The Houseboat Book: The Log of a Cruise from Chicago to New OrleansWaugh, W. F. (William Francis)
General
The Houseboat Book: The Log of a Cruise from Chicago to New Orleans
Waugh, W. F. (William Francis)
Illinois -- Description and travel; Mississippi River -- Description and travel
We got off this morning at 8:15, and although a heavy head wind prevails
are making good time. Many loons are passing south, in large flights,
and some ducks. The marshes on either side seem to be well supplied, but
are club grounds, we are told. It is much warmer than yesterday, the
south wind blowing strongly. We moored with the anchor out at the outer
corner, up the river, and the line and gangway plank on shore, allowing
about ten feet from boat to shore; and when the _Eva Alma_ and the
_Ebaugh_ passed us there was no bumping against the shore. Evidently
that is the way to moor, though in the great river we must give more
space and more cable to the anchor.
At 10 a. m. we passed Liverpool, a hamlet of 150 inhabitants, half of
whom must reside in houseboats. Some of these were quite large and well
built.
* * * * *
We reached Havana about 4 p. m. Sunday, and as the south wind had become
too fierce for our power we tied up below the bridge, at a fisherman's
shanty. Monday morning it looked like rain, and the wind blew harder
than ever, so we lay by and the boys finished putting on the tar paper
roofing. When the wind is strong enough to blow the boat up stream
against the current, the launch will be unable to make head against it.
A couple live in an old freight car by us, and their home is worth
seeing. The sand bluff is dug out for a chicken cave and pig-pen, and
beautiful chrysanthemums are growing in boxes and pans, placed so as to
retain the earth that would otherwise wash away. Fruit trees are also
planted, and the woman tells me that the whole place is filled with
flowering plants, now covered with sand for the winter. We notice two
dracaenas.
* * * * *
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 1903.--The storm lasted all day yesterday, pinioning
us relentlessly to the beach. By 5 p. m. it let up, but we concluded to
remain at our moorings till morning. This morning we got off at 7 a. m.,
and passed the Devil's Elbow lights before lunch. We did not tie up
then, but threw out our anchor, which is less trouble and in every way
better, as there is less danger of the snags that beset the shore. The
air is rather cool for sitting outside but we spend much time there. The
river is narrowing. Each little creek has a houseboat, or several,
generally drawn up out of the water and out of reach of the ice. We saw
a woman at one of the shabbiest shanty boats washing clothes. She
stooped down and swung the garment to and fro in the water a few moments
and then hung it up to dry.
The shores are thickly dotted with little flags and squares of muslin,
put up by the surveyors who are marking out the channel for the proposed
deep waterway. These were few in the upper river. Every shallow is
appropriated by some fisherman's nets, and at intervals a cleared space
with sheds or fish boxes shows how important are the fisheries of this
river.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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