LIFE OF WILSON. 
cli 
These are tubes of cane seven feet long, and pei’feetly straight 
when well made. The arrows are made of slender slips of cane, 
twisted, and straightened before the fire, and covered for several 
inches at one end with the down of thistles in a spiral form, so as 
just to enter the tube. By a puflf they can send these with such 
violence as to enter the body of a partridge twenty yards off. I 
set several of them a hunting birds by promises of reward, but 
not one of them could succeed. I also tried some of the blow-guns 
myself, but found them generally defective in straightness. I met 
six parties of boatmen to-day, and many straggling Indians, and 
encamped about sunset near a small brook, where I shot a turkey, 
and on returning to my fire found four boatmen, who stayed with 
me all night, and helped to pick the bones of the turkey. In the 
morning I heard the turkies gobbling ail round me, but not wish- 
ing to leave my horse, having no great faith in my guests’ honesty, 
I proceeded on my journey. This day (Wednesday) I passed 
through the most horrid swamps I had ever seen. These are co- 
vered with a prodigious growth of canes, and high woods, which 
together, shut out almost the whole light of day for miles. The 
banks of the deep and sluggish creeks, that occupy the centre, are 
precipitous, where I had often to plunge my horse seven feet down, 
into a bed of deep clay up to his belly; from which nothing but 
great strength and exertion could have rescued him; the opposite 
shore was equally bad, and beggars all description. For an extent 
of several miles, on both sides of these creeks, the darkness of night 
obscures every object around. On emerging from one of the worst 
of these I met General Wade Hampton, with two servants, and a 
pack-horse, going, as he said, towards Nashville. I told him of 
the mud campaign immediately before him; I was covered with 
mire and wet, and I thought he looked somewhat seiuous at the 
difficulties he was about to engage. He has been very sick lately. 
About half an hour before sunset, being within sight of the Indian’s 
where I intended to lodge, the evening being perfectly clear and 
