Transatlantic Sketches, comprising visits to the most interesting scenes in North and South America, and the West Indies; with notes on negro slavery and Canadian emigration

Front matter

TRANSATLANTIC SKETCHES VOL. ADr-arm, liv _T, AE A. JteXAta . ly ~Hr?i,_Eia27i, * yesrrflrr '-. i__ /fif //.Jt/.)t /'/'<- '■ / A/ A // TRANSATLANTIC SKETCHES, COMPRISING VISITS TO THE MOST INTERESTING SCENES IN NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA, AND THE WEST INDIES. WITH NOTES ON NEGRO SLAVERY AND CANADIAN EMIGRATION. BY CAPT. J. E. ALEXANDER, 42d Royal Highlanders. P.R.G.S. M.R.A.S. ETC. AUTHOR OF TRAVELS IN AVA, PERSIA, FTC. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. $ut>li-l)ttm ©rtrina.}) to Wi JUKaj.-.o. 1833. CONTENTS 0. THE SECOND VOLUME.

Chapter I

Passengers in the Aurora, bound to New Orleans. — Etiquette — Savoury food. — The Guitar. — Sunsets. — First view of North America. — A Pilot. — Mouth of the great Mississippi. — Dangers of the Bar An Alligator. — Tlie Balize pilot station. — Prospect of a sickly season. — Stem the current. — The last Settler. — A Night-watch. — Course of the Father of Waters — the Porpoise-tug. — Plantations. — New Orleans. — Melancholy Streets. — Hotel. — The first night on shore. — New Orleans. — Tonsor. — Tlie Markets. — The Cathedral. — A Duel. — The Levee. — Yellow-fever Captains. — The battle of the Blacks. — Evening resort. — The Gaol. — Morality and Religion. — American Preacher. — Philosophical Lady. — Slave Insurrection. — Regular Infantry. — The Barracks. — Visit the Battle-ground. — Graves of the Slain. — Retrospection. — A song. — Visit a plantation. — • A Murderer. — Negroes. — Their treatment. — Internal Slave-trade Kidnappers. — A disclosure. — England and Ame rica ought to cherish liberal and friendly feelings toward each other. ...... Page VI CONTENTS.

Chapter II

Detention in New Orleans. — Insalubrity of the Climate. — Great Mortality among Irish Labourers. — Precautions against Yellow Fever. — Why New Orleans is called the Wet Grave. — Sepulchres. — Gambling. — Population. — Commerce — Waggon road from the Atlantic to the Pacific. — Duelling in the West ern States. — A Monster at large. — Contrast between the Eastern and Western States. — Rival Undertakers. — A Hearse recommended. — Stores of ready-made Coffins. — Reasonable Charges. — Bals de Bouquet. — Another Hurricane. — The Texas Territory. — Nature of Inquiries regarding it. — The Boundaries and Area. — Americans desirous of possessing it. — Americans and Mexicans not on good terms. — Emigration. — Colonel Aus tin's and De Witt's Settlements. — Improper persons introduced into Texas.- — Slaves. — Anticipated Conquest. — The Face of the Country Mountain Ranges. — Prairies. — Rivers. — The Cli mate. — Timber. — Mines. — Productions. — Government. — Towns. — Concluding remarks on Texas. . . 28

Chapter III

Leave New Orleans. — An Escape. — Passengers in the Union. — Our Fare. — The Bar — A Steamer. — Wooding Places on the Mississippi. — The Forest. — A Sugar Estate described. — Dif ference of Canes. — Annual Expenditure on a Sugar Estate. — Plough Husbandry. — American Enterprize. — " Nuts" for the Abolitionists. — The last Parroquette. — The Deck Passengers fond of " Corn." — The Encroachments of the Sea. — The old Mouth of the Great River. — Yankee cunning. — The Clock Pedlar. — The Mississippi and Irrawaddy compared. — The Squatters ; their Betterments. — The Alligators. — River Robbers. — Natchez. — The Upper and Lower Towns Passengers plundered — The Voyage continued. — Navigation of the River The Wooden Fork — Dislikes of Backwoodsmen. — The Author gets a Lesson. — River Corpses Vixburgh. — Distress of a CONTENTS.

VII Hotel Keeper — Three Snapping Turtles.— A Skirmish. — Tlie Prize-ring defended. — Broad Horns The Cut-off at Red River. — The Inundation The Union is snagged and sinks. — Acci dents on the Mississippi. . . . . .49

Chapter IV

Memphis, in Tenessee. — The Hotel. — Discovery of an Emis sary — A Negro Preacher — A Sleeping Apartment. — The In dians. — Compulsory Emigration Destruction to the Red Hun ters. — Chateaubriand. — A group of Chickasaws. — Their encamp ment. — Indian Manners. — Seemingly, but not really indifferent to their Wives. — -The worshippers osthe Sun. —The Coronach, or lament for their Dead. — Intercourse between the Pioneers and Indians. — Anecdote. — Leave Memphis for the interior. — The Waggon The Forest — A Stand or Stage. — Corn Bread. — Black Jacks. — Excitement The Music of the Woods. — A Cure for Affectation and Self-conceit. — The story of the Boot jack. — Inquisitive Pioneer. — Strange ideas. — Snakes The Prairies. — Indian Mounds. — Barrows. — The unknown Dead. — The Grave of a Scottish-chief. — The Mammoth Cave Real Aborigines of America long ago exterminated. — Paintings on Rocks. — Salt Licks. — The Big Hatchet River. — A Lawyer. — A Duel. — Hunting Parties. — Rifle Practice. — Barrens. — A Hurricane. — An Adulterer detected — A Backwoods Sheriff. — Paddling a Negro. — Migratory Farmers. — Arrive at >- ville. . . . . . . . !■•

Chapter V

Nashville Hotel A pleasant Change. — A Job. — A Tenessee Supper. — Reflections. — Panorama. — Indian Skirmishes. — A Sulphur Spring. — The Bridge. — The Legislature in Session. — The Members. — Mr. Yeatman. — The Penitentiary. — Prison Discipline. — Vauxhall Gardens Effect of a Visit to Canada. — Emigrants ought to settle among their own People. — Leave CONTENTS. VIII Nashville. — A facetious Driver. — The Americans not musical. —Old Kentuck Delightful Climate.— Negroes en route.—Ri val Claims of Clay and Jackson.— An Opinion — Religion in Ken tucky—A Camp Meeting.— The Sink Hole.— A violent Quar rel.—A regular Snorter.— Female Foresters. — Pity the Rover's Bride A Jeremiad. — American Gold Mines. — Gold in Dust and Gold in Mass. — Smelting Aborigines worked the Mines. —Return of Gold for several Years — The Nullifiers — Cut off the Tail— Arrive at Louisville ; Falls of Ohio.— The Canal- Freedom of Election in the Back Settlements.— A Temptation to enter into Holy Wedlock.— The Banks of Ohio. . -100 . 100

Chapter VI

Cincinnati in Ohio — Its rapid growth, compared with Colum bus. — The Author of " The Mississippi Valley." — Mrs. Trollope. — Falling Trees. — Marrietta. — Land at Wheeling in Virginia.— Its Coal. — Its Fabriques. — Lament for Authors The Big Grave An American Beggar Tale of a Chair. — A Horse Ferry. — Virginian Landlord. — Fanatics. — The Golden Bible. — Rapp's Settlement on the Ohio. — Mr. Birkbeck in Indiana. — Wellsville A Scotch Colony Why was it located in the States? — Sergeant More M'Alpin.— The State of Ohio.— A Stage. — A Blacksmith's notions of England Good feeling on the part of Fellow Travellers. — Peach Plunderers. — Hungry Wayfarers Lake Erie. — A Walk. — Land Speculators. — Town of Erie. — Belgian Emigrants Fredonia — Natural Gas. — A Sermon. — Dunkirk. — Sail to Buffaloe. — The great Erie Canal. — Rail Roads. — The Niagara River. — The Great Cataract. 123

Chapter VII

The last Days of Francis Abbott. — His arrival at Niagara. ■Enraptured with the Falls. — Resides in Goat Island. — Builds CONTENTS. IX a Cottage. — His eccentric Habits. — Suspends himself over the Cataract. — His Firmness. — His Principles He com mits suicide. — His Life and Travels. — Examination o Cottage. — Reflections. — Progressive Changes in the Rock of the Falls. — Water Rockets. — An interesting Walk. — Sport ing. — Canadian Rifleman. — Queenstown Heights. — Extensive View. — General Brocke. — Mr. W. H. Merritt The Wel land Canal. — Embark on Lake Ontario. — Arrive at York, the Capital of Upper Canada. — Its Rise. — The Lieutenant-Go vernor. — The University Colonel Givings. — Ride to the Credit Creek. — Clearing Land. — Emigrants. — American Inn keepers — An Indian Village. — Change of Habits in Indians. — Their Appearance. — Distribution of Presents. — Birds of Prey Consequence of allowing Methodist Preachers among the Indians — Chief Yellow Head. — Ride up Young Street. — — German Settlers. — An old Highland Woman. — Sail to Kingston. — Its Appearance Attend a Ploughing-match and Show of Cattle. — Ride to Kingston Mills. — The Rideau Canal. — A Funeral. — The Lake of the Thousand Isles. — Farm House. — The St. Lawrence.— Brockville. — Prescott. — The Cascades. — Sail up the Ottawa Philemon Wright of Hull. — Story of a Beaver. — Arrive at Bytown. . . 147

Chapter VIII

Colonel By, R. E. — His Cottage Ornee. — The delightful prospect from it. — The Union Bridge. — Fall osthe Chaudiere, and Rideau. — Bytown, and its Environs — The Rideau Canal. — Voyageurs. — The bursting of the Hog's-back Dam. — The Wilderness of Rideau Indian Wigwam — Halloween — Rapids. — Mcrrick's Mills. — Service on the Rideau. — A Warm Friend. — Jones's Falls. — The Cranberry Marsh Fevers. — Brewer's Mills. — Settlers on the Rideau. — Wild Irishmen. — Benefits of the Canal to Emigrants. — Threats. — Forest Wand erings Sail down the Ottawa. — ,The Rapids of St. Anne. — X CONTENTS. Story of a Cable. — Lachine. — Island of Montreal. — Habitans. — The City of Montreal. — The Streets. — Canadian Hotel — The Public Buildings. — Isle of St. Helen's. — Ride into the Country, and Evening Party. — Loss of Captain Ross, R.N — The question of Boundaries. — The North-western Frontier. — A Settlement on the Columbia Turning the Tables. — Communicative Fur-traders. — An Expedition proposed. — Embark again. — How to get a Berth. — The Banks of the St. Lawrence. — Seigniories. — Arrive at Quebec. — Cape Diamond. — Magnificent View. — Mountains of Labrador. — The Citadel. — The Obelisk. — Lord Aylmer. — The Place d'Armes. — Wolfe's Statue. — Tlie Golden Dog.— Public Buildings. — Lauzon. — Falls of Montmorenci. — Indian Lorette Charleburgh.— The Plains of Abraham. — Opening of the Parliament of Lower Canada. — The Governor-in-chief 's Speech. . . 179

Chapter. IX

Enquiries regarding Emigration. — Population of Canada. — Distress anticipated Condition of old Settlers. — The Roads. — Liberal Policy. — The French Canadians. — The Irish sit on their Skirts. — English and Irish Landlords Pensioners Employment of Pauper Emigrants: — Wages The Canada Company. — Emigrants settled on Seigniories Infamous Conduct of Captains of Timber-ships A Remedy. — American Speculators. — Mr. Andrew Stewart's judicious Plans for disposing of Emigrants. — An American Settler locating himself. Emigration ought always to be directed to Canada Disad vantages of the States. — Mr. George's Plan for internal Im provements — The Bersiamits River explored.— Discovery in Magnetism.— Leave Quebec— The Road to St. John's. — Isle aux Noix— Lieut. Tngal.— Lake Champlain Crown Point. Ticonderoga.— The Royal Highlanders— A Canal-boat— Troy. —Albany.— Breaking up of the Ice on the Hudson.— Economy of Time.— The Ex-King of Spain — The Highlands.- Arrived at New York . . ono CONTENTS. XI

Chapter X

Leave New York to see Congress opened — General Wool. — Sail to Brunswick in New Jersey. — Trenton Memorabilia connected with it. — The Delaware. — Joseph Buonaparte. — Bristol and Burlington. — Philadelphia The William Penn Steam Vessel. — Newcastle. — The Chesapeak and Delaware Canal. — Sail up the Patapsco to Baltimore. — Uninviting appearance of Maryland — Slavery and its Effects too apparent. — The great Chesapeak and Ohio Rail-road Bladensburgh. — Pass over the Battle-field. — Silent approach to Washington. ■ — Resembles a Russian city. — The Streets. — Houses indifferently heated. — Audience of President Jackson A Sketch of his Career — The Pennsylvania Avenue. — The Capitol, Sculp tures, and Paintings. — The Rotunda, National Library. — Halls of the Senate and of Representatives. — The President's Mes sage. — A gratifying Account of the Prosperity and Prospects of the United States Visit Mr. Clay. — Inspect the Arsenal. — Visit the Theatre and attend Church. — Mr. Bankhead. — The Nunnery.— A Party at the President's. . . . 238

Chapter XI

Leave Washington. — My Fellow Travellers — The Author of" Pelham." — Slang. — Enter Baltimore by a Railway — Spirit of the Inhabitants. — View from an Observatory. — The Battle Monument. — The Cathedral. — The Washington Pillar.— Charles Carroll of Carrolton. — Journey to the Susquehannah. — An English Radical. — Philadelphia. — The State-house. — The Banks and Churches. — Peale's Museum. — The 160-gun Ship Pennsylvania. — The Theatre. — The Fair Mount Waterworks. — Anecdote. — Mechanical Genius of the New Englanders. — The Penitentiary. — Its Arrangement. — Sketch of the Life of a Convict. — How to prevent Prison-breaking. — Facetious Thieves. — Robbery of a Mai! Coach. — A Robber's Advice to CONTENTS. Travellers. — The Philadelphia Prison Why liberated Pri soners do not reform. — Dr. Rush. — Luxury of the Philadel phians A grumbling Traveller. — A Wistar Party. — A grievous Disappointment. — Return to New York . . 256

Chapter XII

Leave New York to Visit West Point. — The frozen Hudson. — The Military Academy. — The Course of Study. — The Classes. — Artillery Cadets. — Subsistence of Cadets. — Confine ment to Halls of Study Excesses — Effects of the Ordeal at West. Point. — The Army osthe United States — Artillery and Infantry The Ordnance. — Major-General Macomb — Military Chiefs. — Tlie Staff of the Army. — Desertions and Enlistments. — The Privates. — Moral Culture neglected. — The Non-com missioned Officers. — Intemperance — Uniform of the American Army. — Temptations to belong to it. — Military Experience of a young Artillerist. — Posts. — Bush Expeditions. — British and American Soldiers compared. — Arsenals. — Rifles. — Topogra phical Enquiries highly commended. — The States not fortifying the Maine Frontier. — Field Works. — The American Hatchet. — The Militia. — Injudicious System. — A Muster in Vermont. — Evacuation Day at New York. — The Invincibles. — Prospects of War. — Britons ought to be superior to petty Jealousy. 273

Chapter XIII

Leave the Military Academy. — The Valley of Canterbury Murderer's Creek. — Newburgh. — Fire. — Journey to New York. — Tlie City Hotel. — A Concert. — An Evening Party. — The Penalty of Indulgence. — Useful Receipts for Topers. — General Santander. — Lawrie Todd. — Dine with the St. Andrew's So ciety — A Patriotic Speech in honour of Scotland. — Visit Long Island. — The Navy-yard. — " Ready, aye, ready." — Leave New York . . . . . . .295 CONTENTS. XIII

Chapter XIV

Connecticut. — The Buildings of New England. — Anecdotes of New-Englanders. — The Automaton Chess-player. — Fantoc cini and Fire King. — r New England in Winter American Helps. — Distress of a British General. — Harford. —Boston. — View from the Dome of the State House. — The Streets. — Houses and People. — Hint to marrying Bachelors. — The Athe næum. — Bunker's Hill. — The Monument. — Leave Boston. — A Somerset. — Again enter New York. — Festivities of the New Year. — Reflections on leaving America. — Sail for England The Sherbet of Death Land at Liverpool . . ILLUSTRATIONS. Squatteb, Mississippi . . to pace the title. Making a Postage I79 A Canadian Residence ...... 209 Capitol, Washington . , . . TRANSATLANTIC SKETCHES. NORTH AMERICA. TRANSATLANTIC SKETCHES.

Chapter I

Passengers in the Aurora, bound to New Orleans. — Etiquette. — Savoury food — The Guitar. — Sunsets. — First view of North America. — A Pilot. — Mouth of the great Mississippi. — Dangers of the Bar — An Alligator. — The Balize pilot-station. — Prospect of a sickly season. — Stem the current. — The last Settler. — A Night-watch.— Course osthe Father of Waters. — The Porpoise-tug Plantations. — New Orleans. — Melancholy Streets. — Hotel. — The first night on shore New Orleans Tonsor The Markets. — The Cathedral. — A Duel. — The Levee.— Yellow-fever Captains. — The battle of the Blacks. — Evening resort. — The Gaol. — Morality and Religion. — American Preacher. — Philosophical Lady. — Slave insurrection Regular Infantry. — The Barracks. — Visit the battle ground. — Graves of the slain. — Retrospection. — A song. — Visit a plantation. — A Murderer. — Negroes. — Their treatment. — Internal Slave-trade. — Kidnappers. — A disclosure. — England and America ought to cherish liberal and friendly feelings toward each other.

In the Aurora there were two passengers be sides myself, a Spanish merchant and a French baker, the latter proceeding to New Orleans to give instruction in the true mode of making petits pates ; these, with the captain and his mate, made up our party in the cabin. VOL. II. b SAVOURY FOOD — THE GUITAR. There was very little ceremony used at our table; the company sat down to their meals in check shirts, tucked up to their elbow, and (a, la mode Orientate ) plunged their fingers into the dishes. Macaroni, or bread soup, a fowl grilled and swimming in lard, garlic, oily plantains, sliced cu cumbers, potatoes, and omelette, constituted our common fare, washed down with vino tinto; the chocolate that was served to me, by particular desire, was accompanied with a soup spoon, for it was of the consistence of hasty-pudding; and when the dinner was placed on the table, there was always a call for the oil flagon, the same serving for light by night and food by day.

For some time after leaving Cuba, we might have sung with Barry Cornwall, How gallantly, how merrily, We ride along the sea ; The morning is all sunshine, The wind is blowing free ; The billows are all sparkling, And bounding in the light, Like creatures in whose sunny veins The blood is running bright ; though we soon had light winds, but withall pleasant sailing for ten days. After the usual routine of reading, writing, and walking the deck, I de lighted much in sitting in the evening on a hen coop on deck, listening to the Spanish airs of the mate, a rakish-looking fellow, with a handsome pair of whiskers, who accompanied with the guitar an excellent voice. The crew would sit in groups FIRST VIEW OF NORTH AMERICA. 3 on the deck swallowing their garlic and oil, and pouring a rill of water into their greasy mouths, from the spout of the porron, a large earthenware vessel held at arm's length.

Looking from the vessel, there was nought but sea and sky, but then what glorious sunsets, and how different every evening ! What studies for a painter a series of these; and how strange would the forms of the clouds appear to an eye accustomed only to the sky in temperate climes ! Between the Tropics, the evening sky frequently puts on an awful and portentous aspect, apparently the forerunner of some nightly war of the elements. As we approached the low shore of Louisiana, we had light baffling breezes, and the thermome ter rose to 86° ; we anxiously looked out for land, when, one evening at sunset, under two mighty and dark pillars of clouds, which rose from the horizon to the zenith, connected like the bas tions of a fortress with a fiery curtain, we descried the twinkling star of the lighthouse at one of the mouths of the great Mississippi, and a rapid and muddy current set against us occasionally, bearing along with it a huge log.

The moon, "round as the shield of my fathers," shone brightly, opposite to the pillars of clouds, and revealed the white sails of two vessels in the distance before us. A pilot schooner approached, and from her a lanky and light-haired New-Englander jumped on board of us, who immediately called for gin ; he B ■1 AMERICAN PILOT. then told us of many wrecks in the late hurri canes, not a few of which we found out after wards to be inventions of his own. He next commenced guessing and asking questions in the usual way. " What news can you tell us, stranger ?" said he to me. " News ! why they talk of a general war in Europe." — " War in Europe !" cried he with an oath, " what do we care for a war in Europe in our fine, free, flourishing coun try ? but I calculate, we '11 soon have a war with the Mexicans." — " They won't be able to face you," I said, " without a fleet."

" Oh ! tarnation, no," answered he, " nothing under high heaven ; we will knock h — 11 out of them." He then called for more gin, and, thrusting his hand into his breeches pocket, took out a paper, and hold ing it out to me, said, " Read that, I don't care a curse for anybody." It was a certificate from Antonio De Silva, a master pilot at the Belize, setting forth that " William Stevens was compe tent to take vessels over the Bar ;" so, in order to enable this worthy to prove his competency, I told the captain to stop his grog, but he had finished a bottle before we came to an anchor out side the Bar. In the morning, we observed the black and low lying shore stretching from north-east to south west before us, and the turbid waters of the mighty river pouring into the sea between islands formed by layers of logs, covered and imbedded in mud, and appearing like bones of the mammoth.

We MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI. weighed anchor, and made for an opening where the water was only one foot deeper than what we drew, and the wind only sufficient to enable us with difficulty to stem the tide. It was a trying situation ; the pilot stood at the bows to indicate how the helmsman ought to steer, and I stood a-midships to interpret the conning. The i-iver water rushed and roared past us ; black aquatic birds flew round us ; and porpoises preceded us, tumbling over and shaking their tails, as if in deri sion. Several snags, or large logs, firmly fixed in the mud, and pointing down the stream, were passed very close ; and sawyers rose and fell above the surface, as they were acted on by the current. At last we got into smoother water, in a branch of the Mississippi, and anchored off the light house, a tall white pillar, with a house beside it surrounded with peach trees.

The wind blew down the river, and I proposed to the captain to take the boat, and row up to the pilot-station, the Balize. As we were leaving the vessel, a large alligator was seen descending the stream ; as he approached us he sunk his body, and nothing appeared but his malignant eyes, gleaming from under the pent-house and wart-like eyebrows seated on the top of his head. When he had fairly passed the vessel, the long tail slowly moved again on the surface like the appendage of Milton's Sin, which formidable shape " Ended foul in many a scaly fold, Voluminous and vast." THE BALIZE PILOT-STATION. We rowed up to the station, avoiding tbe thread of the current ; and found the Balize a collection of some twenty-five wooden houses, inha bited by about fifty pilots, of all countries. Log causeways communicated between the houses, which were literally built on soft mud, and faced a bayou, or small creek, communicating with the Great River.

Our friend Stevens came up to us as we stepped on a sinking log, and holding out his hand to me, said, "Halloo, man ! are you here? Which are you for, cocktail or gin-sling ? Here is the Bar, you must liquorise." I begged to be excused, as I seldom drank spirits, but asked him to allow me to ascend the wooden look-out house, in the centre of the wretched village. We mounted to the top of it, and one of the most desolate and dreary prospects appeared that I ever beheld. On the east and west there was a bound less swamp, covered with reeds ; a few sluggish creeks appeared to the south, where also wras seen a strip of the sea ; to the north, the land rose a little, and seemed in the far distance to be covered with wood. Thus we saw the Great River depositing its slime, and logs of trees forming what are termed rafts, among which reeds sprino up and connect the mass ; the reed decaying forms a soil, on which grow shrubs, eventually succeeded by trees, which are cleared by the sugar-planters, and the soil yields abundantly like that of Guiana.

Thus the Mississippi is fast advancing the promontory of new land at its PROSPECT OF A SICKLY SEASON. 7 mouth into the Gulf of Mexico, and increasing the length of its course, Avhich is computed at three thousand miles from near Lake Superior to the dreary Balize. " We were all flooded here the other day," said the pilot : " our billiard-table was carried away, and some of our houses, but the Bar escaped. We 're afraid of a very sickly season, for the water has been above the reeds ; but. you Spa niards from the Vanah are accustomed to the yellows, — acclimated, eh ? AVe buried a poor fellow here last week." — " What was his com plaint ?" — " Why, he used to sling considerable heavy." We dropped down in the evening to the Aurora, and though the breeze blew fair in the night, the captain and crew smoked and slept very comfortably, like the Dutch captains de scending the Hudson, who, when they got on a sandbank, puffed away quietly till the tide took them off.

On the following afternoon the anchor was leisurely weighed, and we slowly stemmed the current. As a contrast to the indifference of our Spanish captain to our progress, the anxiety of some Eng lish skippers to make quick voyages was recalled to mind. I made a month's voyage with one who was hardly ever off the deck, but taking a short to-and-fro walk beside the steersman, he would continually call out, " Now mind your helm, boy. Keep a lively helm. Don't let her THE LAST SETTLER. go to sleep in your hands — look at the head of the ship. Now you 're not steering your course — ease her, man, ease her — don't let her fly off* — your 're yawing about the ship dreadfully. Now, small helm, boy — look at the compass ; don't you see you are two points from her course? Meet her, now — starboard a little ;" and so on.

Our distance from New Orleans was upwards of one hundred miles, about the same distance that Calcutta is from the Sandheads ; and vessels are sometimes weeks in reaching the emporium of the valley of the Mississippi. On each side the banks were lined with logs ; on which, under over shadowing reeds or shrubs, stood, singly or in pairs, white aquatic birds : and frequently alligators would be observed extended upon the tim bers fast asleep. A ball glanced harmlessly off their hide, rough with tubercles, but it annoyed and awoke them, and snapping their jaws, they would plunge into the river. We passed the log-hut of the last settler. He was seated at his door, and wore a broad-brimmed straw hat, red shirt, and canvass trowsers ; his wife stood beside him, with a white-haired child in her arms.

It was an interesting group, but the expression of their countenances was that of deep melancholy, for they were in the midst of dismal swamps ; before them a canoe for fishing was moored to a stake, and a few stalks of maize showed how they subsisted. I was much provoked at the laziness of my A NIGHT-WATCH. 9 Spanish messmates : as I commonly do, when on board small craft, I assisted in working the vessel; so the Dons took advantage of the trouble I was at, and in the evening I found myself in sole charge of the tiller and deck ; all hands had gone below to sleep ! Though, of course, quite igno rant of the river, yet I had read that it flowed in one deep channel, with few mudbanks, so I had nothing to do in steering but to avoid the wavy line of the current, and keep the vessel in the still water.

The night was enlivened with a bright moon, which revealed the dark and wood ed banks of the broad stream ; sounds there were none on the river, but the hoarse croaking of the bull-frogs and the noise of the insects from the pestilential swamps on its margin. The hour and the scene were calculated to cause Fancy to take flight and think of the course of the mighty Mis sissippi ; the " endless river," which I was now navigating, and of the tribes of red men who had been driven across it, and were disappearing in the far west. I ascended in imagination to the small lakes, about the forty-eighth parallel from which the river first issues, where also the streams that descend into Hudson's Bay, and those which meet the Atlantic through the Gulf of St. Law rence, rise. I descended the .Mississippi for two hundred and thirty miles, through a prairie, with rushes and wild rice fringing the margin to the Falls of Peckagama, where it rushes over a rocky COURSE OF THE MISSISSIPPI. bed and descends twenty feet.