perience　the　length　of　her　miles；　but　in　the　wilderness　of　the　south　there　is　no　standard　of　five　thousand　two　hundred　and　eighty　feet　to　a　statute　mile；　and　the　watermen　along　the　sea…coast　are　ignorant　of　the　fact　that　one…sixtieth　of　a　degree　of　latitude　（about　six　thousand　and　eighty　feet）　is　the　geographical　and　nautical　mile　of　the　cartographer；　as　well　as　the　〃knot〃　of　the　sailor。
  At　Piraway　Ferry　no　two　of　the　raftsmen　and　lumbermen；　ignorant　or　educated；　would　give　the　same　distance；　either　upon　the　lengths　of　surveyed　roads　or　unmeasured　rivers。　　〃It　is　one　hundred　and　sixty…five　miles　by　river　from　Piraway　Ferry　to　Conwayborough；〃　said　one　who　had　travelled　the　route　for　years。　The　most　moderate　estimate　made　was　that　of　ninety　miles　by　river。　　The　reader；　therefore；　must　not　accuse　me　of　　overstating　distances　while　absent　from　the　seaboard；　as　my　friends　of　the　Coast　Survey　Bureau　have　not　yet　penetrated　into　these　interior　regions　with　their　theodolites；　plane…tables；　and　　telametrerods。　　To　the　canoeist；　who　is　ambitious　to　score　up　miles　instead　of　collecting　geographical　notes；　these　wild　rivers　afford　an　excellent　opportunity　to　satisfy　his　aims。
  From　sixty　to　eighty　miles　can　be　rowed　in　ten　hours　as　easily　as　forty　miles　can　be　gone　over　upon　a　river　of　slow　current　in　the　　northern　states。　　There　is；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　a　class　of　American　travellers　who　　〃do〃　all　the　capitals　of　Europe　in　the　same　business…like　way；　and　if　they　have　anything　to　say　in　regard　to　every…day　life　in　the　countries　through　which　they　pass；　they　forget　to　thank　the　compiler　of　the　guide…book　for　the　information　they　possess。
  There　was　but　one　room　in　the　cabin　of　my　new　acquaintance；　who　represented　that　class　of　piny…woods　people　called　in　the　south　　because　they　subsist　largely　upon　corn；　　Corn　Crackers；　or　Crackers。　These　Crackers　are　the　〃poor　white　folks〃　of　the　planter；　and　〃de　white　trash〃　of　the　old　slave；　who　now　as　a　freedman　is　　beginning　to　feel　the　responsibility　of　his　position。
  These　Crackers　are　a　very　kind…hearted　people；　but　few　of　them　can　read　or　write。　　The　children　of　the　negro；　filled　with　curiosity　and　a　　newborn　pride；　whenever　opportunity　permits；　　attend　the　schools　in　large　numbers；　but　the　very　indolent　white　man　seems　to　be　destitute　of　all　ambition；　and　his　children；　in　many　places　in　the　south；　following　close　in　the　father's　footsteps；　grow　up　in　an　almost　unimaginable　ignorance。
  The　news　of　the　arrival　of　the　little　Maria　Theresa　at　Piraway　Ferry　spread　with　　astonishing　rapidity　through　the　woods；　and　on　Sunday；　after　〃de　shoutings；〃　as　the　negroes　call　their　meetings；　were　over；　the　blacks　came　in　　numbers　to　see　〃dat　Yankee…man's　paper　canno。〃
  These　simple　people　eyed　me　from　head　to　foot　with　a　grave　sort　of　curiosity；　their　great　mouths　open；　displaying　pearly　teeth　of　which　a　white　man　might　well　be　proud。　〃You　is　a　good　man；　capt'n　　we　knows　dat；〃　they　said；　and　when　I　asked　why；　the　answer　showed　their　childlike　faith。　　〃'Cause　you　couldn't　hab　come　all　dis　way　in　a　paper　boat　if　de　Lord　hadn't　helped　you。　He　dono　help　only　good　folks。〃
  The　Cracker　also　came　with　his　children　to　view　the　wonder；　while　the　raftsmen　were　so　struck　with　the　advantages　of　my　double　paddle；　which　originated　with　the　inhabitants　of　the　Arctic　regions；　that　they　laid　it　upon　a　board　and　drew　its　outlines　with　chalk。　　They　vowed　they　would　introduce　it　upon　the　river。
  These　Crackers　declared　it　would　take　more　than　〃de　shoutings；〃　or　any　other　religious　service；　to　improve　the　moral　condition　of　the　blacks。　　They　openly　accused　the　colored　preachers　of　disturbing　the　nocturnal　rest　of　their　hens　and　turkeys；　and　as　to　hog…stealing　and　cow…killing；　〃Why；　we　won't　have　any　　critters　left　ef　this　carpet…bag　government　lasts　much　longer！〃　they　feelingly　exclaimed。
  〃We　does　nothing　to　nobody。　　We　lets　the　niggers　alone；　but　niggers　will　steal　　they　can't　help　it；　the　poor　devils；　it's　in　'em。　Now；　ef　they　eats　us　out　of　house　and　home；　what　can　a　poor　man　do？　They　puts　'em　up　for　justices　of　peace；　and　sends　'em　to　the　legislature；　when　they　can't　read　more'n　us；　and　they　do　say　it's　'cause　we　fit　in　the　Confederate　sarvice　that　they　razes　the　nigger　over　our　heads。　Now；　does　the　folkes　up　north　like　to　see　white　people　tyrannized　over　by　niggers？　　Jes　tell　'em　when　you　go　back；　stranger；　that　we's　got　soulds　like　yours　up　north；　and　we's　got　feelings　too；　by　thunder！　jes　like　other　white　men。　　This　was　a　white　man's　country　once　　now　it's　all　niggers　and　dogs。　Why；　them　niggers　in　the　legislature　has　　spitboxes　lined　with　gold　to　spit　in！　　What's　this　country　a…coming　to？　We　wish　the　niggers　no　harm　if　they　lets　our　hogs　and　chickens　alone。〃
  After　this　tirade　it　was　amusing　to　see　how　friendly　the　whites　and　blacks　were。　The　　Crackers　conversed　with　these　children　of　Ham；　who　had　been　stealing　their　hams　for　so　long　a　time；　in　the　most　kindly　way；　realizing；　perhaps；　that　they　had　various　peculiar　traits　of　their　own；　and　must；　after　all；　endure　their　neighbors。
  A　traveller　should　place　facts　before　his　　readers；　and　leave　to　them　the　drawing　of　the　moral。　Northern　men　and　women　who　go　to　the　　southern　states　and　reside　for　even　the　short　space　of　a　year　or　two；　invariably　change　their　life…long　views　and　principles　regarding　the　negro　as　a　moral　and　social　creature。　　When　these　people　return　to　their　homes　in　Maine　or　Massachusetts　（as　did　the　representatives　of　the　Granges　of　the　northern　states　after　they　had　visited　South　　Carolina　in　1875）　a　new　light；　derived　from　contact　with　facts；　dawns　upon　them；　while　their　　surprised　and　untravelled　neighbors　say：　〃So　you　have　become　Southern　in　your　views。　　I　never　would　have　thought　that　of　you。〃
  The　railroad　has　become　one　of　the　great　　mediums　of　enlightenment　to　mankind；　and　joins　in　a　social　fraternity　the　disunited　elements　of　a　country。　　God　grant　that　the　resources　of　the　great　South　may　soon　be　developed　by　the　　capital　and　free　labor　of　the　North。　Our　sister　states　of　the　South；　exhausted　by　the　struggles　of　the　late　war　which　resulted　in　consolidating　more　firmly　than　ever　the　great　Union；　are　now　ready　to　receive　every　honest　effort　to　develop　their　wealth　or　cultivate　their　territory。　　Let　every　national　patriot　give　up　narrowness　of　views　and　sectional　selfishness　and　become　acquainted　with　（not　the　politicians）　the　people　of　the　New　South；　and　a　harmony　of　feeling　will　soon　　possess　the　hearts　of　all　true　lovers　of　a　government　of　the　people。
  The　swamp　tributaries　were　swelling　the　river　into　a　very　rapid　torrent　as　I　paddled　away　from　the　ferry　on　Monday；　January　18。　　A　warmer　latitude　having　been　reached；　I　could　dispense　with　one　blanket；　and　this　I　had　presented　to　my　kind　host；　who　had　refused　to　accept　payment　for　his　hospitality。　　He　was　very　proud　of　his　present；　and　said；　feelingly；　〃No　one　shall　touch　this　but　me。〃　　His　good　wife　had　baked　some　of　a　rich　and　very　nice　variety　of　sweet…potatoes；　unlike　those　we　get　in　New　Jersey　or　the　other　Middle　States…which　potatoes　she　kindly　added　to　my　stores。　　They　are　not　dry　or　mealy　when　cooked；　but　seem　saturated　with　honey。　　The　poor　woman's　gift　now　occupied　the　space　　formerly　taken　up　by　the　blanket　I　had　given　her　husband。
  From　this　day；　as　latitude　after　latitude　was　crossed　on　my　way　southward；　I　distributed　every　article　I　could　spare；　among　these　poor；　kind…hearted　people。　　Mr。　McGreggor　went　in　his　Rob　Roy　canoe　over　the　rivers　of　Europe；　〃diffusing　cheerfulness　and　distributing　　Evangelical　tracts。〃　　I　had　no　room　for　tracts；　and　if　I　had　followed　the　example　of　my　well…　intentioned　predecessor　in　canoeing；　it　would　have　served　the　cause　of　truth　or　creed　but　little。　The　Crackers　could　not　read；　and　but　few　of　the　grown　negroes　had　been　taught　letters。　They　did　not　want　books；　but　tobacco。　　Men　and　women　hailed　me　from　the　banks　as　I　glided　along　in　my　canoe；　with；　〃Say；　captain；　hab　you　eny　'bacca　or　snuff　for　dis　chile？〃　　Poor　　humanity！　　The　Cracker　and　the　freedman　fill　alike　their　places　according　to　the　light　they　possess。　　Do　we；　who　have　been　taught　from　our　youth　sacred　things；　do　more　than　this？　Do　we　love　our　neighbor　as　ourself？
  For　twenty　miles　（local　authority）　I　journeyed　down　the　stream；　without　seeing　a　human　being　or　a　dwelling…place；　to　Stanley's　house　and　the　bridge；　from　which　I　urged　the　canoe　thirty…five　miles　further；　passing　an　old　field　on　a　bluff；　when　darkness　settled　on　the　swamps；　and　a　heavy　mist　rose　from　the　waters　and　enveloped　the　forests　in　its　folds。　　With　not　a　trace　of　land　above　water　I　groped　about；　running　into　what　appeared　to　be　openings　in　the　submerged　land；　only　to　find　my　canoe　tangled　in　thickets。　　It　was　useless　to　go　further；　and　I　prepared　to　ascend　to　the　forks　of　a　giant　tree；　with　a　light　rope；　to　be　used　for　lashing　my　body　into　a　safe　position；　when　a　long；　low　cry　engaged　my　　attention。
  〃Waugh！　ho！　ho！　ho！　peig　　peig　…　pe…ig　…　pe…ig；〃　came　through　the　still；　thick　air。　　It　was　not　an　owl；　nor　a　catamount　that　cried　thus；　nor　was　it　the　bark　of　a　fox。　　It　was　the　voice　of　a　Cracker　calling　in　his　hogs　from　the　forest。　This　sound　was　indeed　pleasant　to　my　ears；　for　I　knew　the　upland　was　near；　and　that