The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register. (Wilmington, Del.) 1824-1825, 1824-12-30

wholly unknown to thc backwoodsmen. ~
deed have often been amused, whch Span,
ing to them upon this SUBJECT 10 sec WV"
what scepticism they have received my az.
counts, gravely asking me whether remnl
meant that any enc With double barrelled
gun, could kill two birds on the wlhS' one
after the other
"On these occasions have been asked,
when they discovered what country belong
ed to. whether It were really true, that
man in England might not kill deer, II ne
found them in forest. They were much
astonished and seldom gave me iull credlt
when told them, that not only man mlSht.
not kill deer, but unless he possessed lana vi
a certain value, and were also provided WIN
license, he could not kill even the partrldges
and pheasauts which lived upon his own
wheat. Such fragrant injustice appeared TO
them impossible and was sometimes ooi-
ged to explain, that the English game laws
are the remains of a feudal oppression Whlch
formerly punished the killing OF hare by
death, while homicide could be atoned Tor
by a fine
If our brethren in the West do not use
doublebarrcllcd guns. it is because they
would be ashamed to waste powder on poor
little quails and snipes. But they will take
ont sluirrcl's eve with Il rifle bull,t at hi
" steps distant, and strike AIRED deer through
the heart, almost as far off as they can see
him and that, we suspect, would puzzle the
gentlemen with dublc-barrclled guns, IN In
gland, or the United Statcs,) who bag their
ten or twenty brance of birds in single tur-
nip field.
The description of prairie, familiar as
this object is to one portion OF our fellow
citizens has in it good deal OF novelty TOR
US:
"rwelve miles after leaving Fitch's, the
road enters the Grand Prairie. This i'm
nensc sea of grass reaches from Lake Nil
chioan nearly tothe Ohio, and is about three
hundred miles in length. The breadth, how
ever, is very irregular, being only twenty
fourmes, where the Prairie is crossed by the
st. Louis road.
81 do not know any thing that struck me
more forcibly than the sensation of solitude
| experienced in crossing this, and some OF
the other large Praries. ! was perfectly a
lone and could sec nothing in any direction
but sky and grass Leaving the wood APP
pcarct. like embarking alone upon the ocean;
and, upon again approaching the wood, ielt
as il returning to land. Some times again,
when perceived small stuntcd solitary tree
that had been planted by some fortuitous Cir
clmstance, | could hardly help supposin5
Il to be the mast OF "A vessel no doubt the
great stiffness added very much to this
strange illusion. Not living thing could |
sec or hear, except the occasional rising OF
some prairie fowls, or perhaps a large hawk
o. eagle whealing about over my head. In
the woods have often observed this silence
and solitude, but it strucl; me more forcibly
in these boundlcss meadows"
The following also describes, in vivid
manner, spectacle which we have never
seen, and never shall sec:
"'The road Of ST. Louis, with the cxcep-
tion of an occasional tract of forest, passes
through nothing but Prairie. 1t is customa-
~ with the Indians and hunters to set fire to
the long grass, for the purpose of compelling
the game to take shelter in the woods, where
they can more easily get it. They do this in
the autumn or winter, when the grass, which
is often four or five feet in height, becomes
dry. Now the last autumn had been very wet
and On that account the Parties had not all
been fred, 50 that when passed through, the
grass in many of them, was still unburnt.
| had often heard Of the grand spectacle
thew present, wien on fire. and was fortunate
enoueh to witness it. was riding between
Carlisle, small village on the kaskaskia
river, and st. Louis when ! observed very
thick smoke issuing from a small belt of
wood, on the edge Of the Prairie, about two
miles ahead OF me, and just where the road
catered. The wind was blowing towards me
very violently, and in minute or two the
flames dashed out OF the wood nto the long
rrass 2fthe Prairc. That on the right hand
oi'thc rode had been burnt before, and accord
I ingly rode a little off in that direction.
The flames advanced very rapidly, continu-
Cd to spread, aud before they had arrived
opposite to the place where stood, formed
blaze Of fire nearly mile in length.
Hoy snail ! describe the sublime spec
tac,e that then presented itsclf9 ! have
4 seen the oil Atlantic Wits fury, a thunder
storm IN the Alps, and the Cntsracts OF Mia
gara hnt nothing coaid be compared to what
/ | saw ut this moment.
The inc ct flame rushed through the
long grass with tremendous violence, and a
noise Ike thunder; while over the fire was
hoyercd a dcncc cloud o. smoke. The wind,
which even previously had been high, was
increased by the blaze which it tanned and
with such vchcmencc did it drive along the
flames, that large masses Of them appeared
actually to leap forward and dart into the
grass, several yards in advance Of the line. 1t
passed me like a whir!Iwind, and with flu
~ shall never forget"
:" afterwards saw several Prares on fire
but was not within two or three miles Of them
They produce Il beautiful effect during the
night, the sky Immediately over them reflect
my the light, and appearing almost on fire