The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-09-03
SCENES IN THE WEST.
Fr0n. FLint's Ge0graphy Of the Western s..


the boats floating by their dwellings on
| beautiful spring mornings, when the YER
dant forest, the mild and delicious tempera-
ture of the air, the delightful azure of the
sky of this country, the fine bottom on one
hand, and the romantic bluff on the other,
the broad and smooth stream rolling calmy
down the forest, and floating the boat gent
ly forward, present delightful images and
| associations to the beholders. At this time
there is no visible danger, nor call for
labor. The boat takes care of itself; and
little do the beholders imagine, how differ
ent scene may be presented in half an
hour. Meantime one of the hands scIapes
violin, and the others dance. Greetings,
or rude defiances, or trials of wit, or proffers
of love to the girls on the shore, or saucv
messages are scattered between them and
the spectators along the banks. The boat
glides on, until it disappears behind the
point of woods. At this moment, per-
haps, the bugle with which all the boats
are provided, strikes up its note in the dis
lance over the water. These scenes, and
these notes. echoing from the bluffs of the
beautiful Ohio, have a charm for the mag
nation, which, although we have heard
them thousand times repeated, at all hours,
and in all positions, even to us present the
image of tempting and charming youthful
existence, that almost inspires wish, that
we were boatmen.
The bayou at New Madrid has an extern
sive and fine eddy, into which boats float,
almost without exertion, and land in a re-
markably fine harbor. 1t may be fairly con-
go =, inf al &c
ridian of boats, in the Mississippi valley.
This bayou generally brings up the des-
cending and ascending boats and this is
an excellent point of observation, from which
to contemplate their aspect, the character
of boating, and the amount of produce from
the upper country. You can here take an
imaginary voyage to the falls of St. Antho-
ny, or Missouri to the lead mines of Rock
river, or Chicago of Lake Michigan; to
Tippicanoe of the Wabash, Oeanne point
of the Allegheny, Brownsville of the Mo-
nongahela, the Saline of Kenhawa, or the
mountains round whose bases winds the
Tennessee or, if you choose, you may take
the cheap and rapid journey of thought
along the courses of an hundred other riv-
ers, and in the lapse of few days residence
in the spring, at this point you may see
boats, which have arrived here from all
these imagined places. One hundred boats
have landed here in day. The boisterous
gaietv of the hands, the congratulations of
acquaintance, who have met here from i'm
mense distances, the moving picture of life
on board the boats, in the numerous ami
mails, large and small, which they carry,
their different ladings, the evidence of the
increasing agriculture above, and, more
than all, the immense distances which they
have already traversed, afford a copious
| fund of meditation. In one place there are
boats loaded with pine plank, from the pine
! forests of the southwest of New York. In
another quarter there are numerous boats
with the "Yankee notions" of Ohio. In
another quarter are landed together the
boats of ''old Kentucky" with their whis-
key, hemp, tobacco, bagging, and bale rope ;
with all the other articles OF the produce of
their soil. From Tennessee there are the
same articles, together with boats loaded
with bales of cotton. From Illinois and
Missouri, cattle, horses, and the produce of
the western country, together with peltry
and lead from Missouri. Some boats with
corn in bulk, and in the ear. Others are
loaded with pork in bulk. Others with
barrels of apples and potatoes, and great
quantities of dried apples and peaches.
Others have loads of cider, and what is
called "cider royal" or cider strengthened
by boiling or freezing. Other boats are
loaded with furniture, tools, domestic and
agricultural implements in short, the nu-
merous products of the ingenuity, specula-
ton, manufacture and agriculture, of the
whole upper country of the west. They
have come from regions, thousands of miles
apart. They have fioated to the common
point of union. The surfaces of the boats
cover some acres. Dungbiil fowls are fut-
tering over the roofs, as invariable appen-
dages. The piercing note OF the ehantl-
fcleer is heard. The cattle low. The horses
trample, as in their stables. The swine
f utter the cries of fighting with each other
F The turkeys gobble. The dogs of an hun
dred regions become acquainted. The boat
men travel about from boat to boat, make
inquiries and acquaintance, agree to lash
boats" as it is called, and form alliances to
Weld mutual assistance to each other on the
way to New Orleans. After al hour or two
} passed in this way, they spring on shore, tC
, "raise the wind" in the village. If they
Itarry all night, as is generally the case, j
is well for the people of the town, if they dc
not become riotous in the course of the
!; evening in which case strong measures
, are adopted and the proceedings on ootl
sides are summary and decisive. With the
/ first dawn all is hustle and motion ant
midst shouts, and tramplings of cattle, AMI
! barking of dogs, and Growing of the dung
hill fowls, the fleet is in half an hour al
; under way and when the sun rises nothing
, is seen, but the broad stream rolling on, al
before. These boats unite once more a
Natchez and New Orleans; and although
they live on the same river, it is improbable
, that they will ever meet again on the earth
In passing below, we often see number