FOR

some hours previously to our arriving at the north of the Ohio, the scenery had rather improved in beauty. The shores became even somewhat rocky, and the difficulties of the navigation appeared to increase. We had been looking forward with raised expectations, to what we had weakly imagined would be a beautiful meeting of the waters' at Cairo, where the Ohio and Mississippi rivers unite, but alas! our hopes were not realized. Cairo itself (a city it is called) consists of a few wretched looking wooden-houses, built on the spit of land between the two rivers: it is frequently under water for days together, and the only wonder is, that the good city of Cairo contrives to keep its station at all, and has escaped so long the fate of being washed away from the face of the earth by the force of the angry flood.

42

THE MISSISSIPPI.

The scene altogether was one of desolation, nor did we require the recollection of some wrecked steam-boats, which we had passed a short time before, to come to the conclusion, that the waterlogged town of Cairo was the head-quarters of gloom, fever, and depression.

And now we were fairly on the bosom of the 'mighty' Mississippi, that largest, and ugliest, and most tremendous of rivers; tremendous through the force of its resistless currents, and the feverswamps that spread their noxious vapours over its surface. On we sped, crashing with great noise, shocks, and effort through the large masses of ice, with which the muddy surface of the river was crowded, but proceeding at a comparatively slow rate, from the hindrance that they threw in the way of our progress. After passing Cairo, we began to increase our cargo, and continued doing so all the way, by taking in large quantities of corn. Of course, by dint of these stoppages, our vessel was soon sunk much deeper in the water than was either beneficial or agreeable.

In this manner, and stopping at each, we passed Madrid, Troy, and other places, with grandiloquent and ancient names, but with a modern nothingness, which threw somewhat more than a shade of ridicule over these imposing appellations. In the neighbourhood of these newly-erected cities, we often found the humble abode of their original

DECK PASSENGERS.

43

founder and godfather; the name of his domicile being Jacksonville, Williamsburgh, Thomsonville, or the like: the love of handing down a name to posterity is, certainly, one of the most widelyspread weaknesses of our nature.

The cold, after leaving Cairo, was, for the first two or three days, intense; the quantity of ice on the rivers, and the constant snow-storms giving a wintry feel and look, that made us long greatly for a more southern clime, and lament more than ever the hours which we continued to spend aground.

It was impossible not to entertain a deep feeling of commiseration for the unfortunate deck hands, who were working their passages-poor creatures! down to New Orleans. For five days and nights had these miserable people been exposed to the inclemency of the weather, being hardly worked during the whole time; especially when the steamer happened to get a-ground. Their labour was so extremely severe, what with taking in wood, getting cargo on board, &c., and they seemed most of them so thoroughly worn out, that some of the 'first-class' passengers, at length, took pity on their hard fate. After communicating one with another, and inviting others to express their sentiments,' (for the importance attached to public opinion is well known in America,) a deputation was formed to wait upon the captain, and make known to him the disapprobation which the pas

sengers felt bound to express, at the cruel and tyrannical manner in which the Irish and Germans on board were treated. The captain, after listening very patiently to the end of the harangue, made the following humane reply: 'Well, by —! if they don't like it, they may just go ashore and be nobody wants 'em to stop here.' After this, there was nothing more to be said, but I could not help noticing the remark of one of the deputation, who, as he turned away, exclaimed-" Well, by

·! cap'em, if them wause niggers, you dar'n't treat 'em as you do them poor devils.' Does not this tend to prove how greatly the negro race are protected by the mighty shield of public opinion?

The banks, for the first two hundred and fifty miles down the Mississippi, were somewhat less level and monotonous than we had been led to expect they would be. The Chickasan Bluffs are really quite respectable heights, here, where there is so much that is 'flat' at least, if neither stale' nor unprofitable.' They consist of three or four ranges situated on the left bank of the river, and on the last of them stands the city' of Memphis. Anything more different than the Memphis before us, to the Egyptian city of columns and sphinxes, pyramids and porphyry domes, it would be difficult to conceive. The Memphis of the West differs in nothing from the other newly-raised

wooden cities which are for ever springing up on the banks of the rivers, though the Mississippi bears a greater resemblance to the lotus bearing Nile, than does this wooden city to the Memphis which history and our own imaginations have painted.

We found here a large cargo of freight, ready to be taken on board, so, as we were assured of an hour on shore, we agreed to take advantage of the delay, and visit this rapidly increasing, and rather prettily situated town. Of course, we all fancied that we were all in want of some indispensable article or other, which we thought might possibly be procured at a dry goods store at Memphis; so in spite of the cold and snow, and the steep and slippery banks, we set off to clamber up them to the city. There were two or three carriages, of rather a primitive description, driving and standing about, and in the main street, which fronts the river, are three or four deplorable looking stores, at which we could procure none of the things we wanted so, after all, we found the best plan to pursue was to hurry back to the steamer, with a few bunches of frozen bananas, some sugar canes, and half a dozen pine-apples in the same state. We found, as we approached the water, that the ship's bell was already ringing for our recall, and it was well that our return was not longer