MY ENGAGEMENT ON BOARD THE "FOX." 95 



himself for three days, without even a drink of water, 

 and at last had died miserably on the floor. Little 

 Rock is a vile, detestable place in this respect, and the 

 boatmen on the Mississippi have good reason when 

 they sing 



" Little Rock in Arkansaw, 

 The d dcst place I ever saw." 



Yet several Germans inhabit the town and neighbor- 

 hood. 



As nothing in the way of work was to be found in 

 the town, I went to the river to try and get some- 

 thing to do on board a steamer. The steamers *' Fox " 

 and k ' Harp " were moored side by side. I went first 

 on board the " Fox," and was engaged as fireman, at 

 thirty dollars a month. la an hour the boat started. 

 I was quite contented, and had no trouble with my 

 luggage. We ran down the Arkansas to its mouth, 

 then up the Mississippi to Memphis, and back again to 

 Little Rock. The- work of a fireman is as hard as any 

 in the world ; though he has only four hours in the 

 day and four in the night to keep up the iires, 

 yet the heat of the boilers, the exposure to the cutting 

 Cold night air when in deep perspiration, the quantity 

 of brandy he drinks to prevent falling sick, the icy 

 cold water poured into the burning throat, must, sooner 

 or later, destroy the soundest and strongest constitution. 

 How J, unaccustomed to such work, managed to stand 

 it, has often surprised me. 



In addition, there was the dangerous work of carry- 

 ing wood, particularly in dark and wet nights. One 

 h;i~ to carry logs of four or live feel in length, six or 

 seven at a time, down a steep, slippery bank, sometimes 



