going to war with some tribe situated north-west of them. As they were
about to cross the Mississippi, some persons on board of a descending
boat whooped at and insulted them. The Indians fired upon the boat, but
no injury was done. How natural is it to man to persecute the
unfortunate and weak! How natural is the abuse of power! The Indians are
a wronged, and an insulted people. Their cruelties, no doubt, surpass
description.—Their conduct is by no means justifiable; but how can we
rationally expect from them that human mode of warfare, which is the
consequence of civilization? Their revenge, is the natural effect of
their weakness. They improve every opportunity to lessen that power,
which, they fear, is destined to destroy them. And what should they do
with prisoners? They have no extraordinary means of feeding them, and no
castles for their confinement. Besides, think of the examples which have
been set them by England, by France, by Spain, and by America. Many a
harmless, humane, and magnanimous Indian, has been murdered, in cold
blood, by the sons of civilization; and many a charge of robbery and
murder, committed by white men, has been made against the peaceable, and
inoffensive children of the forest. But I wish to be understood, that I
believe the disposition of the General Government of the United States
towards the Indians, to have ever been fair and friendly.
The boatmen on the western waters are great marksmen, and pride
themselves in sharp shooting. One morning, whilst on the Mississippi, a
solitary little duck, probably not a fortnight from the shell, passed
the bows of the boat, on board of which I {202} then was, and the
captain immediately raised his rifle to blow this little being to
pieces. How wanton in cruelty is man! The young duck, conscious of its
danger, plied, with all its might, its little feet and wings. I pitied
its pert and apprehensive spirit, and seizing the captain’s gun said, he
is yours,—I will give you a dollar for him as he is. The captain
accepted my offer, and the little duck hiding himself under the reeds of
the shore, we passed on.
After being sometime in Tennessee, I crossed the river, and entered the
Missouri Territory. There is no great difference between the soil and
aspect of the country here, and those of the Tennessee side of the
Mississippi. In the latter, however, there are some rises of land,
called banks and bluffs, which present a sandy and an unproductive
appearance. The bluffs are known by the words first, second, third, and
fourth bluff. The aspect of the second one is interesting, and is
evidently one of the ends of those mountainous ridges in Tennessee,
which, passing into South-Carolina and Georgia, terminate in the vast
savannas of the Alabama and Appalachicola.
The musquetoes are more troublesome on the Missouri than on the
Tennessee side of the river. The smoke of my fire would hardly keep them
at a respectful distance; and the only way to avoid, by night, being
completely blinded by them, was, to cover my face with small bushes. No
covering of cloth could resist their stings.
The river near the lower part of the Missouri Territory is very crooked,
and the islands numerous. These islands are formed by the current,
during freshets, cutting through the soil and making new channels for
itself. The islands are covered with trees and bushes, but are low, and
frequently overflown. Near some of these islands I saw many pelicans.
{203} This bird interested me because it is both a scriptural and
poetical bird. David said, “I am like a pelican of the wilderness,” and
the poets of fabulous times supposed that she nourished her young with
her own blood.
The seasons of the greatest rise of the Mississippi are early in the
spring, and in July. During the latter period the crops are on the
ground, and of course much damage is sustained. But here I may again
observe, that the country on the Mississippi, for a thousand miles below
the Ohio, is, with a very few exceptions, a perfect wilderness; and that
much of it will never admit of cultivation. The rise of the river,
frequently appears to be occasioned by some secret causes, operating
beneath the surface. Indeed it is to be presumed, that many of the
sources of the river proceed from under the surface of the adjacent
land.
On the banks of the Mississippi, I frequently passed the graves of the
boatmen. The rudely sculptured monuments of their lowly dwelling, prove
that there is still charity for the dead; and that a fellow-feeling
seldom leaves, under any circumstance, the human breast.[188]
Having progressed some way in the Missouri Territory, I again crossed
the river, and entered the Indian Village at one of the Chickasaw
Bluffs. The settlement here is considerable; and the Chickasaws, being
friendly to the United States, evince in their appearance, the
beneficial consequences of a peaceful policy. White men of little or no
reputation frequently intermarry with this tribe; and the Indians are
much pleased with the connexion. On this Bluff is situated Fort
Pickering.[189]
The evenings in this part of the country are delightful; especially in
the woods, far from the haunts of men. The aspect of the heavens is here
{204} peculiarly serene; and the human mind is disposed to dwell upon
the power, wisdom, and goodness of God; the station of man in the scale
of being; his probationary state, with all its relations and events; and
his hopes of happiness beyond the grave.
The traveller, in proceeding from a cold to a warm climate, is forcibly
impressed by a sense of the revolutions of the seasons; especially if he
commences his tour in the midst of winter. Those who are acquainted with
astronomy, who know what are the effects of the annual motion of the
earth; and particularly the beneficial consequences of its declination,
will, if they have any sense of moral power and goodness, unite with
Milton in his sublime fiction:—
“Some say He bid his angels turn askance
The poles of earth, twice ten degrees and more,
From the sun’s axle; they, with labour,
Push’d oblique the central globe.”
The remembrance of those aspects in nature, which are peculiar to the
various seasons of the year, are delightfully painful. There is a
religious influence in them;—they are connected with the recollection of
a thousand events which mark the stages of man’s pilgrimage through
life.—The winds of spring; the autumnal evening; the equinoctial gale;
the frozen ground; the January thaw; all eloquently speak of childhood,
the vicissitudes of time, and of a better world.
In addition to the difficulties, attending the navigation of the
Mississippi, already mentioned, there are here many bends, points, and
sand bars, which cause the current to set in a great variety of
directions, and render necessary, not only constant watchfulness, but
much practical knowledge.
{205} Whilst in the Missouri Territory, and not far from the bank of the
river, a bald eagle, perched upon a tall and blasted oak, attracted my
attention. It was in the forenoon, and he viewed the sun with an
unblinking eye. Whilst I was admiring the strength of his form, and the
majesty of his aspect, a wild turkey flew from a neighbouring tree, and
alighted on the ground. The eagle immediately pounced upon his prey; but
ere he could effect his object the turkey was shot. I might too, have
killed the eagle, but admiration and awe prevented me. I felt that he
was the emblem, and the inspiration of my country; and, at that moment,
I would not, for ten thousand worlds like ours, have cut a feather of
his wing.
There is something wonderfully impressive in the nature of this bird;
and it is not surprising that the Romans were devoted to it. When quite
a lad, I mortally wounded an eagle, supposing it to be a hawk. It was a
half hour before it died, and during this time my heart was filled with
mingled emotions of regret and awe. I felt as though I were witnessing
the last moments of some mountain hero, who had fallen upon the hills of
his fame. This noble bird fixed his eyes upon me, and without a single
blink supported the pangs of death with all the grandeur of fortitude. I
could not endure his aspect,—I shrunk into my own insignificance, and
have ever since been sensible of my inferiority.
After remaining a day or two on this side of the river, I crossed it and
entered the State of Mississippi. This state is bounded by this river
west; north by Tennessee; east by Georgia; and south by West-Florida.
The principal rivers in this state are the Yazoo, Pearl, Big Black,
Tombecbee, and Alabama. The grand chain of mountains, called the
Alleghany, terminates in this state. On the {206} Tombecbee is situated
Fort Stoddard.[190] The city of Natches is the only considerable
settlement in this state. The aspect of the country is level, and
generally very fertile; but some parts of it are sandy and unproductive.
Its principal products are tobacco, cotton, indigo, and rice. Live oak
of the best quality abounds here. In this state are tribes of the
Creeks, Cherokees, Choctaws, and Chickasaws. These tribes are acquainted
with agriculture, and with some manufactures. The Natches Indians,
formerly a powerful, and, in many respects, a civilized people, were
exterminated by the French in 1730.[191] The Creek Indians consist of
about twenty tribes, who united for the purpose of exterminating the
Choctaws. The names of these tribes are derived from those of several
rivers in the states of Georgia and Mississippi, and the whole are
called Creeks, from the great number of streams which pass through these
parts of the country. They are sagacious, bold, and jealous of their
rights. General Jackson has made great havoc among them.
On the twenty-sixth of May I passed through a little settlement called
Point Sheco. Vegetation here was, at this time, very backward. The
inhabitants are principally French. The small-pox prevailed among them,
and they appeared sallow and emaciated. The land here is very rich; but
indolence characterizes the place. The people, however, possess many
herds of fine cattle, and much poultry. The musquetoes here are
literally intolerable. My journal says, “they are three times as large
as Yankee musquetoes; my face, neck, hands, and feet are covered with
their inflictions, and for several nights I have not slept a moment.”
The people in this part of the country always sleep under close
curtains, called musqueto bars.
The Mississippi, a little below this place, is very {207} wide and
expansive. I have spoken of its islands. There are about one hundred and
thirty between the mouth of the Ohio and New-Orleans. These islands are
sometimes formed by the lodgment of floating trees upon a bank in the
bed of the river, and by after accumulations of the various substances
which freshets bring from the country above. The river here deposits a
sufficient quantity of floating soil to produce vegetation, and the
island is soon covered with a thick growth of bushes and trees. The
current of the Mississippi moves from three to five miles an hour,
according to the rise and fall of its water. I have also spoken of the
boats on this river. They are as various, and their number as great, as
on the Ohio. The usual passage of barks, and barges, from New-Orleans to
the mouth of the Cumberland, on the Ohio, is ninety days; sometimes,
however, they are six months in getting up thus far, and sometimes lose
all their hands on the way, by sickness. These boats generally carry
from sixty to seventy men each, whose compensation is from fifty to
eighty dollars a trip. Many old sailors prefer this inland navigation to
that of the ocean. Here they spend their second childhood; and venture
only on those little seas which met the earliest efforts of their
boisterous career. The vessels of which I have been speaking, are from
eighty to one hundred tons burthen. The freight from New-Orleans to the
Cumberland is about five dollars a hundred weight. Down the river the
price is fifty per cent less.
The cotton-wood tree abounds near the Mississippi, and is said to be the
New-England poplar; I think, however, that this is not the case.[192]
Here too are bulrushes;, such, probably, as concealed the child Moses on
the Nile. There is a very interesting connexion between the scenes and
productions of {208} nature, and the simple stories of inspiration. In
view of it the enlightened agriculturalist is charmed. The situation of
our first parents, the patriarchal days, and the history of the Judean
Shepherds, furnish him, whilst he is tilling his ground and tending his
flocks, with sources of reflection, which at once delight his mind,
improve his heart, and prepare him for that state of innocence and love,
which awaits the good beyond the scenes of time.
The animal and vegetable worlds furnish an inexhaustible source of
illustration and imagery; and in the scriptures, they are employed with
all the simplicity of truth, and the sublimity of inspiration.
The sight of the bulrushes, connected with several other circumstances,
forcibly reminded me of the River Nile, and the story of that forsaken
babe, who, by the might of Heaven, conducted Israel from Egypt to the
Promised Land, in type of that Great Leader, who is now calling man from
the thraldom of iniquity to the liberty of the heavenly Canaan. On the
Mississippi there are arks, and alligators, which resemble the
crocodile; and the general appearance of this river is similar to that
of the Nile.
Not far from the Iron Banks, before mentioned, are the Chalk Banks; and
a little below the latter is the Bayau de She.
The St. Francis is the principal river in the Missouri Territory,
excepting the river of this name; and it enters the Mississippi just
below Tennessee. It is navigable about three hundred miles, and at its
mouth is two hundred yards wide. White River runs in the same direction,
and enters the Mississippi about eighty miles below. Its width is about
one hundred and fifty yards.
Whilst in the state of Mississippi, I crossed a high, broken, and
fertile ground, constituting about two hundred acres.
{209} After passing over hundreds of miles of country perfectly level,
such an appearance was highly gratifying. On this rise of ground were a
few scattering trees, the kinds of some of which I had never before
seen. Here grew the China tree, of a beautiful appearance, and bearing
fruit of an inviting aspect, but of an unpleasant taste.[193] I stopped
a moment to receive instruction—_moral_ beauty only can be depended
upon.
This situation reminded me of St. Pierre’s interesting, and affecting
story of Paul and Virginia. On one of the broken ridges of this rise of
ground stood a raven. He looked as though he had seen a hundred winters,
and his appearance inclined me to believe Hesiod’s extravagant account
of the longevity of this bird. There are many interesting ideas in
relation to this species of bird: In this country they build on high
trees; and in Europe in old towers. The Romans hold them in high
estimation; and God employed them to carry food to the Prophet Elijah.
After leaving this interesting situation, I passed a place called Point
Pleasant, where there are a few small dwelling houses.[194] The country
here is perfectly level, and the river wide and beautiful. Here I met
with many live oaks, so valuable for ship timber; but I think that on no
part of the Mississippi do they so abound as in the State of Georgia.
This species of tree grows tall and straight, and has but a very few
branches; these, however, are generally large, and well calculated for
knees in building.
Between this situation and the city of Natches is a place in the river
called the Grand Gulph. Here nature presents an aspect, which blends the
sublime and beautiful. She has here, with a majestic air, given to the
river an expansive bend; and renders its waters wide, deep, and gentle.
On one side of it she presents {210} an interminable lawn, and on the
other a broken hill, thickly covered with a variety of trees. How great
are the privileges of man! How small his merit, and yet, how noble his
nature!
The expansive calmness of this scene, viewed from the hill, suggests to
the human heart great and deep things, too sublime for human
utterance.—Things which point to the future development of mind, to the
high destinies of virtue, and to the nameless peace of heaven. When on
this hill it was evening; and the moon, mild in majesty, moved in an
unclouded course. She seemed to say, in the language of Young, “How
great,—if good, is man!” Under such circumstances the human mind
sensibly feels, that every thing, by the sacred and benevolent
constitution of nature, belongs to the virtuous man. He here dwells upon
St. Paul’s declaration, “All is yours!” and fears not “life, or death,
or principalities, or powers.” The good man has, indeed, every thing to
excite his hopes; and if his mind is enlightened by science, and
polished by taste, he has every thing to excite his admiration.—Is he
acquainted with architecture?—“The heavens declare the glory of the
Creator, and the firmament showeth his handy work.” Is he fond of
music?—let him listen to that of the spheres. Does eloquence charm
him?—he hears the voice of God in his own heart, persuading him to be
good.
The River Arkansas enters the Mississippi from the west, about one
hundred miles below the St. Francis. This river is certainly navigable
about five hundred miles, and is, probably, from fifteen hundred to two
thousand miles in length. The country on this river will hereafter be
known for its productions and trade.[195]
A little below this river is the Cypress Bend. Here grow considerable
forests of this interesting {211} tree. They are here covered with moss,
and suggest the ideas of old age and death. The growth of the moss,
however, is not confined to this species of tree; and it probably is
created by some peculiar quality in the atmosphere of the river. This
moss sometimes grows to the length of fifteen feet, but generally is
much shorter. It proceeds from the bark of the tree, and as to its
formation and manner of growth, resembles rock-weed on the seashore. Its
colour is that of the dove. Being fibrous, it is laid in water, then
dried, threshed, and used as a substitute for horse hair in the stuffing
of mattresses, &c. It is, when well prepared, nearly as valuable as
hair, and is exported in considerable quantities. The sources of this
article on the Mississippi are inexhaustible, whole forests are here
covered with it.
In this part of the country too, grows the celebrated plant called
misletoe. It is found on the trunk and branches of trees, and may be
propagated by rubbing its berries against the bark. This is frequently
done by the thrush, in wiping its bill after feeding upon them. Ancient
superstition venerated this plant; and it was hung upon the neck to
prevent the effect of witchcraft. In modern times it is considered good
for epilepsy and other diseases.
In several places near the Mississippi there are situations where
hurricanes have prevailed; and it is interesting to see the contrast
between their desolated path, and the smiling aspect of the contiguous
country. In some places here hundreds of lofty trees have been dashed by
the hand of violence; and the spectator inspired by the view, finds a
source of regret in not having actually witnessed the grandeur of ruin’s
march.
Great minds only imitate the grand in nature. She never proclaims her
works, but leaves them to {212} speak for themselves. Sampson possessed
a portion of her spirit. Upon his journey to Timnath, he slew a lion;
but passing on, told neither father nor mother of it.
After having experienced, for several weeks, much labour and many
privations, I arrived at the city of Natches, which is situated on the
eastern bank of the Mississippi. In approaching the city, from the banks
of the river, nothing is seen but a village of ragged buildings under
the hill, a little back of which the city itself is located. This hill
is very high, and steep, and its soil is sandy. Along the banks of the
river, under the hill, the boats, both in going up and down, frequently
stop, either for a market, or information. The number of buildings here
is about one hundred, and they are principally occupied for shops and
boarding-houses for the boatmen. It is perhaps one of the most wretched
places in the world.
The ascent to the city is very steep; and on each side of the road are
considerable precipices. The city itself is singular in its aspect;
being irregular, and having large unoccupied grounds in different parts
of it. After rising the hill, one sees, in front, a wide street leading
into the country; on the left a spacious grove of trees, back of which
is a precipice of two hundred feet; and on the right of the grove are
the principal streets and buildings. Many of the houses and stores are
large; but there are not many buildings here which can be termed
elegant. The courthouse is inconsiderable, and the theatre is a very
ordinary building. In the evening the city is remarkably
silent.—Scarcely a person is to be seen in its streets after dark. This
place is conspicuous for its hospitality.
Whilst in this place I was on board a boat, with the captain of which I
had become acquainted at the {213} mouth of the Cumberland. To this
gentleman, a foppish French barber introduced himself; and played with
his crew a pretty deep game. The barber was profoundly polite, and
extremely disinterested. He begged the captain to sit down and have his
hair cut, saying, that it was “all for de pleasure,” and that he “no
value de money,” &c. So much apparent good will, although troublesome,
seemed to deserve condescension; and the captain yielded to the
importunity. After the work was accomplished, payment was tendered, and
refused; the barber still insisting, with a thousand flourishes, that it
was “all for de pleasure.” The barber then turned his attention to the
boatmen, who all admired his liberality, saying, “come sare, me cut your
hair bery vel.” The boatmen, one after another, sat down; the Frenchman
all the time clipping away as for his life, grinning like a monkey, and
declaring, with many airs, “me barber de Buonaparte!” After the barber
had effected his object, and had rolled up his napkin, he, with much
gravity, and an altered tone, addressed the boatmen, saying, “yentlemen,
you be please to pay me.” The poor fellows were ashamed to acknowledge
their mistake, and inquired how much it was a piece. The Frenchman
replied, with a concerned animation, “Oh sare! only one quarter dollar.”
They produced their money, and the barber, well pleased with his
success, strutted off.
In the city of Natches slaves are very numerous. There is no branch of
trade, in this part of the country, more brisk and profitable than that
of buying and selling negroes. They are a subject of continual
speculation, and are daily brought, together with other live stock, from
Kentucky and other places to the Natches and New-Orleans market. How
deplorable is the condition of our country!—{214} So many bullocks, so
many swine, and so many human beings in our market! The latter are rated
in our prices current.—Enviable distinction!
Notwithstanding the difficulties so frequently suggested, relative to
the abolition of slavery within the United States, the evil can easily
be removed. Let the people instruct their representatives in Congress to
purchase the freedom of every slave in the Union; and to hold the slaves
for the discharge of the debt thus incurred: each individual of them to
receive an unconditional manumission as soon as they shall, by their
labour, offset the amount paid for them.
The law under which the purchase should be made, ought to declare the
slaves to be free, and as possessing all the rights and privileges of
the white people of the United States; with the declaration, however,
that these slaves are individually indebted to the government, according
to the price paid for each. The government would then be the guardian of
the blacks, for a particular purpose. The latter would be free; they
would have no master, and they might, under proper regulations, sue for
any invasion of their rights. The government should, in the supposed
act, provide for the appointment of agents in all the slave-holding
states; which agents should contract for the purchase of the slaves, and
for the letting of their services for a length of time sufficient to
cancel the debt thus incurred.
I have no doubt that slave holders would, generally, sell their slaves
to the United States, for this purpose, upon liberal terms. Indeed, I
know it to be a fact, that some of the planters would deduct, in
relation to this subject, from 25 to 50 per cent. from the real value of
the slave. Many of the planters too, would also hire the slaves of the
government {215} according to the proposed plan. Some of the planters
prefer hiring to purchasing negroes. This preference is grounded upon
many considerations.