Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-07-10


We shall remark, elsewhere, upon the singular
but almost uniform confguration q the western
rivers .by which they are scooped out INTO points
and bends When the river is low there is
sand bar opposite the bend, and the current is
invariably much stronger iii the bend, than over
the sand bar. 80
We mark very obvious difference between
,h. .snect Of the Ohio and the Mississippi
Tha beadth of the two rivers is nearly the
came. and they present at their junction nearly
The same appearances of swamp and inunda-
t;on. They have much the same growth on
these banks, and yet they have acharac,er very
unlike each other The Ohio is calm and pa-
cid. ana except when full, is waters are limpid
70 degree. The face of the Mississippi is al
WAYS turbid, the current every where sweeping
and rapid; aud it is full OF singular oo'is, where
the water for quarter Of an acre, rises with
strong circular motion, and kind OF Kissing
noise, forming convex mass of waters above the
common level, which roll down & are incessant-
" renewed. The river seems always in wrath,
tearing away the banks on one hand with gigan-
tic fury, with oil their woods, to deposit the
spoils in another place.
To form any adequate idea of our impress
sions of this new scene which am attempting
brance what kind Of family it was, that was
viewing it, We were not accustomed to travel
ling. We had been reared in stiffness and Sc
clusion, where we had contemplated the world
rather in books than in reality. The Missis'
sippi, too, at that time, was to the great pro-
portion Of the American people, as il was Gus,
the ultima Thule'-a lmi; almost to the range
of thought The stream instead OF being
nod
but one. The astonishing facilities for travel
ling, by which it is almost changed TO flying,
had not been invented. The thousand travel
lers for mere amusement that we now see on the
roads, canals and rivers, were then travelling
only in books. The stiffness of the forest had
not been broken BY the shouting Of turnpike
makers. The Mississippi forest bad seldom
resounded, except with the cry OF wild beasts
the echo of thunder, or the crash OF undermin
ed trees, falling into the food. Our admira'
ton, our unsated curiosity, at that time, would
be matter OF surprise al the present, 10 the thou
sands of hackned travellers, on this stream, TO
whom all, this route, and all its circumstances,
are as familiar as the path from the bed to the
FIRE.
No employment can be imagined more la
borious, and few more dangerous, than this oil
propelling boat against current OF such
river. II may not be amiss to record some oil
the circumstances of labor and peril; for the
growing dsuse Of all other But steamboats,, will
soon render these descriptions but little more
than matter past history.
At one time YOU come TO place in the cur
rent, so swiftthat no force Of oars and poles can
urge the boat throughit. You then have 10 ap
ply, what is commonly called here 'cordele?'
which is long rope fastened at one end to the
boat, thrown ashore, s. seized by sufficient num-
Der ofhands to drag or tack the boat up the steam
Butowing to the character Of the river, and the
numberless impediments i'll it and on its banks,
this "cordele" is continually entangng among
the snags & sawyers, between the boat and the
shore, and has often TO be thrown over small
trees, and carried round larger ones OF course
it requires great experience and dexterity to
be a good leader ola cordeller. The service is
extremely well adapted to the French boatmen
Sometimes you are impeded by vast masses OF
trees that have lodged against sawyers AT
otherAimes you find considerable portion OF
the margin of the shore, including surface OF
acres that has fallen into the river with all It's
trees upon il. Just on the. edge OF these trees,
the current is so heavy as 10 be almost impas-
sable 1t is beside the question, to think OF
forcing the boat up against tlnpnain curren,
any where, except with an uncommon number
ofhands Therefore any impediments near the
shore must either be surmounted, or the river
crossed to avoid them. 1t not unfrequent-
" happens that the boat, with no small labor,
and falling down the stream from the strength
Of the current; crosses the river TO avoid such
difficulties, and finds equal ones on the opposite
shore.
Sometimes yon are obliged to make your
wav among the trunks Of trees, and the water
boiling round your boat like that Of a mill-race
Then, if the boat swings" as the phrase is,
that is, loses her direction, ard exposes her side
to the current, you are instantly carried back,
and perhaps strike snags below you, and your
boa, is snagged or STAYED. We were, more Than
once, half day, struggling with all our own
force, and all that we could raise on the banks,
10 force The boat through single rapid, or by
one difficult place. We were once in imminent
peril, not only of our boat, but such was the ST.
tuation of the place if we had been wrecked
there, our lives Severer fatigue or harder
to carry point, never saw endur-
ed, than this case.
We extract an account of the mode of travelling on
the Mississippi, which equally new and amusing to
us, and perhaps will be so to many OF ourreaders.
In the spring, 100 boats have been numbered
that landed in one day at the mouth OF the ba-
I hoy ctrnlla6 the