negro alone may be said to live.
Although the recovered luminary shone bright as before its obscuration,
it was with diminished power, for it continued chilly during the rest of
the day and night; nor was it before noon on the 1st of December that
the mercury recovered from its sudden depression.
_Dec. 8th._--The President's message on the subject of the indemnity due
from France to America was received in this city, where it appears to
produce a startling effect: I should say, ten voices out of every eleven
I have heard speak on the subject, deprecate any idea of a rupture with
France. The merchants and travellers of that nation, of whom there are
numbers here, appear somewhat indignant at the tone assumed by the chief
of the government, which they affirm to be insulting to the nation, with
which a Frenchman, in all places, whatever may be his political
sentiments or present condition, never fails completely to identify
himself. This respect for France is a gallant sentiment of theirs, and
shows particularly well when they are far from the country whose honour
they assert, standing a few amongst many.
_Dec. 9th._--I engaged a pilot-boat to run down the coast south as far
as Savannah, which, although some hundred miles out of my line, I had
set down as a place to be seen. My Charleston managers, two worthy
industrious souls, hearing of my route, begged of me to permit them to
take the pilot-boat off my hands for the transport of their company, on
condition that I would halt in Savannah for three or four
representations. To this I was readily moved by their strongly-expressed
desire, and gave up my little schooner, becoming a passenger where I
had looked to reign sole proprietor; the whole thing was arranged in the
course of the day. The wind continued steadily about north-east and by
the evening, the freight, composed of the paraphernalia, was shipped and
stowed; the company assembled; and, after sundry holdings-on for some
music-book forgotten in the orchestra, or some actor left at his
lodging, we in about one hour after the time fixed by the pilot for the
latest minute of tide, slipped the hawsers of the smart little
Washington, and fell off into the stream of ebb.
When we got on the bar, it was almost low-water: the schooner drew eight
feet abaft, and we had just nine feet soundings over the bank; we
cleared all, however, after a minute of some anxiety, owing to there
being a heavy northerly swell setting in, which appeared each moment to
increase.
Once over the bar, we got nearly before the wind with a staggering
breeze, and went along right merrily. Our representative of all the
Juliets and Julias had a pretty voice; the Kemble of the company, a
fine, tall, good-tempered fellow, sang duets and trios well enough for
a tragedian; a chorus was easily mustered out of the remaining members
of the corps who continued fit for duty; and we roused old Ocean with
"When the wind blows," until he became too obstreperous in his
emulation, and fairly drowned our melody.
The wind did blow, at last, in such a sort as to disperse our chorus;
the schooner was about forty tons measurement, sharp as a wedge below,
and not over three feet and a half between decks; the cabin was about
the same square measurement, with two little berths, into which we
stowed the ladies, the managers and the principals occupying the
remaining space; in the hold, over the ballast, the rest of the company
stowed themselves away.
To penetrate either of these close quarters I found utterly impossible:
all were ill save the stout tragedian; comedy, farce, and opera, ballet
and band, the manager, his subjects and his properties, were alike
disorganized and overwhelmed. I resolved therefore on keeping the deck
as I best could, by the help of a stout dread-nought, a pocket-full of
cigars, and a mild infusion of old cognac, provided for me by a
considerate friend.
Within two hours, the wind had gradually increased until it blew a
gale: the foresail was taken in, the mainsail close-reefed, and the
saucy boat flew along before it like a gull, the following seas just
kissing the edge of her taffrail, as she slipped away before them.
Our pilot, the owner of the craft, was a careful and steady old
Bristol-man, but somewhat nervous and timid: his regular crew consisted
of two fine white boys, apprentices, and a couple of stout slaves: we
had, in addition, taken on board an old apprentice of the pilot's, who
as we started had volunteered to accompany his once master. This was a
droll subject, a regular long-sided dare-devil of a South Carolinian: he
was full three sheets in the wind when we sailed, and managed to keep
the steam up by the contributions liberally proffered during our short
season of festivity.
As the gale freshened this fellow showed out; when a sail was to be
handed or a reef taken in, he was a crew in himself; one of the coolest
and smartest fellows I ever met, but somewhat profane in his humour, and
rather hard upon the nerves of the chief: few of his sayings will bear
repetition; but the exaggeration of his figures of speech, the wild
fantastic spirit of reckless humour by which he was governed, I shall
not lose sight of; during the night I supplied him with cigars, and with
his oddness wore away the time. One little bit of dialogue will describe
this wild man of the water better than any words of mine. We had already
taken in two reefs when the pilot gave directions "Stand by to lower
away the peak."
"Ay, ay," sang out his _aide_, as he sprang nimbly to the foot of the
mast; adding, "but what the devil are you going to do now, stranger?"
"Bear a hand!" cried the senior, "take in another reef!"
"What! you're afear'd little Wash-the-water goes through it too fast,
are you, old man?"
"To be sure: I don't want to get off the bar before daylight."
"Don't you? Why then you must tie her fast to a stump, my friend; for if
you let her go ahead, she'll make the light long afore you can see your
way across the bar, between the white water."
"The wind between now and then may slack a little," urged the senior,
looking back over the seas now rolling very high, as though he wished
the time was come.
"Well, that's a cur'ous kind o' guess you've made, any way, old
stranger," laughed his tormentor, clapping his foot against the
companion, and taking the pull of a giant on the reef-tackle as he
spoke. "If you ever know'd where to look for the fag-ind of a
north-easter at this time o' year, it's more nor you ever larn'd me to
do, and that I do say wasn't doin' your honest duty by me. I'd lay a
pistreen this breeze would last the Washy, to the south'ard o' the
Tortugas, and well you know it too."
"Well, suppose it would, I can't help it--what would _you do_, Matthew?
It blows like thunder: I can't tell how fast she's going,--I don't want
to over-shoot the light, and then have to thrash back through such a
smother of a sea."
"Well, now I see what you're at; and it's all right, I guess," observed
Matthew, with affected deference of tone. "I know the varmint's pretty
slick, but I never should ha' thought of her crawling over ninety miles
in four hours:"--it was at this time about midnight. "You ask me what
I'd do; why now I'll tell you, if I was you, I'd say, Mat. here take the
stick,--it wouldn't be the first time,--and I'd crawl out o' that hole
and shake myself; and then I'd ask this gentleman for a cigar and a
mouthful of liquor, and then I'd clap a bit o' the square mainsail on
her, and lift the sloppy little slut out of it a yard or two; that's
what I'd do: and now what have you to say agin it, he?"
"You have a square mainsail in the craft, I suppose?" here inquired I,
by way of taking Matthew off the old man a little.
"Why, I don't know; maybe the old man has had it cut up to make
trousers: but there used to be one when I was in her, and such an
omni-po-tent tearer,--it had a hoist to heaven, it sheeted home to
h--ll, outspread the eternal universe, and would ha' dragged a frigate
seventeen knots through a sea o' treacle, by the living jingo! Why, I've
seen it afore now raise the leetle hooker clean out o' water, and tail
off, with her hanging on, like the boat to a balloon."
With the least possible sail we continued to slip along at a slapping
rate, and long before daylight made the light at the entrance of the
Savannah river: had our pilots known this bar as familiarly as they did
that of Charleston, we might have run in; as it was, we hove-to in a
very heavy sea for upwards of two hours, and the Washington behaved
under these circumstances to admiration; she lay-to like a sea-bird, now
floating buoyant upon the foamy crest of the great seas, then sliding
down their sides into the trough where they would threaten to enclose
her.
The senior pilot never quitted the little square hole sunk over the run,
wherein he stood to steer, although sometimes, when she rolled to
windward and made a dip, the green seas would make a rush over her
quarter, and sweep the deck a foot deep; luckily there was nothing to
hold the water; but for fourteen hours the old man's hand never left the
tiller.
Soon after daylight we once more filled-away, and brought the little
jewel of a boat snugly by-the-wind, hauling in for the bar, although not
without some ugly doubts; for Matthew and the old man could not agree,
and the sea all along in-shore looked plaguy white and ugly as we neared
the low land: however, in we flew, having breakers on either hand, over
near to be pleasant, and in a few minutes, entering the river close by
the wreck of a large brig, were in comparative security.
Our counsel was even now divided about the true channel, until one of
the boys, who had made a couple of trading trips up to the city, took
it upon his own responsibility to read the buoys and landmarks as far
as he knew them. Keeping the lead constantly going, we quietly jogged up
the river with a stiff breeze; the country bleak and bare, a region of
half-redeemed swamp and lagoon: being in smooth water, our party all
turned out; stores were rummaged, and a good breakfast provided upon the
deck of the boat so recently swept by the green seas: the past was
forgotten, the sun shone out, and again the glee and merry song floated
through the air of morning.
Matthew had by this become quite sober, and took his spell at the helm;
admitting, evidently to his senior's satisfaction, that it certainly was
"a real nullifier of a breeze, enough to blow the leetle Washy into
pieces."
About six miles off the city, we got at last set fast; when, growing
impatient of such close confinement, I requested the captain to set me
on shore. The thing was voted impracticable; but I decided to make the
attempt, and was accordingly rowed to the right bank of the river, when
I took to the swamp, hungry and savage enough to have eaten any
alligator fool-hardy enough to assail me. After a hard scramble,
together with two or three plunges waist deep, I escaped suffocation,
and gained one of the banks dividing and draining these vast fields:
following this, unimpeded by other difficulty, I reached, after half an
hour's march, the high land; and, attracted by the sounds of merriment,
mounted the first bluff, where I found a large barn occupied by a couple
of score laughing, noisy negroes employed thrashing out the crop: from
one of these I received directions how to reach Savannah, whose spires
were clearly to be seen.
At the end of about five miles, I found myself an exceeding dirty
gentleman entering upon the long well-shaded mall which protects the
river-front of the city. I was, by this, tolerably tired of my walk; for
the light sandy soil was ankle-deep, and the sun broiling. After passing
one block or range of counting-houses, I gladly read on the first of the
next range the name of a friend from whom I felt certain of welcome.
A capital dinner, and a glass of the finest Madeira in the States, made
light of past labour; and during the evening I was glad to learn that
the Washington had arrived with her freight all safe and well. My friend
Matthew now informed me he had given the boys in the boat directions to
wait for me half an hour, which they did, fully anticipating that I
should never clear the cane-brake and swamp lying between the river and
the fields; and, in sooth, it required some perseverance.