_Travels up the Mississippi from New Orleans to St. Louis, and to
St. Charles, on the Missouri_.
After a stay of nine weeks, I at length left New Orleans, on the 26th of
March, with the most grateful feelings towards its inhabitants, who had
received me in a friendly and affectionate manner, and had made this
winter so extremely agreeable to me. Never shall I forget what the
families of Messrs. Grymes, Urquhart and Andry, did for my benefit, and
with what cordiality and true hospitality they acted towards me. The
Baron de Marigny has, however, merited the most from my hands, and since
he has it in prospect to leave America, and settle himself in Europe,
I trust yet once more to have it in my power to exhibit my gratitude to
him otherwise than by words. The real creoles are, upon the whole,
a warm-hearted generation, and the people with whom I was least pleased
here, were the Americans, who are mostly brought only by the desire of
accumulating wealth. The Germans in Louisiana, unhappily rank behind
even the Irish. They are mostly a lazy race, not distinguished for their
morality, and very different from their countrymen in Pennsylvania, who,
on account of their moral and industrious characters, are universally
respected, and are worthy of this high regard.
Since my landing in Boston, on the 26th July, to my reaching New
Orleans, I had travelled the distance of four thousand two hundred and
seventy-five English miles. I entered now upon another great journey.
I designed to go from here to St. Louis, thence through the states of
Illinois, Indiana and Ohio to Pittsburgh, thence through Pennsylvania by
Philadelphia to New York. Here I proposed, with God’s help, to embark
for Liverpool, in the month of June.
About ten o’clock in the morning, I repaired from the Levée on board the
steam-boat Phoenix, bound for St. Louis, and immediately left the shore.
Eight steam-boats ascended the river on the same day. Ours was the
finest of this number. She was not large and had proportionately a too
powerful and dangerous high pressure engine. This communicated to the
vessel such a violent shock, that it was hardly possible to write. Mr.
Huygens was still my travelling companion; and I found to my great
satisfaction, a new and very welcome one in M. Hottinguer, the son of a
banker in Paris, whom I had known in New York, and who was now desirous
of viewing the western states on his return to Europe. The remaining
passengers, only three in number, were inhabitants of St. Genevieve, not
far from St. Louis, in the state of Missouri. The day was very
beautiful; the city, as well as the extensive suburb of St. Marie,
afforded a very picturesque view. What a pity that the shores are so
very low. It is hard to determine where the suburb St. Marie ends, the
houses gradually stand farther apart, until they are confounded with the
sugar plantations, of which we observed a good many on both banks of the
river, and some ornamented with very convenient dwelling houses. The
banks are highly cultivated, behind the fields, however, the cypress
woods are seen to commence. Towards the afternoon, something broke in
the engine, and we had to lie by for repairs, about three hours. We
heard music on the plantations, as the negroes were allowed to amuse
themselves on this first day of the Easter holy-days. So much timber
drove down the stream, that our engine was frequently stopped, to
prevent the buckets of the wheels from being injured by floating trunks
of trees.
Our accommodations consisted of a cabin with sixteen births; behind this
were two ladies cabins, of which, as there were no ladies on board, we
took possession, so that we might be located at the greatest possible
distance from the engine. We met three steam-boats, and several keel and
flat boats, which were laden with cotton, meal in barrels, bacon, hams,
birds, &c.
We passed the whole night without receiving any damage, although we
suffered some heavy blows from floating trunks of trees. The next day
the dwellings were more scattered, all of them, as well as the
sugar-cane fields about them, appeared in good condition. The banks on
both sides we found mostly covered with wood; the cypress had ceased,
and green-leaved trees, such as ash and poplar took their place. At
first the shore was very low, and we could observe from the marks on the
trees left by the water, that at a high stage of it the surrounding
country must be overflowed. Towards midday we passed the small town of
Baton Rouge, which lies upon a height, and may contain about twelve
hundred inhabitants. It was the first town we had noticed. In passing,
I remarked upon the eminence two brick barracks, two stories high, and
good looking, which are inhabited during the summer by the garrison of
New Orleans, on account of their healthy situation. Baton Rouge is one
hundred and thirty-one miles distant from New Orleans, and owes its name
to an ancient Indian trunk of a tree, which was so denominated by the
first French settlers. We did not stop here, but made our first halt
after sunset, at Bayou Sara, one hundred and sixty-three miles from New
Orleans, for an hour, to take in wood for the engine. Above Baton Rouge
the banks were steep, especially the left. Such solitary elevations are
termed here bluffs. The islands in the Mississippi are numbered as they
occur from the junction of the Ohio down. The last is No. 97, we came
this day up above No. 94, and found all these intermediate islands low
and covered with wood. Towards the rising of the sun, we had passed by
at the mouth of the Bayou la Fourche, the little town of Donaldsonville,
where as it is said, the seat of government of Louisiana will be
established.[II-12] We saw three large alligators lying on the shore
sunning themselves, the largest must have been from six to eight feet
long. The weather was fine the whole day.
[Footnote II-12: [Our author has somehow been confused in his
diary here: the mouth of La Fourche is generally called
seventy-five miles above New Orleans, Stoddart makes it
eighty-one. At any rate it is about half way between Bayou Sara or
Point Coupee and the city of New Orleans; and of course the Duke
must have passed Donaldsonville, which is at the junction of La
Fourche with the Mississippi, in the morning of the day he passed
Baton Rouge.]--TRANS.]
We did not lie by again in the evening, but went on through the night,
and still received several blows from the drift wood.
The next morning produced nothing novel; some tortoises only passed us,
sailing on pieces of wood. The river made many and considerable
windings. The banks are every where woody, and for the most part so low,
that from the water-marks on the trees, they must be inundated at high
freshes. There were several high bluffs on the left bank, of which those
called Loftus Heights, appear to be the most remarkable. There is a
small settlement there called Fort Adams, from a fort that formerly
stood here. Scattered, but considerable plantations, are situated on the
shores. The sugar plantations have ceased, and the cotton fields have
taken their place. We stopped at one of these plantations to take in
wood; I embraced this opportunity to land, and look round about me in
the neighbourhood of the plantation. The soil appeared to be of a dark
colour, and very productive. The trees were chiefly of ash and poplar,
of which one was sixteen feet in circumference. Upon all the trees, wild
vines branched aloft, partly from thick trunks; also many locust trees
grew about here. In the garden of the plantation, there stood a large
bush of the champagne rose, as it is called, which appeared very
beautiful, as it was in full bloom, and diffused a delicious odour. The
raising of bees was carried on at this plantation. The vegetation was as
far advanced almost, as it is in Germany about June. The right bank of
the stream still belongs to Louisiana, the left side however, is in
Mississippi. Before we reached Fort Adams, we saw to the left of us the
broad Red river, emptying itself into the Mississippi two hundred and
thirty-two miles from New Orleans.
I take the liberty of inserting the following account of this river,
which is given in the “Western Navigator,” a work which is published
with charts of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers: “The Red river falls
into the Mississippi a little to the south of the thirty-first degree of
north latitude. At its mouth it is about five hundred yards wide, and
its general breadth is between two hundred and fifty and three hundred
yards. The main branch of this majestic stream rises in the Mexican
range of mountains eastward from Santa Fé, in nearly the thirty-sixth
degree of north latitude. It flows about one hundred miles in a
north-eastern direction, unites itself with another broad branch coming
from the north-west, makes then a great circuit towards the south-east,
and follows this direction to the Mississippi for the distance of
fifteen hundred miles. The country about the lower half of the Red river
is pretty well examined, and found equal to the other part of Louisiana
in fertility, except about fifty miles from the Mississippi, which
district is exposed to annual inundations. The cotton and the tobacco
raised about Natchitoches and at the Rapids, are of the best quality,
and command the highest prices. Besides many small craft, the trade
employs several steam-boats at Natchitoches. The bed and shores of this
river consists of clear red sand, mixed with clay and gravel, the same
colour is imparted to the water.”
On the morning of the 29th March we reached Natchez, and made a stop of
some hours, to repair a leaky boiler. I employed this leisure in writing
some letters of thanks to New Orleans. This occupied so much of my time,
that I was not able to look about in Natchez. Several of our company did
so, and informed me that the city was regularly and well built, and
situated upon an eminence on the left bank of the river, removed a short
mile back from it. Upon the bank itself, are some few streets of wooden
houses, with shops for provisioning and supplying the steam-boats, which
mostly make this a station. Back of these streets, rises a sand-hill,
upon which the city stands, and a very laborious ascent through deep
sand carries one there. Natchez is two hundred and ninety-eight miles
distant from New Orleans.
At half past eight o’clock we proceeded: the banks were very low, and
bluffs were to be seen only now and then on the left side. Only one
solitary plantation on a hill covered with grass appeared well
cultivated. It was situated upon a point called Petit gulf, where the
river makes a remarkable bend, and is three hundred and forty miles from
New Orleans. Besides this, we took notice of several little plantations
which are exposed to inundations, and have only wretched log-houses.
They are fixed there by poor people, who seek to acquire property in
this unhealthy district. We stopt at two of this kind of plantations to
take in wood, and I went ashore both times for exercise. At one of these
places, the owner had put fire to all the trees that were not hewn down,
to make the land arable, and to change the wood into cotton fields. The
day passed over in the same way: our travelling party was increased by a
woman from St. Louis, who had waited for us with her three children at
one of the plantations. She was the wife of a mechanic in St. Louis, who
also was engaged in trade, having been to Santa Fé, in Mexico, and from
there had brought mules for sale to the state of Alabama. He appeared to
have staid away rather too long; his wife, and her three little
children, had travelled after him, but not being able to find him, she
now returned home.
During the night we passed the little town of Warrenton, on the left
bank of the river, three hundred and ninety-eight miles from New
Orleans, and afterwards another, on an eminence on the same shore,
called Walnut Hills, ten miles farther. About midday, on the 30th of
March, we passed the mouth of the Yazoo.
Concerning this river, the Western Navigator makes the following
remarks:--“The Yazoo rises in the state of Georgia, takes a
south-westerly direction, meanders through a fertile country, and
empties itself into the Mississippi, in the latitude of 32° 30´. At its
mouth it is about one hundred and thirty yards wide.”
The country was again very monotonous, low banks, partly covered with
water, covered thickly with trees, of which the fresh green leaves were
very much hidden by the disagreeable Spanish moss: some inconsiderable
plantations, where cotton and Indian corn were raised, and the
dwelling-houses, miserable little log-cabins, which are built on a sort
of grate, on account of the overflowing water. We stopt at one of these
places for wood, on the left bank. The labourers discovered among the
wood prepared for them, a snake two feet long, green and yellow striped,
with a white belly. They considered it poisonous, and killed it;
I believe, however, that it was not, for at a dinner in the habitation
of Mr. Andry, the sons of our host brought a similar snake, which he had
found in the garden, into the chamber, and I permitted it, (to the
terror of the ladies,) to creep into my sleeve upon the naked skin.
Although the head of this snake had been cut off, yet the body still had
life, and wound itself so fast upon my finger with the tail that I could
carry it a considerable distance. There are many bears in the woods
here, as the wife of the planter assured me, which make great havoc
among the hogs of the inhabitants, but do not attack men. The islands in
the river are very low, and covered thick with timber.
The weather had become cold, on the 31st of March it became warmer.
Nothing new! woody shores, high trees, poplars and sycamores, with large
creeping plants, mostly of wild vines, and here and there tall cane. We
passed several low islands, which, as well as a distance on both shores,
were overflowed, also some solitary, mean, and miserable dwellings. The
left bank of the river still is in the limits of the state of
Mississippi, the right thus far is in Arkansas Territory; of which
Little Rock on the Arkansas river is the principal place, at which many
emigrants from the eastern states have settled themselves. About ten
o’clock at night we reached the mouth of the Arkansas. Of this, the
“Western Navigator” speaks as follows:--This very beautiful river is
about three hundred and sixty yards wide, at its mouth it is said to be
fifteen hundred miles long. It rises at forty degrees north latitude in
the Mexican mountains, between the river La Platte on the one side, and
the Rio del Norte on the other. “This river, (as Stoddart writes,) has a
rocky bed, and the navigation of it is much impeded by rapids and
shoals. The extensive country through which it rolls, is diversified by
some mountains, numerous elevations, and fruitful vallies, especially
along the water-courses; by scattered groves and copses of wood, and by
prairies or natural meadows of great extent, where immense flocks of
various kinds of wild animals resort to graze.”
The pilot was obliged to be very careful here, since several dangerous
“snags”[II-13] lay in the river where we passed by the remains of the
steam-boat Putnam, sunk there. We met the beautiful large steam-boat
Caledonia, which, coming from Louisville, went down the river in a most
imposing style. The mouth of the Arkansas is distant five hundred and
ninety and a half miles from New Orleans, and there are still five
hundred and fifty-nine and a half miles remaining to St. Louis, so that
the distance from New Orleans to St. Louis amounts to eleven hundred and
fifty-eight miles.
[Footnote II-13: In these rivers there is a difference understood
between the two kinds of trunks of trees which lie in the stream,
and are dangerous to vessels, i. e. snags and sawyers. The first,
of which I have spoken already in the Alabama river, are fast at
one end in the bottom, and stand up like piles; the others are not
fastened, by being moved by the current the upper end of the tree
takes a sawing motion, from whence its appellation is derived.]
On the 1st of April, the shores on both sides, as well as most of the
islands, continued still as low and woody as those we had noticed during
the preceding days. The ugly long moss, however ceased to deform the
trees. Upon the right shore, was situated a little new settlement,
Helena, which, from the appearance of its buildings, must be in a
tolerably thriving condition. Towards evening, we stopped to wood on the
right bank, at a small settlement, called Big Prairie. It was an open
place, surrounded by forests, in which stood some very handsome
live-oaks. As it became dark, we saw in the woods a great number of fire
flies, swarming about, which for a moment led us to think that there was
a smithy, or a high furnace in the forest, out of which the sparks were
flying. The navigation during the night was very dangerous on account of
the number of snags: we received some powerful blows, and a branch, to
which we approached too near in the dark, forced its way into one of the
cabins, and made a considerable breach. Luckily no one at the time was
sleeping there.
Upon the following day we still contemplated no object but low and
inundated shores. The human dwellings, the most miserable that could be
conceived, were placed along in a scattered manner. As we took in wood
towards evening, we were obliged to fasten to the wood-pile, as the
whole plantation was under water. The lights on the left shore, which
may rise about forty feet, are called the Chickesa Bluffs, of which
there are reckoned four in a stretch of about sixty miles.
Before we reached the fourth Chickesa Bluff, we passed a large island,
called President’s Island. The river changes its course almost every
year, and constantly washes the sand-banks away, while it makes others,
so that the chart of the stream made a few years back, is not to be
depended upon as a guide. The passage in which we sailed along, was at
times rather narrow on account of the island, when the river was at
least an English mile broad. Upon the fourth Chickesa Bluff stood the
quondam Fort Pickering, consisting of a stockade, as were the forts, as
they were called in the Creek nation. The two block houses of this fort
are still visible, of which a plantation house has been made. A short
mile above the fort, stands a group of rather miserable houses: it is
the town of Memphis. It is seven hundred and sixty-three miles from New
Orleans, and three hundred and eighty-seven from St. Louis.
Above this town of great name, the Wolf river discharges itself into the
Mississippi. The state of Mississippi has its boundary here, and the
state of Tennessee commences. It is reported, that Miss Wright, of whom
notice has been taken before, has settled herself near Memphis, bought
several negroes, and located a plantation. During her travels in the
northern states, she expressed so great a disgust towards slavery, that
she could not be persuaded to cross the Potomac, to go into Virginia.
And now, she has even purchased negroes! It is said, however, that she
has acted thus from a philanthropical designs, to follow a proposed plan
of setting the negroes free, and giving them their liberty by degrees.
I have already given my sentiments at Boston, concerning Miss Wright.
All that I have since heard respecting her, confirms the unfavourable
judgment which I then communicated. A respectable person, who had become
acquainted with her in Philadelphia, said, that she stretched herself on
a sofa, spoke little, and gave herself little or no trouble about any
one, now and then breaking out in detached sentences, such as this, for
example; I believe that bears are of more value than men. At Memphis,
she will, I have no doubt, enjoy many opportunities of confirming
herself in practical experience of the truth of this maxim. In the
evening, we were amused again with the great numbers of fire flies,
which filled the woods.
On the 3rd of April, we were embarrassed by our fire wood giving out.
The banks were overflowed, and there was no regular landing place to be
obtained. At the place called the new cut-off, we had a very powerful
current against us, which we overcame with great trouble and waste of
time. The wood was so far gone, that old barrels were broke up, and a
mast and several boards were obliged to be sawed for a supply. This new
cut had formed itself in February 1822, and saves the vessels a circuit
of thirteen miles. It may be observed on the chart, what a large bend
the Mississippi makes here. By degrees it washed the small isthmus of
land, which intervened between the bends, and formed itself a new bed
directly through. This neck of land, through which this new cut passes,
is hardly half a mile wide. It is but a short time since the steam-boats
first ventured to take this short route: for the remains of the trees
washed away are still visible, and this admonishes the navigator to be
on his guard.
After we had passed this strait, which is distant eight hundred and
sixty-nine miles from New Orleans, we stopped on the right bank, to
provide ourselves with wood. We embraced this opportunity to go ashore
for a walk, and into the woods. A young man of our vessel, killed a very
handsome snake in the forest. It was one and a half foot long, whitish,
with coal-black, edged spots on the back, the belly white with black
stripes.[II-14] Farther on, a black eagle with white head and tail was
shot. We saw a similar one in the afternoon fly long before our boat,
he had found a snake which he held in his talons. We met with several
plovers also. After sunset, we stopt at the right bank for the second
time, to obtain more wood for the night. This place was called Point
Pleasant, and there were about it several small plantations; one of
which served as a trade-deposit with the Indians. The Indians bring
deer, buck, muskrat and other skins, and barter them for arms,
ammunition, woollen blankets, stamped calicoes, &c. one of our
travelling companions, Mr. Vallais employed himself in this trade. We
accompanied him to the depôt, whence he brought a whole cart-load of
pressed skins to the boat, to take up with him.
[Footnote II-14: Coluber coccineus.]
On the right hand shore the Arkansas territory ceases, and the new state
of Missouri begins. This was first received into the Union two years
since, and with truly great difficulty, and after long debate; as
congress was at issue whether the state should be suffered to permit
slavery within its limits or not. The state at length, however, obtained
that privilege.
Six miles below Point Pleasant, the little town of New Madrid lies upon
the right bank, nine hundred and twelve miles from New Orleans. We past
by it in the night, to my great regret; for I should have liked to have
seen the remains of the violent earthquake, which prevailed here in the
years 1811 and 1812. There are great sink-holes to be seen here yet, in
which trees are buried. The soil upon which the town itself stood, has
sunk many feet, and the place has suffered very much. New Madrid was a
Spanish settlement, and so long as the whole right bank of the
Mississippi, that is, from 1763 to 1803, belonged to the Spaniards,
under the name of Louisiana, there was a Spanish military post there.
On the left bank of the river this evening, we left the jurisdiction of
Tennessee, and entered that of Kentucky.
On the 4th of April, it was exactly one year, since I left the city of
Ghent, and my family. The time has passed over rapidly with me, I have
seen many remarkable things, my mind has been kept on a constant
stretch; nevertheless, that which passed more than a year ago is as
present, as if performed but a few days since. If the great Architect of
the universe shall conduct me in health home to those I love, which I
have prayed for, then shall the 4th of April be a festival-day in my
family as long as I live.
Both shores of the river, appeared in the forenoon just as they appeared
during the last days. Only we remarked two elevations on the left bank,
of which one was called Chalk Bank, the other Iron Bank. About one
o’clock in the afternoon we found ourselves opposite the mouth of the
Ohio river. The river is here very broad, and both streams with their
low banks, grown thick with wood, puts one in mind of the Mecklenburg
lakes.
The Western Navigator says, in a note concerning the Ohio: “The Ohio
arises from the junction of the Alleghany with the Monongahela at
Pittsburgh, the first is about three hundred and seventy, the
latter near five hundred yards broad at their mouths. After a
west-south-westerly course of nine hundred and fifty-two miles the Ohio
empties itself into the Mississippi about in the degree of north
latitude thirty-seven. It changes its breadth from four hundred to
fourteen hundred yards. At Cincinnati it is eight hundred and
forty-seven yards wide, which may be considered its medium. Its course
is gentle, not broken by falls or rapids, except at Louisville. It is
inferior to few streams in the convenience of communication from one
part to the other, especially if the operation of canaling the falls,
and erecting of locks, which has long been contemplated, be carried
through with success. The height of the falls is estimated at twenty-two
and a half feet, the length of the descent two miles. The greatest
extremes of falling in the height of the river, are between Pittsburgh
and the Mississippi; they lessen as the river is descended, and the
medium height is from twenty-five to thirty feet. At the lowest state of
water, the river is fordable in many places above the falls.”
The mouth of the Ohio is nine hundred and seventy-seven miles from New
Orleans, and one hundred and seventy-three from St. Louis. Two
steam-boats, the Friendship and Philadelphia, which had remained near us
all the way from New Orleans, here left us, and ascended the Ohio. The
Mississippi continues still very broad above the Ohio, and contains many
islands. From the mouth of the Ohio, the left shore of the river belongs
to the state of Illinois, the right, as already observed, to the state
of Missouri. The banks of the Mississippi begin to be something higher,
and at times still more rocky. We stopt at a couple of solitary houses
on the right bank for wood. During this halt I went into the wood lying
back, to walk, and remarked several sycamores of an uncommon height and
stoutness; I believe I can affirm that one of them was twenty feet in
circumference. We observed from the cooler air, and the less precocious
vegetation, that we were again in a more northern climate. A few of the
trees were in leaf, others were blossoming, which in New Orleans,
occurred six weeks ago. Near the dwellings were large orchards, in which
the apple-tree was in blossom. On the bank grew arbres de judée, whose
blossoms resemble those of the peach-tree, and near them blossoming
white-thorns.
The water in the Ohio had risen very much for some days, and poured with
force into the Mississippi; this circumstance assisted our progress,
since above the junction we had a weaker stream to contend with. At ten
o’clock at night we reached a little town on the right bank, Gape
Girardeau, where Mr. Vallais had some goods to land. This place is
situated on a high bank, and appears to be thriving and well built, in a
fruitful and tolerably populous district. On account of the numerous
snags under water and the sawyers, the navigation during the night would
have been dangerous, we therefore spent the night at Cape Girardeau.
There are here several examples of unlucky steam-boats. The place is one
hundred and thirty-two miles from St. Louis.
On the 5th of April we were set in motion before daybreak, and stopped
towards morning at a group of five wooden houses, called the town of
Bainbridge, one hundred and twenty-two miles from St. Louis, on the
right bank. Again goods were landed, and wood taken in. In the outset of
our day’s trip, the shores became higher. Upon the right side we saw
sandstone rock, probably forty feet high; they were partly worn with
water, and had singular forms. One of these rocks, which stands alone,
is called the Devil’s tea-table. Farther the river is compressed in its
course between two ledges of rock, of which one is called the Devil’s
bake-oven, where several steam-boats have gone down. The current is here
very strong. On the right bank rises a solitary rock named the Tower,
resembling very much an old fortress. It must be about one hundred feet
in circumference, and one hundred and fifty feet high. The river became
by degrees narrower. The vegetation continued still more backward.
Towards evening, we encountered a very heavy storm, that lasted, with
severe thunder, rain and hail, for a couple of hours. On this account we
could advance no farther without danger, and remained during the night
on the right bank near the Saline River’s mouth, sixty-nine miles and a
half distant from St. Louis. On this river considerable and profitable
salt works are established.
On the sixth of April, we moved again before daybreak. The storm of
yesterday had cooled the air very perceptibly. After we had advanced
five miles farther, we stopt on the left bank. An establishment was
placed there, Simonton’s Warehouse, where the goods intended for
Kaskaskia were landed, which is a town in the state of Illinois, lying
on the river Ouwa or Kaskaskia, two miles from the warehouse: we soon
got under way again. The country on the right bank was very well
cultivated. On a small eminence we beheld the little town of St.
Genevieve. This place is one mile distant from the river, on a little
stream called Gabane creek. Mr. Vallais, and another of our fellow
travellers, Mr. Rozier, a native of Nantes, and established as a
merchant in St. Genevieve, landed their goods purchased in New Orleans
here, and took leave of us.
We stopped several hours. The river takes a new direction against the
right bank, wears it out in hollows, and often tears away whole fields,
by which the left bank profits. We accompanied our fellow voyagers to
the town, which contains about two thousand inhabitants, of both
complexions. The road ran between fields of Indian corn, and then over a
bridge on Gabane creek. The place has regular streets, but has rather a
poor appearance. I remarked only three substantial houses: one of them
stands on an open square, and is the court-house. Not far from this is
the prison, a box framed of strong timbers. Upon the eminence on which
the place slopes down, stands a massive edifice, which indeed had a roof
upon it, but was without doors or windows, and threatened to fall in.
It was destined for an academy, but for want of funds the plan was not
completed. The place receives great advantage from the neighbouring lead
mines. The navigation near St. Genevieve is extremely dangerous, from
the snags lying under the water. Two steam-boats have been sunk here,
the Franklin and the Cincinnati. The accident of the last took place
when Prince Paul of Wirtemburg was on board. I noticed here several
pieces of a very brittle sandstone, found in the vicinity of St.
Genevieve, and sent as an article of trade to Pittsburgh, where it is
used in the manufacture of glass.
Before we proceeded on our voyage, we received the visit of a Shawnee
Indian on board, a well looking man of about thirty years of age, who
spoke tolerably good English. He travelled on horse-back with his gun,
hunted on the way, and sold his venison. His dress was very similar to
that of the Creek Indians. Between twelve and one o’clock, we were again
under way. The right bank continued rocky, and contained below very
singular shapes and excavations, which reminded me of the rocks on the
Inn, and the one called Buckfarth Castle.
About ten miles above St. Genevieve an island lies on the left shore,
called Fort Chartres, where at the time of the first French
establishment, a fort of this name was standing. It was nevertheless
partly torn away by the current, and at present, has vanished entirely.
We passed several islands, of which three are called the Plattan
islands. In the woods on these we saw many birds with parti-coloured
feathers, the largest among them were cormorants. About 5 o’clock in the
evening, we reached Herculaneum, a little town on the right shore. The
river Joachim, which has been turned into Owashing creek, which here
flows into the Mississippi, divides the place into two parts.
Herculaneum is thirty miles from St. Louis, is very small, but contains
several decent houses, and supports itself by the lead establishments,
furnished by the mines in the neighbourhood, and by two shot factories.
The rocks, which form the right bank of the river, open themselves here
to let the Owashing pass through, which flows in a narrow, truly
picturesque valley, which again recalled the Ilmthal to my mind. Looking
from the river, Herculaneum is situated between two high crags of rock,
in the back ground woody heights crowned with rocks, and appears very
handsome. On each summit of the rocks, stands what is called a shot
tower. The material of the rock here is wacke, in which there are many
flints. We stopt here to take in wood.
The 7th of April, we continued our voyage about five o’clock, and
reached St. Louis about eleven o’clock forenoon. Thus had we
accomplished a distance of 1150 miles in less than thirteen days against
the current, which before the introduction of the steam-boat required at
least three months, a new testimony of the importance of this noble
discovery, so honourable to the human intellect.
We enquired in several houses for accommodation, but found the most of
them too bad; and remained at length in the Missouri Hotel, a tolerably
moderate kind of an inn, where we were obliged to house ourselves very
narrowly.
St. Louis has existed since the year 1763, and was settled by French and
Canadians. In that year when Canada with the left bank of the Illinois
and Mississippi were ceded to England, these people were not willing to
be English subjects, and withdrew to the right bank of the Mississippi,
which then was under the dominion of France, but soon after was given up
to Spain. The emigrants built St. Louis and St. Charles on the Missouri,
as well as several other little places: they lived a long time cut off
from the civilized world, and surrounded by Indians. They effected but
little in the cultivation of the soil, had almost no agriculture, and
supported themselves by hunting. They would at length have become
savages, had not this territory, with Louisiana, in the year 1803, came
into the possession of the United States. Since that time communication
and roads have been opened between the United States and St. Louis; many
Americans and foreigners removed here, and brought their property and
their industry with them: and by the introduction of the use of
steam-boats, a new and easy intercourse was opened with the shores of
the Ohio, and with New Orleans, that important depôt of the western
states. A glance at the map of the United States shows what an
interesting place St. Louis is destined to become, when the white
population has spread itself more westwardly from the Mississippi, and
up along the Missouri river. Perhaps it may yet become the capital of a
great nation.
St. Louis lies upon a rather high rocky foundation on the right bank of
the Mississippi, and stretches itself out, nearly a mile in length, in
the direction of the river. The most of the houses have a garden towards
the water, the earth is supported by walls, so that the gardens form so
many terraces. The city contains about four thousand inhabitants. It
consists of one long main street, running parallel with the river, from
which several side streets run to the heights behind the city. Here
single houses point out the space, where another street, parallel with
the main street can one day be built. The generality of the houses are
new, built of brick two stories high; some are of rough stone, and
others of wood and clay in the Spanish taste, resembling the old houses
in New Orleans. Round the city, along the heights, formerly ran a wall,
but it is now taken away. At the corners stood massive round
guard-towers, the walls of which one still can see.
In a northern direction from the city, are seven artificial hillocks, in
two rows, which form a parallelogram. They belong to the much talked of
Indian mounds and fortifications, of which numbers are found on the
shores of the Ohio and Mississippi, and which are dispersed over these
regions from Lake Erie to New Mexico. There exists neither documents nor
traditions concerning the erection of these works, or of the tribe of
people who erected them. In some, a great quantity of human bones have
been discovered, in others, on the contrary, nothing. This double row
near St. Louis has not yet been examined.
Soon after our arrival, we made some visits to deliver the introductory
letters given me by Bishop Dubourg. We called first upon General Clark,
governor of the state of Missouri. The general was absent in Washington.
We were, however, received in a very friendly manner by his wife and
daughters. Governor Clark is moreover the well-known fellow traveller of
the late Governor Lewis, in the expedition to the mouth of Columbia
river, on the Pacific ocean, in the years 1804, 1805, and 1806. We
afterwards went to visit Mr. Choteau, who was one of the founders of St.
Louis, who was not at home.
As we were so near the Missouri, we were unwilling to leave this part of
the country, without at least looking at that interesting river; for St.
Charles, a little town on the left bank of the Missouri, which empties
into the Mississippi some twenty miles above St. Louis, is but twenty
miles distant from this city. Not to lose any time, we determined to go
there this very day. We therefore hired a little two-horse carriage, and
with it, I and Mr. Hottinguer, and Mr. Huygens, began our journey in the
afternoon. At first, all went right. The road ran through an uneven
prairie, upon which many cattle pastured. After a ride of eight miles,
we came into a forest, which lasted all the way to the Missouri. The
country was pretty hilly, the forest consisted of green-leaved timber,
oaks, and various nut-bearing trees, of Canadian poplars, and much
sumach. On most of the trees, climbing plants mounted over them, wild
vines, and ivy. There was hardly any sign of the spring here yet: the
vegetation was still as backward as at that period of the year in
Flanders. This made no very friendly impression upon us, who had just
arrived from New Orleans, where it had long been summer. In the woods we
found several solitary inclosures, made by worm-fences. Wheat, oats, and
Indian corn were raised here. The cattle, and the numerous swine
bivouacked in the woods, and were obliged to take care of themselves.
There are a number of emigrants from the eastern states, also Germans,
established here in Missouri, who have purchased the land from
government for one dollar and a half per acre, and made it arable. Most
of them, however, repent of this proceeding; on account of the small
population of this state, and the want of a market, they cannot dispose
of their produce. We also passed a little village “the station,” and
afterwards had nearly been lost in the forest, as our coachman knew
nothing of the road. The road was marshy and very bad; and to complete
our misfortune the night shut in. One of our companions betook himself
to his knowledge of astronomy, and wished to steer us by the pole star.
I trusted more to my judgment of localities, and opposed all learned
demonstrations. My other companion voted with me, and therefore we
proceeded by my guidance, and I had the glory of finding the true road,
for we arrived at half-past ten o’clock at night, on the right bank of
the Missouri, opposite St. Charles, at Chauvin’s ferry.
The way had latterly become so bad, that to prevent accidents, we
proceeded on foot. It was too late to cross the river to St. Charles;
we therefore had a frugal supper prepared for us at the ferry-house, and
passed the night in a little garret-room. The country in the
neighbourhood of the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi, cannot
in any manner be healthy; in the summer bilious fevers prevail, and in
the winter, what they call the influenza, which has shown itself in most
of the northern states. It consists of a very severe cough, joined with
rheumatic symptoms. If the disease be neglected, death may be the
consequence. To my no small alarm and dissatisfaction, one of our
chamber associates was very much affected with this influenza, and
another stranger, who slept in the next apartment, was visited by this
malady likewise; so that we were fated to hear a most annoying cough
duett.
On the next morning we crossed early to the left bank of the Missouri,
where St. Charles was situated, in a small canoe. The river is here
three-quarters of a mile broad, has excessively thick and muddy water,
and a very powerful current. The right bank is rather level, yet so high
that it experiences no inundation, while the left is pretty hilly. St.
Charles, which has the same origin with St. Louis, lies at the foot of a
hill; it consists of a single street running parallel with the river,
and is mostly built of brick. These houses are for the greater part
built by the Americans who have come here in later times, and are
inhabited by them as the most respectable portion of the inhabitants.
The Canadian, (or as they are called here, from their original parentage
and their language, the French,) are less industrious than the
Americans, and occupy themselves of preference in hunting; they live in
smaller, older houses, at the commencement and termination of the
street. The place may contain one thousand inhabitants, who nearly all
belong to the Catholic faith, and have a small wooden church. I spoke to
the present pastor, Verhegghen, a native of Ghent, a young man, who,
with the Abbé Maenhout in Pensacola, and many other young students from
Flanders, accompanied Bishop Dubourg on his return from Europe. Abbé
Verhegghen told me, that eight Flanders clergymen were appointed either
as pastors through the state, or placed in the seminary five miles from
St. Genevieve.
St. Charles has no remarkable exterior, and the streets are not paved.
We had it in contemplation to go to an eminence lying below the town,
“les Mamelles,” where it was said there was a view of the Missouri and
Mississippi both at once. The road carried us through a wood, which
begins below St. Charles. We had no guide, lost our way, and came at
last to a couple of lonely cabins. These cabins were inhabited by
Canadians, who took me for a Catholic pastor. We learned to our dismay,
that far from the “Mamelles,” we had six miles between us and St.
Charles. In this manner we took a sentimental walk of twelve miles for
nothing. Luckily for us we had fine weather. We had constantly remained
in the vicinity of the river, the return way took us somewhat
differently, and we came to a great marshy meadow, from which we could
distinguish the heights on the left bank of the Mississippi. The forest
is rather thick, with the same trees before-mentioned, and with large
and very thick sycamores. Not a sign of herbage was to be seen. In the
forest, however, there were beautiful birds, a pair were of a dazzling
sky-blue, and several paroquets, similar to those I had seen on the
river Alabama. For snakes, and especially for rattlesnakes, which are
found in great numbers here in summer, it was now too cold.
Exceeding fatigued with our useless promenade, we crossed the Missouri
immediately from St. Charles to Chauvin’s ferry, where we had slept. We
took our dinner here, and set out on the road to St. Louis in our little
light carriage, about four o’clock. We got over the worst part of the
road by daylight. We were surprised at the great numbers of partridges,
upon which we came, and which were so tame, that they would hardly run
out of our way: they remained sitting within ten paces of us. As the
night overtook us, we reached the better part of the road. We passed a
bivouack of an emigrant family, and arrived in St. Louis without
accident, in a very cold night about ten o’clock.
The 9th of April found us plunged into the midst of winter. It never
ceased snowing and freezing during the whole day. Except a slight fall
of it that I had experienced at Harper’s ferry, in the month of
November, 1825, this was the first snow that I happened to witness in
America. We could not make up our minds to go abroad, but preferred
sitting at the fire-side, and entertained ourselves with past happy
days. Later, however, we paid Mrs. Clark a visit, and spent the evening
at her house.
The steam-boat Mexico, Captain Clark, from the Prairie des Chiens on the
upper Mississippi, arrived this day, in the afternoon, at St. Louis,
fired a cannon to announce it, and intended to sail the next morning
down the Mississippi, and up the Ohio to Louisville and Pittsburgh.
I determined to embrace this opportunity to arrive in the Ohio, and then
visit New Harmony on the Wabash. My design at first was to have gone by
land through the state of Illinois, to Vincennes, and from there down
the Wabash to New Harmony. From information since obtained, this road
would be almost bottomless at this season of the year, several rivers
were to be crossed, and those provided with miserable ferries. For these
reasons, I declined the journey by land, in which, without such
considerations, there was nothing interesting to attract attention.
I had also felt a desire to visit the lead-mines, of which the most
important lie at Potosi, sixty miles from St. Louis, which are almost
daily increasing in consequence. I declined to join in this excursion,
since the journey there would take at least two days, the return as
much, and besides the road was described as wretched in the highest
degree. I was told, that the lead ore lies almost on the surface, and is
so extensive, that it is not worth the trouble to dig for it deep. If
therefore a shaft is pushed so deep as to strike water, this shaft is
abandoned and another opened. This easy method of working will last
until the owner has laboured over every part of his territory, then he
will be obliged to have recourse to water-pumps, and steam-engines. On
Fever river, on the upper Mississippi, are also very rich lead-works.
These, united to the works at Potosi, have delivered, during nine
months, eight hundred and eighty-seven thousand two hundred and
ninety-eight pounds of lead; the amount of per centage which the United
States receive from these works during that time, was a hundred and four
thousand one hundred and thirteen pounds. It is supposed, that in the
next year the mine-works will produce from three to four million pounds
of lead, which must be three hundred and fifty thousand pounds for the
share of the United States. It is but a few years since these mines were
worked.
On the 10th of April, we paid yet some other visits, before our
departure. First, to Major Biddle of the sixth regiment of infantry.
He is a brother to Commodore Biddle, and also of the President of the
United States Bank, in Philadelphia. His wife, educated in France, does
not appear particularly delighted with these out posts of civilization.
We then went to see Mrs. Clark, who, through the secretary of her
husband, Mr. Alexander, exhibited to us the museum collected by the
governor on his travels, and since considerably augmented. Mr. Alexander
showed us articles of Indian clothing of different kinds, and various
materials,--except the leather, the larger part of these materials were
American, or rather entirely European in their origin. A single garment
alone, was made by the Cherokees of cotton, which was pulled, spun, wove
on a loom, made by an Indian, and even dyed blue by them. Besides,
several weapons of different tribes, wooden tomahawks, or battle-axes,
in one of them was a sharp piece of iron to strike into the skulls of
their prisoners; another made of elks-horn, bows of elks-horn and of
wood, spears, quivers with arrows, a spear head of an Indian of the
Columbia river, hewed out of flint, a water-proof basket of the same
people, in which cooking can be performed, several kinds of tobacco
pipes, especially the calumet, or great pipe of peace. The heads of this
pipe are cut out of a sort of argillaceous earth, or serpentine; in time
of war the spot where this stone is dug out, is regarded as neutral, and
hostile parties, who meet each other at that place, cannot engage in any
thing inimical against each other. The pipe which the commissioners of
the United States use at treaties with the Indians, has a heavy silver
head, and a peculiarly handsome ornamented wooden stem. Farther: Mr.
Alexander showed us the medals which the Indian chiefs have received at
different periods from the Spanish, English and American governments,
and the portraits of various chiefs, who have been at St. Louis to
conclude treaties with the governor, who is also Indian agent. Among the
remarkable things in natural history, we noticed an alligator, eight
feet long; a pelican; the horns of a wild goat, shot by the governor in
his tour among the rocky mountains; the horns of a mountain-ram, and
those of an elk, several bearskins, among others, of the white bear;
buffalo, elk, of the skunk, which were sowed together in a robe, skins
of martins, ferrets, &c. &c. moreover, several petrifactions of wood,
and animal subjects, among others, of elephants teeth, a piece of
rock-salt, tolerably white, yet not shooting in crystals, as the
English; various crystals; a large piece of rock crystal; very handsome
small agates, which are here taken for cornelians, &c. Among the
curiosities, the most remarkable were two canoes, the one of
animal-hide, the other of tree-bark, a peace-belt, which consists of a
white girdle, set with glass beads two hands breadth wide; farther, snow
shoes, nets which are drawn over an oval frame, also the rackets, which
they use in playing their game of ball, &c. &c.
After the examination of this interesting collection, we paid our visit
to Mr. Choteau. This is a venerable old man of eighty years, a native of
New Orleans. He told us that at the founding of St. Louis, he felled the
first tree. His house resembling in architecture the old
government-house in New Orleans, was the first substantial building
erected here. The conversation with this aged man, who received us like
a patriarch, surrounded by his descendants, was very interesting. He was
of opinion that the people from whom the Indian antiquities have come
down to us, either by a pestilential disease, or by an all-destroying
war, must have been blotted from the earth. He believed that Behring’s
Straits were more practicable formerly than at present, at least it must
have been Asiatic hordes that came to America. How otherwise,
(asked he,) could the elephants, since there have been none ever upon
this continent, have reached the American bottom, where their bones are
now found? This bottom is a very rich body of land, running south,
opposite to St. Louis. Mounds and fortifications are found there, of the
kind spoken of before. Here the elephants bones are not scattered about,
but found laid in a long row near each other, as if they had been killed
in a battle, or at the assault of some fortification. I gave him a
description of the opening of a Roman mound, at which I was present with
my father, in the year 1813, and he expressed his astonishment at the
great similarity between these mounds, and those of the Indian
grave-hills. Among the stone war-hatchets in the governor’s museum,
there are several resembling the battle-axes which are found in Germany
at these mounds.
In our inn there lodged merchants, who prepare caravans, with which they
go in a space of from between forty and fifty days, to Santa Fé in New
Mexico. The articles which they mostly carry there, consist of cotton
fabrics, cloths, iron ware, &c. These goods they pack in four-horse
wagons, covered over, in which they sleep at night. There are about one
hundred men in such a caravan. From Santa Fé they bring back dollars and
mules.
After dinner the worthy old gentleman, Mr. Choteau, surprised us by a
visit, and brought his brother, his sons, and a Captain Smith, of the
first regiment of infantry, who is here on recruiting duty, with him. He
staid long with us and was very talkative. He related, for example, that
at the commencement of the settlement of St. Louis, the Indians attacked
the town, which was only defended by one hundred and fifty men, and that
they were driven off. After this attack, the Spaniards had built the
defensive towers, of which the remains stand yet around the city. They
resemble the English Martello towers, and like them were of but little
value.