CHOICE OF A STATE-ROOM.

15

which we shall, doubtless, very soon learn to appreciate at its proper value.

The Leonora' proved, on a nearer inspection, worthy of all the commendations that had been bestowed on her; we found that there were not a great many passengers, and also that very few of them were ladies. The party I have before alluded to, with ourselves, constituted almost the entire society in the 'ladies' saloon,' and as soon as I had (to use an American expression) realized the pleasant circumstances in which our fates had placed us, I began to look forward to the long and, in most cases, tiresome river voyage, with feelings of satisfaction of quite a novel description.

I have rarely felt more intense cold than that which we endured as we scrambled down the steep and rugged bank to the deck of the steamers. Ankle deep in snow, we struggled on to the slippery plank placed to facilitate our coming on board, and were at last rewarded for our exertions by finding ourselves in a warm and most comfortable saloon. The first thing necessary on these occasions is to choose one's 'state room,' as the berths are called. According to my experience, the great desideratum is to be as far aft as possible; the worst possible place being that next the paddle-box, where you have not only to suffer from incessant noise, but also from absence of light, and are, moreover, (in

16

'LEONORA' UNDER WEIGH.

case of explosion,) nearer to the post of danger. The next object of an experienced traveller is to lay hands on a rocking-chair, there being generally not more than two or three in the saloon, and every other seat being to the last degree uncomfortable. In ten minutes time from the moment of our embarking we were under weigh, and going at the rate of ten knots an hour. We have now been two days on board, and as I find there is an opportunity of sending off this long letter, I shall take advantage of it.

LETTER XXVI.

EMIGRANTS AND DECK PASSENGERS

I

RUNNING A-GROUND-TRAVELLED AMERICANS-LOW RATE

OF FARES

REFRACTORY MULES STEAMBOAT SHARPERS-LA BELLE RIVIÈRE'- OHIO BOAT

'Leonora' Steamer-November.

WISH I could give you an idea of our aquatic drawing-room, and our peculiar mode of life. The only discomfort of which I feel inclined to complain is the disagreeable heat of the immediate neighbourhood of the stove, and the intense cold when one is only three yards away from it. At the large bow window in the stern it is freezing hard, but the view from it is the only glimpse we catch of the outer world, so there, till we are fairly driven back by the cold, we generally ensconce ourselves. It is curious to watch the waters as they are cleft by our vessel in her rapid progress, and to see the receding of the trees, and the chance houses which disappear as suddenly as though we were gazing at them from a railroad carriage. And then every five or ten minutes we see other steamers

come swiftly by, with their snort, snort, snort!' and their rush along the water; and by the time a very few of these stentorious breathings have made themselves heard, the huge boat is far away the stream, out of sight and hearing.

up

When evening closed in, our saloon had really a look of comfort; the warm red curtains were drawn round the stern window, and the hard pillowless circular sofa was exchanged for the rocking-chairs round the stove; and here we had amusements in the shape of books, and works, and healthful play :' our enjoyments in the latter species of pastime being, however, limited to an occasional game of vingt-et-un, with Peccan nuts taking the place of the current coin of the republic. The Leonora being so newly built, everything was neat and clean on board; a bright red carpet, of home manufacture, covered the deck, and nothing about it gave tokens of its having been used by the natives of the country.

We did not progress very expeditiously, and compared with the usual rate of distance made in an hour by these river steamers, (sixteen, eighteen, or twenty knots an hour being not at all uncommon,) our eight seemed very moderate. But as an excuse for our comparatively slow progress, I must tell you that great caution was required on the part of the captain to prevent our vessel running a-ground: it was evident that he preferred safety

DECK PASSENGERS.

19

We

to expedition, for he was constantly dwelling on the necessity of feeling our way instead of going recklessly a-head. The current runs with tremendous force, and once driven on a hidden bank, when going at full speed, it is a very difficult matter to get off again into deep water. We had a few bullocks on board, who were on their way to one of the large towns not very much above New Orleans, and the weight of which ponderous beasts contributed to sink us several inches lower in the water than we should otherwise have been. had also some horses and mules, and a vast number of what are called deck passengers.' The latter consisted principally of emigrants from Ireland, loafing characters from the north, and German settlers with a very small amount of money in their pockets. The part of the vessel which they occupied was tenanted only by themselves, and the four-footed animals I have before-mentioned. was exposed to all the inclemency of the season, and in the inclement weather which had set in their sufferings, particularly those of the women and children, were very severe.

It

When we left Louisville, we had rather more than fifteen hundred miles to travel on these giant rivers the Ohio and the Mississippi, and the distance altogether from Brownsville to New Orleans is a voyage of only two or three hundred miles less than that across the Atlantic from