The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-05-31
JataCeIIamD.
THE WESTERM COUNTRY.


Residences and Journeyings i'll the Vale
Of the Mississippi &c. by Timothy Flint
Principal OF the Seminary of Rapide, Louis
lana.
"The first thing that strikes a stran
ger from the Atlantic, arrived at The
boat-landing at Pittsburg. is the singu
lar. whimsical, and amusing spectacle
of the varieties of water-craft, of al
shapes and structures. There is the
stately barge, of the size of a large Allan.
tic schooner with its raised and outlandsh
looking deck. This kind of craft, how
ever, which required twenty-five hands
10 work it up stream, is almost gone in.
10 disuse, and though so common ten
years ago, is now scarcely seen. Next
there is the keeIboat, of a long, slender.
and elegant form, and generally carrying
from fifteen 10 thirty tons. This boat
is formed TO be easily propelled over
shallow waters in the summer season,
and in low stages of the water is still
much used, aud runs on waters not yel
frequented by steam boats. Next in
order are the Kentucky fats, or, in the
vernacular phrase, board-horhs,' a
species of ak, very nearly resembling
New England pig-stye. They are
/ htteen feet wide, and from forty to one
hundred feet in length, and carry from
twenty tc seventy tons. Some Of them,
that are called tamily-boats, are used by
families in defending the river, are
very large and roomy, and have com
Portable and separate apartments, fitted
OPP with chairs. beds, tables, and stoves.
It's no common spectacle to see alarge
family, old and youog, servants, cattle,
hogs, horses, sheep, fowls, and animals
OF all kinds, bringing 10 recollection
the cargo Of The ancient ark, all en-
parked, and floating dswn on the same
bottom. Then there are what the peo-
pie call covered sleds," or ferry-hats,
aud Alleganyskit1s. carrying from eight
10 twelve tons In another place are
pirogues Of from Two to four tons bur-
then, followed sometimes from one
prodlgious tree, or from the trunks OF
two trees united, and plank rim fitted
to the upper part. There are com
mon skiffs, and other small craft, named.
IRON the manner Of making them.
"dug-outs," and canoes followed from
smaller trees. These boats are in
great numbers, and these names are
specific, and clearly define the boats TO
which they belong. But besides these,
in this land of freedom and invention,
with little aid, perhaps, from the in-
| nuence OF the moon, there are mon
strous anomalies, reducible 10 no specific
class OF boats, and only illustrating the
whimsical archetypes of things thai
have previously existed in the brain OF
inventive men, who reject the slavery
of being obliged to build in any receiv-
ed form. You can scarcely imagine an
abstract form in which boat can be
built, that in some part of the Ohio or
Mississippi you will not see actually in
motion. The New-York canal is be-
ginning, indeed, TO bring samples of this
infinite variety of water-craft nearer 10
the inspection of the Atlantic people.
"'This variety of boats, SO singular
in form, and most of them apparently Sc
trail, is destined in many instances tc
voyages ofirom twelve hundred to three
thousand miles. Keel-boats, built al
this place, start on hunting expedition:
for points on the Missouri, Arkansas.
and Red River, at such distances from
Pltlsburg as these. Such are the in.
land voyages on these long streams, and
the terms ofthe navigation are as nov.
ell as are the forms of the boats. You
hear of the danger of Rifles mean
ling, probably, ripples, and planters, and
sawyers, and points, and bends, and
shoots, corruption, | suppose. of the
French "chute." You hear the boat.
men extolling their proves in pushing a
pole, and you learn the received opin-
ion, that Kentuck" is the best man
at pole, and Frenchmau at the Vur.
lrm push of the iron-pointed pole on
a fixed log, is termed reverend set.
You are told when you embark, to
bring, your 'plunder' aboard, and you
hear about moving fernenst' the steam
and you gradually become acquainted
with copious vocabulary of this sort
The manners of the boatmen are as
strange as their language. Their pc.
culiar way of life has given origin moi
oOly to an appropriate dialect, but tc
new modes OK enjoyment, riot, aud
fighting. Almost every boat, while il
lies in the harbour, has one or more
6ddles scraping continually aboard, tc
which you often see the boatmen dane
ing. There is no wonder that the way
of life which the boatmen lead, in turI
extremely indolent, and extremely labo
rious, for days together requiring little
or no effort, and attended with no dan
ger, and then, on sudden, laborious ant
hazardous, beyond Atlantic navigation
gene rally nlentifnl "a IL resnncts food