They Make Two
Or Three Trips In A Week, According To Wind And Weather, From
Merrimack To Lowell And Back,
About twenty-five miles each way.
The boatman comes singing in to shore late at night, and moors
his empty
Boat, and gets his supper and lodging in some house
near at hand, and again early in the morning, by starlight
perhaps, he pushes away up stream, and, by a shout, or the
fragment of a song, gives notice of his approach to the lock-man,
with whom he is to take his breakfast. If he gets up to his
wood-pile before noon he proceeds to load his boat, with the help
of his single "hand," and is on his way down again before night.
When he gets to Lowell he unloads his boat, and gets his receipt
for his cargo, and, having heard the news at the public house at
Middlesex or elsewhere, goes back with his empty boat and his
receipt in his pocket to the owner, and to get a new load. We
were frequently advertised of their approach by some faint sound
behind us, and looking round saw them a mile off, creeping
stealthily up the side of the stream like alligators. It was
pleasant to hail these sailors of the Merrimack from time to
time, and learn the news which circulated with them. We imagined
that the sun shining on their bare heads had stamped a liberal
and public character on their most private thoughts.
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