26 " on the part of the men who had them in charge; altogether, the near neighbourhood of so many animals caused us often to regret, for our own sakes, the extremely low rate at which cattle and live stock of all kinds can be conveyed down the great western rivers-I believe the charge the whole way down from Louisville or St. Louis to New Orleans is only four dollars a-head. Were the rate of passage money a little higher, our nights might, perhaps, have been quieter, nor would the air on deck, and even in the cabin, have been so completely impregnated with the odour of a not very well kept farm-yard, as we often found it to be. A great deal has been said about the extreme danger attending a voyage down the Mississippi in one of the high-pressure boats, and I even recollect that our captain (when we were crossing the Atlantic) declared that he would prefer running the risks of winter passages on his line of waters, than incur the dangers of one Mississippi trip. There can be no doubt that it is 'risky;' and that the accounts of the fatal accidents which occur are not much exaggerated; but then it must be recollected that the steamers are almost innumerable, and that, among so many, some must come to an untimely end. Still, with the possibility, or indeed probability of being either burnt, drowned, snagged,' or 'sawyered,' hanging over our heads, STEAM-BOAT ACCIDENTS. 27 (of which we might have been kept in continual remembrance by the ominous life-preservers in our state-rooms,) I do not think that it ever occurred to any of our cheerful little party that they ought to be nervous, or that we ever called to mind the perils by which we were surrounded. Some time ago, steam-boat accidents were much more frequent than they are now-so much so, that the government were at last roused to a sense of the necessity of their interference. Some regulations. were then made, and inspectors of machinery appointed, by whose instrumentality and surveillance it was thought that the safety of the travelling public might be secured. I understand, however, that the improvement and additional security in the steamers (if there be any) can in no wise be attributed to the exertions or watchfulness of these government functionaries, who are said to perform their very responsible duties by merely making the trifling exertion of going on board the boats, and then, without wasting time on troublesome scouting, drinking' slings' and 'juleps' ad libitum. In cases of explosion, it is those who are in the fore-part of the vessel who run the greatest danger: thus it is that the ladies, whose saloon is farther aft, so often escape to describe the scene of horror, while the husbands and brothers, who have instinctively rushed forward to see what is the matter,' become involved in the general wreck, and never return to make known the result of their inquiries. I have heard frightful descriptions of these awful occurrences, cases where the fore-part of the vessel has been forced away from the stern cabins, leaving the bereft, and miserable occupants to all the uncertainty and helplessness of a situation which may be imagined, but to which no pen can do justice. We placed implicit reliance on the word of the captain, who assured us that his 'ingines' were first-rate,' and quite new, so that, whatever other accident might befall us, the bursting of the boilers was not to be anticipated. We had only one alarm of this nature, but though proceeding from a ludicrous cause, it was enough to make the timid ladies 'shriek,' and the brave,' instead of standing still,' rush forth to see what was going on.' The case was this. One afternoon, we were suddenly startled by a new noise. Now, a sound to which one has not been accustomed, is, I think, on board a steamer, rather an agitating thing, implying generally an accident of some kind or other. On this occasion we were not kept long in suspense as to the cause, for the new noise was speedily followed by an equally unprecedented sight. In a moment, a rush of water deluged the saloon, and a burst of steam rendered every object it contained indistinct. What it all meant, we could not imagine, and, poor helpless women that we were, we were left very long to our fears, and our uncer STEAM-BOAT AMUSEMENTS. 29 tainties, for no one of our emissaries seemed inclined to return, or even to send us any information. At last, we arrived at the truth of the matter, which was simply this. One of the refractory mules had escaped from its confinement, and being, as it appeared, in an investigating mood, had ventured to a part of the vessel where no mule had any business to be, and, while careering about in joy at its recovered freedom, had contrived to turn, with its awkward hoofs, some important portion of the engine machinery, (what, I know not,) and thus to turn on the steam, all over the ship. We often came to an anchor during the night, and seldom, during the hours of darkness, went at more than half speed, so that, what with these prudent delays, and the hours we spent aground, our progress was slow indeed. Our time by day was passed in reading, distorting skeins of silk, and bunches of beads, into all imaginable forms, talking (not scandal, for the number of our mutual friends was very limited), and walking, when the weather permitted, on the hurricane deck. There is often very high, and also very dishonest play on board these steamers. I believe, however, that this evil has lately been somewhat remedied, and that the gangs of sharpers and knowing hands who formerly infested the river steamers-plying their odious trade with great emolument to themselves, and utter ruin to the pockets and morals of 30 THE HURRICANE DECK. their victims-have diminished in numbers, and turpitude. There are still, however, quite enough remaining, to render caution very necessary, for the stake played for is almost invariably high, and loafing characters are still extremely cunning in the art of turning all the luck on their own side. The hurricane deck is not well adapted for the purposes of a promenade. It is difficult of access, as we are obliged to clamber up the paddle boxes, in order to arrive at it, and when there, it is not very satisfactory to walk on a sloping roof, slippery with ice, and destitute of any guard or gallery between one's precious self and the watery waste below. All these combined disadvantages were sufficient (except on very tempting days, of which we had remarkably few) to prevent the ladies from taking exercise in the open air: some of the gentlemen, however, continued to brave the dangers and disagreeables of the place, and paced for hours on the slippery roof. The Ohio is certainly a beautiful river, but after journeying on it for a few hundred miles, one grows quite tired of the monotony and sameness of the scenery. We were also disappointed in the colour of the crystal stream,' which, though certainly not like the running mud of the Mississippi, is nevertheless indebted to its contrast with that thickly flowing river, for the many praises and compliments it has received. Our captain, who |