The Sun.
London, England, 1835-03-27 00:00:00

A WINTER IN THE FAR WEST.

BY C. F. HOFFMAN.
In 2 Vols. RICHARD BENTLEY, 1835.
Flint, Hall, Schoolcraft, and Say—American if re
yellers, well known by their literary labours ---ha!
each and all given to the world graphic and 1°;
teresting sketches of Springs, of Summers, and 0e
Autumns in the " Far West," but never hef°l.r
was it presented with a Winter in that alw°so
unexplored region. The work before us is by iltir
intelligent citizen of New York, who set °id
in October, 1833, from Easton, in Pennsylvania, 910
continued his journey, with few interruptions, till Juno
in the following year. Works of this kind mustld
be subjected to a rigid criticism, otherwise we °id,
object to the style as too inflated—as dealing too much
in Mythological allusions. But travellers are, leder
properly, more intent on noting what comes "n er
their observation, than solicitous about the 111911111 f,
of expressing themselves with peculiar grace. Mr.ll°rest
man appears a man of good sense, good feeling, rthe
powers of observation, a taste for the picturesque' of
wild, and the romantic ; with a surprising Ove the
every kind of gossip and anecdote which serves WI
ere
elucidation of habits and character. Here, and t'' he
he throws out several valuable reflectious, as iot
either did not know their real value, or cared Ot a the
about it, even if he did. His intercourse with ,est
Indians adds greatly both to the noveltyand the it'te.rhe
of his volumes ; and to those who wish to learn ie,
real condition of the emigrants to the Western Sett e,
meats, we know of no others which we can' bettereiy,
commend. He describes the country as wild, I°lll,ol
uneven, but generally fertile wherever cultivated,
ioe
capable of great improvement. The soil is rielh,ctii,
contains within itself all that is necessary for ogri
tural purposes. The following description of the tot
of Wheeling, on the Banks of the Ohio, with the to
impressions of a traveller on catching a view 0f
I.des,
noble river, will convey to the reader a tolerable
of our author's style and manner : f Pa•
" The valley widens within a few miles of Wbee-'l'i by
the road strikes into the hill-side, whose crooked hat Or,
long been following. It soon begins to be cut out of bath Or,
rock, and the ascent is rapidly accelerated. Above* . se"
right, the trees impend from a lofty hill over your Plit4;jeali:
far below you see the stream, so long your companl°sl'
inn through a small cultivated bottom, which shows like wit.-
den to the eye. It is girdled by steep hills, and seern9,:t
its single mill and one or two farm-houses, to be shet,%
i he
all the world. Advance but a pistol-shot, and you '0" Ttya
chimneys of Wheeling. The Ohio is beneath your fect:4
town lies in so narrow a strip along the river, that frfole.!
ridge on which you stand, you will harr:dy notice ittbt
s.
buildings ; that first view of the lovely river of
worth a journey of a thousand miles. The clear hAlesbleighj
the fertile islands on its bosom, the bold and towering nt, OP:b
opposite, with the green esplanade of alluvion in r:d
the forest-crowned headlands above and below, Intl-) reel
the river sweeps away to bless and gladden the frult,ll!„.,tio°,,,
, that drink its limpid waters, present a splendid coill'i-rderintd
natural beauties : while the recollection of the wild b°loits tgt
tory of this once frontier stream of the daring ex_,P •rs
savage encounters upon its banks; of the painted '07.5
once lurked within its woods, or skimmed in light eanj,it coerlj
now the sluggish ark of commerce floats on its peac,oc, s°,c.
—these throw a moral yet romantic charm over the %ill
stamp it in magic colours upon the memory : tso man
forget his first view of the Ohio." .
The anecdotes and traditionary legends will
abound in almost every page of these volatiles; o,b°
recommend them to that numerous class of. readseoto 01
take no interest in statistical informction• teristici
them are so striking, so new, and, so ellaraie „,
that we regret being under the -,tecessitYl °wll:100'
press of matter Irq @Nclude Them from our - e