A Thousand-Mile Walk 
estingly sculptured, far more so than the grand- 
est architectural works of man. The finest of 
the forests are usually found along their banks, 
and in the multitude of falls and rapids the wil- 
derness finds a voice. Such a river is the Hi- 
wassee, with its surface broken to a thousand 
sparkling gems, and its forest walls vine- 
draped and flowery as Eden. And how fine the 
songs it sings! 
In Murphy [North Carolina] I was hailed 
by the sheriff who could not determine by my 
colors and rigging to what country or craft I 
belonged. Since the war, every other stranger 
in these lonely parts is supposed to be a crimi- 
nal, and all are objects of curiosity or appre- 
hensive concern. After a few minutes’ conver- 
sation with this chief man of Murphy I was 
pronounced harmless, and invited to his house, 
where for the first time since leaving home I 
found a house decked with flowers and vines, 
clean within and without, and stamped with 
the comforts of culture and refinement in all 
its arrangements. Striking contrast to the un- 
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