S44 
l^ORESl: AND STHEAM. 
[Sept. 27, iy02. 
Cruising on the White River. 
Editor Potest and Stream: 
The sketch given below, signed Rowlock, \Vas not writ- 
ten for publication, but as it may prove of interest to 
ypur readers, I send it, to be disrtosed of as yoli may S'iit 
pro|)er. " Rowlock and his tWo younger brothers, vsons of 
Coahoma, being temporarily resident at Fayetteville, in 
the extreme northwest county of Arkansas, being bent on 
enterprise, built for themselves a skiff, which was trans- 
ported by rail to upper White River and launched in that 
stream for a voyage of discovery and adventure. They 
were eleven days on the journey, of which the said sketch 
gives an account. Coahoma. 
While our trip was a pleasurable one, in a way, it was 
something of a disapopintment to us, and it was not in- 
frequently the case, that we wished ourselves back at 
Cousin A.'s, with j'ou all, enjoying the cool breej^es, the 
tennis and cards, and the hospitality of her home. We 
found that we could not run nearly as long each day as 
we had anticipated, and that, except where there \yere 
rapids, the current was so slow that it afforded us little 
assistance. Consequently, we had to w^ork hard to make 
any progress, and had to push on as long as we had 
daylight. Had we been able to loiter along and fish and 
swim more, we would have had a more agreeable trip. 
The agent at Fayetteville liad told us that our boat 
wotild go all the way to Beaver (The Narrows) on the 
same car, and we were surprised when we arrived at 
Seligman, to find it lying on the ground by the platform. 
It had apparently been knocked about a good deal. We 
were told by the Seligman agent that no freight train 
would go over until the next day. but that he_ would see 
if the passenger conductor would take it over'that night 
in the baggage car. This the conductor agreed to do, 
so we were put off in the dark at Beaver about 11 o'clock 
Tuesday night. We lit our lantern, and Jim went in 
search of the river, while Fred and I stood watch over 
the baggage. Jim found the river and some farmers re- 
turning from a frolic, who assisted us in getting the 
boat to the water. When first launched, the boat didn't 
leak a drop, but the dampness made it come together a 
little, and for several days it took in a little water, until 
it swelled, and then the leaking stopped. We had had 
supper at Seligman, at a little hotel, so after launching 
our boat and carrying our baggage down to the river, we 
rolled up in our blankets and tried to get some sleep. 
Jim slept in the boat, and had a pretty comfortable time, 
but the rocks punched Fred and me through our blankets, 
and our repose was rather broken. We were up pretty 
early and cooked us some breakfast, and then it was that 
the first disappointment of our trip occurred. We dis- 
covered that in the dark and confusion of the preceding 
night the little telescope containing the bread and pre- 
serves had been lost. The train was almost due, and we 
sent Fred out to see if it was left on the baggage car, 
but if it had been they put it oft' at Etireka, for it was 
gone. We grieved sorely on account of this loss, and 
lived on crackers and corn dodgers instead of that nice 
light bread. We had not rowed more than a few hundred 
yards, when we struck a rapid, where our boat went 
aground on a shoal. Two of us jumped out and shoved 
her over, then got back and proceeded, to experience 
the same difl!iculty a little lower doAvn. This continued 
all day, and every day during the t-rip, but the shoals be- 
came more and more widely separated, and some days 
later on we had to get out only once or twice. Fred and 
I very foolishly left our trousers rolled up after we would 
get through wading and re-enter the boat, and in about 
half a day our "waders" were in a fearful fix. We 
suffered very much from the burns for two or three days, 
after which the peeling process set in and our condition 
improved. Jim had a rip in the back of his shirt, and the 
sun presented him with a beautiful blister about four 
inches long and one wide. Fred's wrists, too, were pretty 
well cooked. The scenery along the river was beautiful, 
as it was during all our trip, and we enjoyed it very 
much. At 1 :30 we landed and had our dinner, consisting 
of chipped beef, crackers, corn cakes, molasses and pre- 
serves. (Our jar of peach preserves was not lost.) 
Soon after we started, a bass jumped out of the water, hit 
Jim OH the ear, flopped into the boat and out again be- 
fore we could say "Jack Robinson." In the evening we 
stopped at a farmhouse and bought two chickens, which 
we had to shoot, some eggs and potatoes. At 6 :45 we 
stopped for supper, consisting of eggs, potatoes, bacon, 
molasses, coffee, postum and crackers. Our camping 
place that night was ideal. We found a fallen sycamore 
consisting of two large trunks, lying parallel and about 
four feet apart. We erected two end poles, stretched our 
ridge rope between them, threw our boat covering over 
it and tied the sides just outside the tops of the logs, the 
canvas forming the roof and the logs the sides of our 
house. We threw sycamore leaves on the ground and 
spread our blankets upon them, and were soon lost to the 
world. 
Ttie next morning, Thursday, the 31st, we got up at 6 
o'clock, cooked our breakfast and struck camp. We had 
oatmeal, cofffee, bacon, chicken, corn cakes and molasses. 
The morning run was without incident. We stopped for 
dinner at 2 o'clock, and resumed our voyage at 3- ^^O" 
ward evening we discovered a big frog on a rock and i 
.shot and wounded him, but before we could get him he 
had wiggled under the water. That night we camped on 
a gravel bar covered with sycamore and willow trees. VV e 
had had good running all the afternoon, and felt more 
encouraged and in better spirits. I did not mention that 
the day before this, we passed two pretty good-sized 
streams flowing into the White. The first was qiiite 
muddy and colored up the clear waters of the White. 
The second was clear and pretty. For about five miles 
after we passed its mouth the clear and muddy waters 
flowed along side by side and refused to mix, then they 
mingled and the river was not more than half as muddy 
as it had been before. This clear stream was the James 
River. The muddy condition of the water worried us 
greatly, as it made it more difficult for us to see the rocks, 
and we ocoasionally_ ran over one, but our boat proved 
tough enough to withstand the strain. Friday, Aug. i, 
we got up at 4:30, struck camp, cooked breakfast and 
were off by 6. We doubled up at the oars and made 
pretty good progress during the cool of the morning. We 
asked a man) how far it was to Forsyth, and were told 
that it was twentj'-five miles. After going about fifteen 
miles we asked another, who said that it was forty mMes. 
Later in the day another man told us that it was twenty- 
five miles by land and about 125 by water. This is only a 
sample of the experience we had all the Avay down when 
we undertook to gain any information from the natives, 
In the afternoon we bought a watermelon, some tomatoes, 
cantaloupes and eggs. We camped that night on a beauti- 
ful, high, level spot two miles above Forsyth. The next 
morning we ran on down to Forsyth, went up town, 
found that there was no mail, telegraphed to Mr. P., as 
we thought you might be getting uneasy, and it would 
take several days to get a letter to you from Forsyth, 
part of the trip having to be made by stage. We re- 
plenished our larder and proceeded on our way. 
Up to this time I kept a rough diary of our move- 
ments, but was always too tired at night, after that, to 
worry with it. The next day was Sunday, Aug. 3, and it 
was during that forenoon that we had the most exciting 
experience of the trip. We encountered, from time to 
time, a number of rock ledges or dams, extending en- 
tirely across the river, over which the water flowed with 
great force. We could usually shoot over or jump these 
without much difficulty or risk, for the water below was 
nearly always clear of obstructions and deep. It is impos- 
sible to see from above what the conditions are below, so 
we would have to take our chances on hitting the right 
place. The most important thing to watch is the direc- 
tion of the current, for the boat must be kept parallel 
with it at all hazards. At the time in question we heard 
the roar of one of these cataracts, and it sounded big 
enough to make us quake a little. Jim and Fred were at 
the oars, and I had the steering paddle in hand. I 
selected as "likely" looking a place as I could find, told 
the boys to pull with a vim and we shot over. But as the 
bow dropped down to the water below it struck a big 
rock full in the face. The blow seemed enough to split 
the boat from stem to stern, but she only gave a quiver 
and swung round, dashed broadside against the rocks by 
the strong current. The water began to pour over the 
side, and almost before we knew what was happening, 
Fred was out in the water, nearly up to his waist, holding 
up the side of the boat to keep the water out. We man- 
aged to swing her head down stream and get her off the 
rock, then landed and bailed her out. On a gravel bar 
just below us we counted 100 buzzards, and we surmised 
that they had expected us to be killed and were waiting 
for us. On two other occasions we shipped a little 
water, but this was the nearest to a "swamp" that we 
had during the entire trip. 
At Forsyth we purchased a troll, and for several days 
caught all the bass we wanted to eat. We would run it 
out behind the boat to the end of a 7S-foot line, and 
every now and then would feel a jerk and pull one in. 
Some of them weighed as high as a pound and a half. 
We could see bass darting about in shoal places and 
striking at minnows. The mountains were rather low 
Avhere we started, but increased in altitude as we pro- 
ceeded, until they played out just below Batesville. Some- 
times they sloped up from the water, and then again 
they would rise sheer out of the stream in perpendicular 
cliffs from 100 to 400 feet high. We would occasionally 
see big rocks jutting out as if they would fall if a fly 
lit on them, and the action of the water in ages past has 
rounded off some of the projecting rocks so as to give 
them the appearance of turrets on some old English 
castle. The valleys were cultivated, and we could catch 
an occasional glimpse of a cornfield, but whatever civiliza- 
tion existed was shut out from our view, for the most 
part, by a skirt of woods along the river bank. We 
seldom saw habitations of any kind, until we got pretty 
low down the river, when we would occasionally pass a 
pearl hunter's tent; and we would go for half a day 
sometimes on the upper river without seeing a soul. One 
day, as we passed the mouth of a <iry creek, one of the 
boys said, "Look at that queer animal over there." ^ I 
looked, and saw that it was a cow bogged up just in- 
side the creek. We landed and found that the poor 
creature was deep down in the mud, where it had prob- 
ably been for several days. It was thin and weak and 
looked wistfully at us, as if to implore assistance. VVe 
v/ent in search of some one whom Ave could notify of its 
condition, and found a house about half a mile from the 
river, and a man who said that he would look after it. We 
three boys and the man tried to get it out, but could not 
budge it, SO' he said he would notify the owners and 
they would bring a team and some ropes. As they lived 
two miles away, Ave did not wait to see the outcome of 
their efforts. 
About this time the mosquitoes began to worry us con- 
siderably at night, so we rigged up a bar in the hope of 
keeping them off. We pinned the bar around our awn- 
ing and let it fall to the ground, then laid the oars on 
the edges to hold them down. Somehow, the mosquitoes 
would manage to get in every night, and would wake us 
up at daylight with their singing and stinging. We sus- 
pected finally that they crawled through the meshes in 
the netting, as we could find no holes. 
Our next objective point was Buffalo, and before we 
could reach that little town, we knew that we would 
have to shoot the dreaded Buffalo Rapids. The boys 
plied me Avith questions, from time to time, as to what 
the Buffalo shoals were like, but I could only tell them 
that they Avere a series of rapids about a mile long with a 
fall of nine feet, and Avere full of jump-offs and big rocks 
that were hard to avoid. We reached the head of this 
bugbear about 6 o'clock Tuesday evening, the 5th, and 
having bought us a watermelon, landed on a little rocky 
island to eat it before we entered the turbulent Avaters, 
for, Ave thought, why not get all the pleasure that is 
possible out of life, for we may never reach the foot of 
these shoals alive. So we ate our melon, and then pushed 
off, Avith Jim and Fred at the oars and I at the helm. We 
could see a perpendicular rock cliff about a mile down the 
river, Avhere there Avas an abrupt turn to the left, and I 
told the boys that just above that lay Buffalo City, our 
temporary destination, bounded by a crescent of moun- 
tains on the one side and the river on the other. By 
close attention to my paddle and the making of some 
pretty short turns, Ave managed, within a few minutes 
after our start, to swing out of the rapids into the still, 
deep Avater at their foot, without having hit a single 
rock. We breathed a sigh of relief and made for the 
landing. Just as we stepped out -^f the boat we were 
warned by a man across tlie river to seek shelter quickly, 
as the railroad constructors were about to fire a blafi 
We dodged behind some trees and the blast went ott, 
;i wakening the echoes for miles around. The rocks Avere 
scattered in every direction, but none of them came near 
us. Up to this time the sky had been almost clear, and 
there Avas no sound of thunder or evidence of a brewing 
storm. A small black cloud hung almost d.rectly over 
us, and suddenly, almost as if from a clear sky, a livid 
flame shot from the cloud to the top of the mountain just 
across the river, and there was a report that eclipsed 
the blast that had so recently taken place about a hun- 
dred fold, it seemed. The rain began to pour down and 
we sought shelter under some thick sycamore trees, after 
covering our baggage up Avith the oil cloth. The rain 
did not last long, but the clouds began to gather, so Ave 
stored our things aAvay in a store up on the bluff and 
sought the hotel. Later on in the night Ave Avere awakened 
by a violent electric storm, and congratulated ourselves 
that Ave Avere not out under our flimsy little tent fly. 
We had expected to visit the Jackpot mine from 
Buffalo, but were unable to commmiicate Avith Capt. Stone 
over the 'phone, and could not get a team at Buffalo, so 
abandoned the expedition. The mine was sixteen miles 
aAvay, OA^er a rough mountain road, and Ave had not the 
time to tramp it. 
Our run to Batesville Avas accomplished in twenty-six 
hours, just seA^en hours less than it took us a year ago in 
the bateau. The river Avas considerably higher on tliis 
trip, but the current seemed to me to be more sluggish. 
The rapids Avere feAver, hence the trip less exciting. A 
railroad is being constructed from Painter's Bluff to 
Buffalo, an extension of the road from Bate.SA'ille to 
Painter's Bluft', and Ave encountered gangs of workmen 
quite frequently, and heard a great many blasts go off. 
This Avill be a beautiful road, as it folloAvs the meander- 
ings of the river, and is holloAved out of the sides of the 
mountains Avhere they are adjacent to the river. We 
were told by the proprietor of our hotel at N. that a 
panther and a rattlesnake Avere blasted out of the same 
den at Painter's Bluff, and that the rattler was tAventy- 
one feet long and had iii rattles; that they ran an ex- 
cufsion up from N. for the people to see them. Had we 
known of this terrible reptile, we would probably not 
have slept so soundly in our camp two miles below 
Painter's Bluft', but "Avhere ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to 
be Avise." Just before Ave got to Painter's Bluff a bass 
jinnped into the boat and I managed to get my foot on 
him and my finser into his mouth before he could flop out 
again. Jim passed a string through his gills and Ave had 
him. We had to cut him in tAvo to get him into the 
skillet, which Avas a good-sized one, and he Avas more 
than the three of us could eat for supper. We shot one 
more frog, but he was in deep water and sank otit of our 
reach. 
After getting doAvn to where the pearl hunters were 
numerous, Ave could no longer use the White River Avater 
for drinking, and as springs were scarce, had some trouble 
about procuring drinking Avater. When Ave would come 
to a good spring or a Avell or pump, Ave Avould fill our 
buckets and coffee pots Avith water and carry it along. 
It is fortunate for us that none of us are superstitious, for 
every night, Avhen Ave Avould land to camp, a screech oavI 
Avould light almost over us and serenade us. One night 
we camped in somebody's pasture, near a landing Avhere 
Avere some cross ties and staves, piled up on the bank 
for shipment. When Ave were almost ready to put out 
our light and retire, a glimmer appeared among the trees 
up ori the hill, and some one began to halloo at us. I 
ansAvered and the voice asked us if we Avere "ketchin' 
um." I replied that Ave had not caught any yet. Avhere- 
upon he inquired, "Is that you, Alex?" I said that it 
was not, after which the colloquy ceased, and we saw 
the light disappear through the Avoods. The farmer prob- 
ably thought Ave were making aAvay with his staves, but 
was afraid we Avere too many for him. We put out our 
light and Avere soon in the Land of Nod. 
On Friday night, the 8th, Ave camped about thirty miles 
above NcAvport, on a bluff about thirty feet high. We 
had roAved in the rain some during the day, but it was 
not hard enough to wet us much, and our baggage Avas 
covered_ with an oilcloth. About 7 o'clock it began to 
look quite threatening, so we made for the nearest good- 
looking place for a camp.. The bluff Avas hard to climb, 
but Avhen Ave reached the top we found ourselves in a 
heaA'y SAvitch canebrake. We chopped out a space in the 
cane under a pecan tree, the foliage of which was quite 
dense, and got our tent up just as the rain set in. The 
tree was so thick that very little water got through to us, 
and Ave cooked and ate our supper without paying much 
attention to the rain. The next morning we Avere off soon 
after daylight, for it Avas important that Ave should make 
it to NcAvport that day, being Saturday, as Ave Avould 
have to Avait until Monday to get our money if Ave did not. 
We had expected to find boats running down the river 
from Batesville, but Avere disappointed in this hope, and 
Avere told that Ave could surely catch one at Newport. As 
we Avere growing somewhat tired of our trip, and my 
time was more than up, I thought we Avould put our boat 
aboard the steamer, the boys could take passage and I 
could run through by rail. We got to Jacksonport about 
2 o'clock, and finding that I could just catch a train for 
Newport, and that it was ten miles further by river, I left 
the boys and took the train. 
Arriving at Newport, we held a council and decided 
that AA'e Avould sell the boat before the train time that 
night, if possible, and all go to Memphis, Avhere Ave could 
get some money. We had only $6 among us, and the 
ticket to Memphis was $3.35. Our efforts to sell the boat 
were unsuccessful, though Ave offered it for almost 
nothing, so Ave Avent to a hotel and put up for the night. 
The next morning I left for Memphis, leaving the boys to 
aAvait some funds. And thus ended our river trip. 
The next time I take a long trip on the water, it Avill 
be in a launch, a sailboat or some other kind that can be 
propelled Avith some other force than muscle. The fact 
that Ave had to work so hard and so constantly, took 
aAvaj' the greater part of the pleasure of the trip, for Ave 
had no time left for anything else. It Avas just a constant 
grind day after day. Rowlock. 
All communications intended for FoiEST and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., N ; 
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