When we were ready to start, not finding a steamboat bound to
New-Orleans, which would go under a day or two, we took passage, as far
as the mouth of the Ohio, in one bound to Pittsburgh.
On the eastern side of the river, to the mouth of the Ohio, it is a
level country, (with only one exception) called the "American Bottom,"
and is as fine, rich land as earth affords; but is somewhat subject
to overflow, and is supposed not to be very healthy. Settlements are,
however, making upon it. On the west side we found a number of stately
bluffs of limestone, rising from the water perpendicular two or three
hundred feet.
I was much amused to see the "screw auger grist mills" on the bank of
the river. A place is selected where the current sets strong along the
shore; and a log seventy feet long, three or four feet in diameter,
having a board float a foot in width from stem to stern, in a spiral
form, like a coarse threaded screw, is thrown into the river. To the
upper end of the log, by an universal joint, is attached a cable, and
the other end, extended in a diagonal direction to a shaft in the mill
on the bank. The log wheel floats in the water parallel with the shore,
about a third of it above the surface; is held in its position by
sticks at each end extending to the bank, and the cable itself prevents
its going down stream. The current of the river turns the wheel, and
the mill clatters merrily on the bank.
These high banks are not altogether without their use. They furnish
elegant sites for shot towers; and probably half a dozen of them are
thus occupied.
The greatest natural curiosity on the river, is what is called
the "Towers." High pillars of limestone are seen on both sides of
the stream, and one solid rock rises almost in the middle of the
river, thirty feet high. Some of the most striking curiosities have
particular, if not appropriate names given them; such as "the grand
tower," "the devil's candlestick," "the devil's bake-oven," &c.
The navigation of the Mississippi in steamboats has its dangers. Snags
and sawyers are scattered along down the river; and it requires great
attention in the pilot, to avoid them. But there are other dangers
beside this. As we came along down, we passed a steamboat that had
burst her boiler; blown the upper part of it to pieces and killed a
number of persons; and further down the Mississippi, the "Boonslick"
run into the "Missouri Belle," sunk her in eighty feet of water, and
drowned a number of passengers.
As we came down opposite the mouth of the Ohio, we had our courage
put to the test. It was about twilight, and cloudy; but objects could
well be discerned for some distance. We saw a steamboat coming up the
river, and apparently intending to pass us on the left hand. When
within a short distance of us, the boat "took a sheer," stood on the
other tack, to pass us on the right. Our captain sung out, "the boat is
coming right into us; back the engine." Then was a scene of confusion
and dismay on board; "and the boldest held his breath for a time." If
the boats came in contact, one or both would undoubtedly sink; and it
appeared unavoidable. I ran up on the upper deck, and stood beside the
flag staff, to wait the event. It was soon decided. By backing our boat
and putting the steam on the other, we passed without striking at the
distance of a few feet only. This was, indeed, a fortunate escape.
I thought the pilot of the other boat must have been at fault; but the
captain told me he was not at all. A cross current from the Ohio struck
the bow of his boat, and veered her round in spite of the helm; and
then, the only chance was to go ahead with all the speed he could.
It now became quite dark, and in attempting to go across into the Ohio
channel, the boat run aground on a sand bar. All the boat hands were
employed till past midnight to get her off, but without success. They
all turned in, to rest and wait till daylight.
When the captain arose in the morning, he found the boat adrift. On
examination, it appeared the force of the current alone had washed
away the sand bar, and drove the boat across from the Mississippi side
into the Ohio channel. He put the steam on, and we run to the landing
place on the Illinois side, and a short distance up the river. Here we
found half a dozen steamboats, exchanging with each other goods and
passengers.
The mouth of the Ohio is a general stopping place for all boats running
up and down either river; and would be a fine situation for a town, if
the land were suitable to build upon. Although the shore appeared to be
thirty feet above the then low stage of water, yet in a freshet, the
whole is laid eight or ten feet under water.
We found here a large tavern house and grocery; both stuck up on
stilts; the latter, standing nearest the bank, had a breakwater, to
keep it from being carried away by the flood and floating timber. We
stopped an hour or more; went to the tavern, and found dissipation in
a flourishing condition. Those acquainted with the place, told us it
was as much as a man's life was worth, to stay there. Rioting, robbing,
gambling and fighting were the general order of things, day after day,
and night after night. For the honor of the human race, I hope this
account is exaggerated. But I must confess, appearances are against it.
Here, we left our boat, and took passage on board another, bound to
New-Orleans. These Mississippi steamboats are of gigantic size, and
look like a floating castle--I was about to say the ancient ark; and
although it might fall some short of that ancient vessel, in quantity
and quality of lading, yet when its size and great variety of cargo
are taken into consideration, the comparison might not be deemed a bad
one. In one particular, it would be exact. We had aboard a number of
"_creeping things_."
Our boat was laden with barrels of pork, kegs of lard, hogsheads of
hams, bags of corn, bars of lead, bales of cotton, coops of chickens,
horses, men, women, children, and negro slaves; men of gentlemanly
deportment and of good character; and gamblers, horse-jockeys, and
negro dealers; and women, of good fame, ill fame, and no particular
fame at all. This was, surely, variety enough for one boat.
The untravelled man might obtain some new ideas of the world, by taking
a trip in a Mississippi steamboat. It seemed like a world in miniature.
Singing, fiddling, dancing, card playing, gambling, and story telling,
were among the pastimes of the passage. Mere pastimes, to relieve the
tedium of the voyage, for those who have no other resources at command,
may not be the subject of censure; but there were some practices on
board this boat, which ought not to be thus lightly passed over.
One woman, in the garb and mien of a lady, and whose person still
wore the bloom of youth, but whose conduct was far from being
unexceptionable, appeared, sometimes, pensive and sad. She appeared as
though she had seen other and better days; and that her present course
of life was not, even to herself, entirely satisfactory. I had some
curiosity to learn something of her history, and one day in a talkative
mood, she gave me the outlines of it.
She said, she was the daughter of rich parents in the State of
Delaware. Her father died while she was quite young; leaving her with
an ample fortune, and in the care of an indulgent mother. She had
always been kept at school; learned music, drawing and dancing; read
novels; attended parties, and was caressed and flattered. In short, she
was a giddy girl, and knew nothing of the world.
At this critical time of life, she was flattered by a young man of
prepossessing appearance, but of worthless character, who offered her
marriage. She knew her mother would, at her tender years, object to the
match; and therefore, at the early age of fifteen, she clandestinely
jumped out of the window of her boarding house in the night, and was
married!
This was a sore affliction to her mother; and although she herself
was not entirely discarded, her husband was never permitted to enter
the parental mansion. Her husband obtained her fortune, spent it "in
riotous living," and after awhile, left her with two small children,
and fled to Cincinnati. She, in her distress, applied to her mother;
she would receive her, but not her children. She then took her
children, and went after her husband. She found him; but they lived but
a short time together, before he abused her in such a manner, she was
obliged to quit him; and not much caring whither she went, she took
passage on board a boat for St. Louis. At this place she supported
herself and children as long as she could, by selling her trinkets
and superfluous clothing, and then was left destitute. She had never
been accustomed to labor; her hands were as delicate as those of a
child--she "could not work, and to beg she was ashamed." As a last
resort, (could a virtuous woman think so?) she became an inmate of a
house not of the _strictest morals_.
After staying there awhile, she became acquainted with some of the
hands of the boat, who persuaded her to try her fortune at the city
of New-Orleans. She was now only about twenty! She was miserable, and
expected to be so. Vice carried with it its own punishment. I tried to
induce her to return to her mother; but in vain. Her conduct had been
such, she was ashamed to return. A sad termination this, to the bright
hopes, and fond anticipations of an indulgent mother. So true it is,
that one improvident step in life, often leads to destruction.
Another female who figured somewhat conspicuously, was one who came on
board at the mouth of the Ohio from the steamboat Nile; and from that
circumstance, was called by the passengers the "Queen of the Nile."
She was from the State of Ohio, possessed a fine person, and in her
days of innocence, must have been handsome and fascinating. She was the
daughter of respectable parents, and commenced life with high hopes
and brilliant expectations; but she had been "disappointed in love."
Abandoned by her "cruel spoiler," she gave herself up to dissipation
and crime. The bloom of her cheeks began to fade, and the sad aspect,
sometimes so conspicuously depicted in her countenance, plainly
indicated a mind ill at ease and a heart painfully sad. She travelled
without object, other than to revel in dissipation and kill time. But
her course of life had made serious inroads upon her health, and it
was apparent enough that her days must be "evil and few." I sometimes
observed her sitting on the guard of the boat for hours all alone,
gazing in sadness at the peaceful forest and cottages as they passed
in rapid review before her, the tears fast flowing from her eyes, and
her face exhibiting such anguish as may not be expressed by words. She
kept on in the boat to New-Orleans, and I afterwards was informed by
a gentleman who was a fellow passenger, that she became mistress to a
Frenchman in that city. How mistaken mankind are! Crime never did cure
the heart ache, or dissipation ever dispel sorrow.
The steamboats are constructed like a long two story house, having
large windows and green blinds. The hold is to stow away their heavy
freight; on the first deck, is the gentlemen's cabin, and the dining
room, where all the cabin passengers take their meals; in the centre,
is the engine, cook room, &c.--and forward, are the boilers and wood.
On the next deck, is the ladies' cabin aft, and forward is the place
for deck passengers, having berths but no bedding. Over this, is what
is called the "hurricane deck."
A cabin passage from St. Louis to New-Orleans, is twenty-five dollars;
and a deck passage seven dollars--the passenger finding his own bedding
and meals. Cooking stoves are provided, so that families often lay in
their own provisions and cook their own meals.
Boats burn a good deal of wood--ours consumed a cord an hour; and it
is no small job to bring the wood aboard from the slippery banks of
the Mississippi. As an inducement to the deck passengers to help wood
the boat, two dollars are deducted to those who agree to wood; so in
that case they only pay five dollars. Thirty or forty of our passengers
agreed to wood, but the mate and clerk had much difficulty to make them
fulfil their engagements.
It was sometimes really laughable, to see the expedients resorted to,
to get rid of wooding; especially when the boat rounded to, by the side
of a wood-pile in the night. The clerk would sing out, "Wood-pile,
wood-pile, where are the wooders?" But they, like some characters in
high places, were more inclined to "dodge the question," than to walk
up manfully and perform their duty. Some feigned themselves sick; some
hid under the baggage, or beneath the berths; others went on shore and
skulked in the woods, until the wooding was over. So that with all
their coaxing and driving, they would not be able to bring to the work
more than half of the wood hands.
One fracas was ludicrous, although I could not but regret the result.
It is well known, that the inhabitants of the several western States
are called by certain _nicknames_. Those of Michigan are called
_wolverines_; of Indiana, _hooshers_; of Illinois, _suckers_; of
Ohio, _buckeyes_; of Kentucky, _corn-crackers_; of Missouri, _pukes_,
&c. To call a person by his right nickname, is always taken in
good part, and gives no offence; but nothing is more offensive than
to mis-nickname--that is, were you to call a hoosher a wolverine,
his blood would be up in a moment, and he would immediately show
fight.--Now it so happened that the mate, who was a regular built
buckeye, had a dispute with a wood hand, who was about half drunk,
and refused to wood. The mate stood on the lower deck, and he on
the deck above; and in the course of the wrangle, he had called him
some terrible hard names, which he bore with becoming fortitude and
forbearance. At length, the wood hand called him a "d--d old puke!"
This was too much--unendurable. He fired in a moment--rushed up and
floored him in a twinkling--dragged him down by his collar, thrust him
ashore, and left him in the woods.
But the steamboat, the steamboat! For noise and confusion, give me the
Mississippi steamboat. They all have powerful high-pressure engines;
the escape pipe is large, and at every breath they make a tremendous
noise. They "talk big," and swiftly dash through the water. It is
indeed a grand display, to see the steamboats pass. In "a voice of
thunder" they come--the wheels lash the water--and the prows cut the
stream--and the waves roll in violent commotion for hundreds of yards
behind them. And then, the noise of the engine, and hurry and bustle of
the passengers within:--an excellent place to cure one of the ennui.
On board our boat, we had a number of very intelligent and agreeable
gentlemen--Kentuckians, Tennesseans, Mississippians, &c. I wish
these western people would be a little more exact in speaking the
English language. Some inaccuracies I observed; and if this book ever
reaches them, they will not be offended, but obliged to me for these
suggestions. In the first place, they use the word _which_ instead
of _what_. Ask a question, and if they do not understand you, they
reply "_which?_"--Another phrase, "I have _saw_," instead of "I have
_seen_," is often used. Then there is "a right smart chance," applied
to almost every thing; and "tote in the plunder," instead of "bring in
the baggage." But the word _heap_ has too much by far _heaped_ upon
its shoulders. "A _heap_ better," "a _heap_ easier," and "a _heap_ of
ladies," are phrases often heard. I may be a little sensitive, but the
word _heap_ is very disagreeable, and I wish it was expunged from the
English vocabulary. All these expressions are not used by many literary
men in this country, but they are indeed, quite too common.
They have some peculiarities in the calling of money. A New-England
_ninepence_ is called _a bit_; and the four-pence-half-penny bears
the name of _pickaroon_. In travelling from New-Hampshire to Virginia
some years ago, I was somewhat amused at the different names given
to the same piece of money. My four-pence-half-penny became at
New-York a _sixpence_, at Philadelphia a _fip_, and at Virginia it
became a four-pence-half-penny again. But all these singularities and
inconveniences will soon be done away, and money will universally bear
its legal title, dollars and cents.