Forest and Stream 
JUN 17 19U 
**C4TUR, 
At 
Terms, $3 a Year, 10 Cts. a Copy, j 
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NEW YORK, SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 191,. 
i VOL. LXXVI.—No. 24. 
I No. 127 Franklin St.. New York. 
Ten Days on a Houseboat on Alabama Rivers 
By ROLAND M. HARPER 
I N October, 1908, it was my good fortune to 
be invited to join a party of geologists for 
a cruise on the rivers of Western Alabama 
from the head of navigation on the Warrior to 
tide water on the I ombigbee. The expedition 
was organized by the State geologist of Alabama 
who had long been familiar with the ground 
which was to be covered and participated in by 
several other Southern geologists who wished 
In Two Parts—I. 
of his dignified bearing, “the Senator.’’ The re¬ 
tired geologist, although the oldest member of 
the party (three score and ten), was one of the 
most active. The preacher was of course called 
upon to say grace at each meal, but otherwise 
we were not reminded of his profession, not 
even on the Sunday we spent on the river, when 
we tiaveled and worked the same as any other 
day. He published an interesting account of our 
cots, bedding, tools, etc. On either side of this 
a narrow door opened out on to the deck, which 
projected about six feet beyond the pilot house 
in front and was about a foot wide on the other 
thi ee sides of the cabin. A barrel of gasolene 
for the launch, two large water bottles, a gang¬ 
plank, a pump, some ropes, folding chairs, 
buckets and wash basins were placed on the for¬ 
ward deck, and the bulkier geological specimens 
THE PARTY AT WHITE S BLUFF ON THE WARRIOR RIVER, FIFTY-TWO MILES BELOW TUSCALOOSA. 
to get his point of view on some important geo¬ 
logical problems which these rivers present. 
At the beginning our party consisted of three 
State geologists, one former State geologist of 
two different States, now retired; one assistant 
State geologist, two members of the United 
States Geological Survey, a young Methodist 
minister who is an amateur conchologist, a navi¬ 
gator or chauffeur, a negro cook or chef, and 
myself, the botanist of the expedition. One of 
the Government geologists left us on the third 
day, and a little later we were joined by an¬ 
other State geologist and a man who is a Bir- 
mingham capitalist and mining engineer by voca¬ 
tion and a conchologist by avocation. One of 
the State geologists, on account of his profound 
knowledge of gasolene launches and the naviga¬ 
tion thereof, was soon nicknamed “the Com¬ 
modore, and another one, probably on account 
trip in his church paper, the Alabama Christian 
Advocate, about a month later, and even men¬ 
tioned in it that he had been collecting fossils 
much older than Adam. The chauffeur and chef 
were experts in their respective professions and 
gave entire satisfaction. Perfect harmony pre¬ 
vailed throughout the journey. 
1 he voyage was made in an old houseboat 
which had been bought and refitted for the occas¬ 
ion. It had been built originally as a miniature 
stern wheel steamboat, but had long since been 
stripped of its machinery, and the motive power 
was supplied for us by a launch. The cabin of 
the houseboat was about 8 by 18 feet, with seven 
windows on each side, and the rear four or five 
feet partitioned off for a kitchen. A pilot house 
about four feet square in front of the cabin, 
opening directly into and projecting about two 
feet above it, was used for storing our baggage, 
gradually accumulated in the same place. Poles 
for pushing and sounding were placed on the 
roof and sometimes on the narrow side decks. 
Inside the cabin a board was placed on trestles 
for our dining and study table during the day 
and stood on edge against the wall at night. 
The kitchen was just large enough to contain 
a range and a few days’ supply of wood and 
provisions, and leave room for the cook to 
move about. 
I he launch was about twenty-five feet long 
with most of its length roofed over and pro¬ 
tected by side curtains. It carried a four-cylin¬ 
der twenty horsepower engine, a whistle blown 
by the exhaust, and a small acetylene search¬ 
light. Its draft was about 2*4 feet and that of 
the houseboat something less than two. The two 
boats were lashed together side by side, the 
launch at the left, and a small skiff was towed 
