the moravians in georgia-第13章

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　back　to　Savannah；　leaving　them　to　follow　with　the　boat。　　At　the　mouth　of　the　Ogeechee　they　encountered　a　severe　storm；　against　which　they　could　make　little　headway；　try　as　they　would。　Their　anchor　was　too　light　to　hold　against　the　current；　and　there　was　a　marsh　on　one　bank　and　rocks　on　the　other；　but　at　last；　after　night…fall；　in　the　face　of　a　terrific　thunder　storm；　they　forced　their　way　to　a　place　where　they　could　land；　and　where　they　passed　the　rest　of　the　night；　enduring　as　best　they　could　the　heavy　rain；　and　the　attack　of　insects；　against　neither　of　which　they　were　able　to　protect　themselves。　　〃This　place　takes　its　name；　　‘Rotten…possum'；　　from　an　animal　frequently　found　here；　which　they　call　a　Possum。　　I　am　told　that　it　has　a　double　belly；　and　that　if　pursued　it　puts　its　young　into　one　belly；　runs　up　a　tree　until　it　reaches　a　limb；　springs　out　on　that　until　it　is　among　the　leaves；　and　then　lays　itself　across　the　branch　with　one　belly　on　each　side；　and　so　hides　itself；　and　saves　its　life！〃　The　rest　of　the　journey　was　uneventful；　and　on　Friday　morning；　September　2nd；　they　reached　Savannah；　having　been　absent　ten　days。

It　seems　a　great　pity　that　the　Moravians　were　unable　to　establish　themselves　on　this　tract；　where　their　industry　would　soon　have　made　an　oasis　in　the　wilderness；　but　one　thing　after　the　other　interfered；　and　the　〃second　company〃　which　arrived　early　in　the　following　year；　found　them　still　at　Savannah。

In　Savannah　matters　moved　toward　a　fair　degree　of　prosperity　for　the　Moravians。　　About　four　acres　of　Spangenberg's　garden　were　cleared　in　time　for　the　first　summer's　crop　of　corn；　which　yielded　them　sixty　bushels。　　They　also　raised　some　beans；　which　came　to　maturity　at　a　time　when　provisions　and　funds　were　very　low；　so　helping　them　greatly。

The　two　farm　lots　were　laid　out　during　the　summer；　Spangenberg　assisting　with　the　survey。　　By　the　close　of　the　year　twenty…six　acres　had　been　cleared；　　on　the　uplands　this　meant　the　felling　of　trees；　and　gradual　removal　of　stumps　as　time　permitted；　but　on　the　rice　lands　it　meant　far　more。　　The　great　reeds；　ten　to　twelve　feet　high；　grew　so　thick　that　a　man　could　scarcely　set　foot　between　them；　and　in　cutting　them　down　it　was　necessary　to　go　〃knee…deep〃　below　the　surface　of　the　ground；　and　then　the　roots　were　so　intertwined　that　it　was　difficult　to　pull　them　out。

Every　acre　of　land　that　was　cleared　and　planted　had　to　be　securely　fenced　in；　for　cattle　roamed　in　the　woods；　and　ruined　unprotected　crops。　Indeed；　the　colonists　in　Georgia　derived　little　benefit　from　their　cattle；　which　ran　at　large；　and　when　a　few　were　wanted　for　beef　or　for　domestic　purposes；　they　were　hunted　and　driven　in。　The　Moravians　had　to　wait　until　midsummer　before　they　could　get　their　allotment；　and　then　they　received　a　cow　and　calf；　six　hogs　and　five　pigs；　with　the　promise　of　more。　　Before　the　others　came　the　cows　had　again　escaped　to　the　woods；　and　the　swine　had　been　drowned！

In　July　Spangenberg　wrote　to　Herrnhut　that　he　had　given　his　fifty　acres　of　land；　including　the　town　lot；　to　the　Moravian　Congregation　at　Savannah；　and　that　he　would　at　once　apply　to　the　Trustees　to　vest　the　title　in　that　body；　and　if　he　left　Georgia　before　this　was　accomplished　he　would　give　a　full　Power　of　Attorney　to　Toeltschig。　From　the　first　his　land　had　been　used　as　the　common　property　of　the　party；　and　he　desired　that　the　nine　men；　who；　with　him；　were　bound　to　the　repayment　of　the　60　Pounds；　borrowed　from　the　Trustees；　should　have　the　use　of　it　until　that　obligation　was　met；　and　then　it　should　be　used　as　the　Savannah　Congregation　thought　best。

Nitschmann's　land　seems　to　have　been　held　in　a　different　way；　although　granted　at　the　same　time；　and　under　similar　circumstances。　July　11th；　Spangenberg　sent　him　a　detailed　description　of　the　town　and　garden　lots；　explaining　the　advantages　and　difficulties　of　cultivation；　suggesting　several　methods　by　which　it　could　be　done；　and　giving　the　approximate　cost；　urging　that　instructions　be　sent　as　to　his　wishes。　　Later　he　wrote　that　the　company　had　decided　not　to　wait　for　Nitschmann's　reply；　but　to　clear　the　garden　on　the　terms　usual　in　Georgia；　e。g。；　that　the　man　who　cleared　a　piece　of　ground　held　it　rent　free　for　seven　years；　when　it　reverted　to　the　owner。　This　had　been　done；　and　the　garden　was　ready　to　plant　and　fence；　and　if　Nitschmann　approved　they　intended　to　clear　the　farm；　and　would　build　a　small　house　on　the　town　lot。　　Zinzendorf　had　suggested　that　negroes　be　employed　on　Nitschmann's　land；　but　at　that　time　slavery　was　prohibited　in　Georgia；　and　any　negroes　who　ran　away　from　Carolina　were　at　once　returned　to　their　masters。

The　two　farms　lay　side　by　side　about　four　miles　from　Savannah；　the　gardens；　also　adjoining；　were　about　two　miles　from　town；　so　it　was　necessary　to　build　cabins　at　both　places；　as　shelters　from　sun　and　storm；　which　the　settlers　found　equally　trying。　Two　additional　cabins　had　been　built　in　Savannah　on　Spangenberg's　lot；　and　by　the　end　of　the　year　a　house；　thirty…four　by　eighteen　feet　in　size；　was　under　roof；　though　not　yet　finished。　　This　gave　an　abundance　of　room；　not　only　for　themselves；　but　for　the　second　company　to　whose　arrival　they　were　looking　forward　with　such　eagerness。

When　this　reinforcement　came　they　hoped　to　move　to　Zinzendorf's　tract；　and　then；　as　soon　as　they　could　be　spared；　Demuth；　Haberecht；　Waschke　and　the　two　Haberlands　wished　to　claim　the　twenty　acres　apiece　which　the　Trustees　had　promised　to　the　Count's　〃servants〃。　Riedel　was　of　the　same　mind；　but　he　did　not　live　to　see　the　arrival　of　the　second　company。　　Some　months　after　reaching　Georgia；　he　was　dangerously　ill　with　fever；　but　passed　the　crisis　successfully；　and　recovered　his　full　strength。　　He　was　one　of　the　party　who　went　to　survey　Zinzendorf's　tract；　but　was　taken　sick　again　three　days　after　the　boat　left　Savannah；　and　by　the　time　they　returned　he　was　obliged　to　go　to　bed；　and　soon　became　delirious。　The　other　Moravians　were　greatly　distressed；　but　could　do　nothing　except　nurse　him　carefully　and　pray　for　him　earnestly；　and　toward　the　end　his　mind　cleared；　though　his　body　had　lost　the　power　to　recuperate。　He　died　on　the　30th　of　September；　the　first　Moravian　to　〃fall　asleep〃　in　the　United　States；　though　others　had　given　up　their　lives　for　the　mission　work　in　the　West　Indies。　　His　spiritual　condition　had　at　times　caused　much　concern　to　Toeltschig；　who　was　especially　charged　with　the　religious　welfare　of　the　first　company；　many　of　whom　had　been　under　his　care　in　Germany；　but　in　the　main　he　had　been　an　earnest　man；　a　willing　and　industrious　partaker　in　the　common　toil；　and　his　death　caused　much　regret。　　The　burial　customs　in　Savannah　included　the　ringing　of　bells；　a　funeral　sermon；　and　a　volley　of　musketry；　but　learning　that　these　ceremonies　were　not　obligatory　the　Moravians　declined　the　offer　of　the　citizens　to　so　honor　their　Brother；　and　laid　him　to　rest　in　the　Savannah　cemetery　with　a　simple　service　of　hymns　and　prayer。

As　they　were　robing　Riedel　for　his　burial；　a　young　man　came　to　the　door；　and　asked　if　he　could　not　make　them　some　pewter　spoons。　　In　the　conversations　that　followed　it　developed　that　he　was　a　native　of　Switzerland；　the　son　of　a　physician；　and　after　his　father's　death　he　had　sailed　for　Pennsylvania；　intending　there　to　begin　the　practice　of　medicine。　But　his　fellow…passengers　stole　his　books　and　everything　he　had；　he　was　unable　to　pay　for　his　transportation；　and　forced　to　sell　his　service　for　seven　years　as　a　redemptioner。　　At　the　end　of　five　years　he　had　become　quite　ill；　and　his　master；　having　waited　six　months　for　his　recovery；　heartlessly　turned　him　out；　to　live　or　die　as　the　case　might　be。　　Instead　of　dying；　his　strength　returned；　and　then　his　former　master　demanded　10　Pounds　Pennsylvania　currency；　for　his　unexpired　term；　although　only　5　Pounds　had　been　paid　for　him；　and　he　had　served　five　years。　　The　young　man　was　obliged　to　promise　to　pay　this；　and　Spangenberg　encouraged　him　to　push　his　spoon…making；　in　order　to　do　it　as　speedily　as　possible。　　Meanwhile　the　Moravians　were　so　much　pleased　with　his　appearance　and　speech；　that　they　agreed　to　receive　him　into　their　company　for　as　long　as　he　chose　to　stay；　and　John　Regnier　soon　became　an　important　factor　in　thei