Litchfield enquirer., 1829-04-16
THE PRAIRIE.

the following description of tho prairies Oi
 the west, ,--thc most graphic wc havc ever seen.
 \ "Itis not easy to describe the sensations
 of a traveller, ,nnnccnstonlcd to such Scenc- ", on first bch0ding tho vast prairios {
 which I was about i0 explore. Those !,
 which Ifhad heretofore scen, werO com. para,ivcly snialk The points oC woodland 1
 which make into tkcni like so nuny canes 1 Or promontoiicS, and tho groves wHich are Mtolsprrscd likc islands, Nrc, in thcso less. CT prairies, always sufficiently near to be
 cleNrly dGi0sd to tho eye, aud give the
 sceno an. sinler0SIing varieIy. Wo soe a
 plain Ol several miles in extent, not per- tectly lovel, but C0llorally rolling or undN.
 lutihg, likc tho swelling of the oceHn when
 neatly calm Tho graceful curve Ot tho
 surtNc0 iS seldom broken, except where
 hero and there the cye rests oh ono oi
 those hugo mounds which arc 80 pleasing
 to the, poet, and SD perplexing to tho anti- quarian. The whole is, overspread with
 grass and flowers, constituting rich soil
 and varied carpet, tn which . ground ot
 lively green Is oraamented with . protasion
 of tho gaOdies, hucs. Deeproccsses tn the
 edgo of woodland resemble tho bays and inlots ofa lakc white occNsionallyn long vista, opening Gr back into tho forest, suf- ! fcrs tho eye to roam ar and refresh itself with tho calm beauty of ., distant pcrspec- tive. ,sto e, n... .,oys M ot sayfgl 4a nas. a,a" The travellor, aaho rides along these
 smaller praries, ,tiMds his eyo continually at
 tract0d to the edges of tho forest, and bis imagination employed in tracing tho beau-
 titnl outline, and in finding tho resemblance
 betWeon these wild scenes, and tho most highly embellished production ofart. The 1 noblest parks of European princes, whcro
 millinns shNve bosn expeMdad t0n captivato ,he fancy Of ElysiaM scenes, aro but mimic . representations of the beauties which arc here spread by natures for here arc clumps,
 and lawns, and avenues and groves---,ho [ taNglcd thicket md tho solitary tree@-anl all tho vurlety of sconic at.rHctlon-!but on : n scNlo so extensive, us to offer an endless ! succession of changes to tho eye. Therb is an air ofclvilixation horo, which wins tho ! heart--even herc, where no human resi- 5 deMce is soon, whcrO no foot intrudcs, aMd D where no axe has eyor trcspnssed on tho 9 beautiful dOmnin. So different is this d from any thing inspired by tho mountain n or woodland sconery, that tlie instant the n traveller Cmcrges from tho forest Into .hC 4 prairie, hc no l0Npcr !eCls solitary. The c consciousness that he Is tr0yclliNg alcnc g and in a, wilderness, escapes him, and he q indMlgosthe same pleasant sensations which Il arc onjoyed by ono, who, having been lost amidst tho labyrlnshs ofa savage mountain, D suddenly dcsconds into rich aud cultivated fields. The landscape charms him. Flo |is surrounded by the refreshing sweetness,
 and graceful beauty 0f tlie rural scene 1;
 and recognizes at every step sot,e well re-
 membered spot, enlarged and beautifed,
 and, as 1t were, retouehed by Nature's
 hand. The clusters of trees, so fancifully arranged, seem to have been disposed by . tho hand of tasto, and 90 complete b the . delusion, that It Is difficult to dispel tho belief that each avenue leads to a village, . and oach grovo conceals splendid man- sion. t.l.. r !" Widely different was tho prospect cx-
 hibitod in the moro northern prairies. ,, Vast In extent, tho distant forest was barc- ly discoverablo in the shapeloss outline of , bluo, faintly impressed on tho horizon. Hero and there solitary tree, torn by tho wind, stood alono liko a dismantlod mast in tho ocean. As 1 followed my guido through" this dosolato region, my sensations werc similar to those oftho voyagcr, when his barque is launched into tho ocean.
 Alone in the wide waste, with my Esithfll
 pilot only, was dependant on him for
 support, guidance, and protection. With
 little to diversity tho path, and less to
 please tho eyo, a sense of dreariness crept
 over me-a desolation nnd whitening of
 the spirit, as when the heart, Jeff painfully
 alono, finds nothing to lovo, nothing tO
 admire, nothing from which to reap insiruc-
 ton or amusement. But these aro feelings,
 which, like the sea-sickness oftho young
 mariner, are soon dispelled. began to
 find pleasure in gazing over this immense,
 unbroken waste in watching the horizon
 in the vague hope of meeting traveller,
 and in following tho deer with my eyes, us
 they galloped oG:-.hcir forms growing
 smaller and smaller us they receded, until
 they faded gradually from tho sight, Sometimes I deserted dark spot at an
 immense distance, and pointed it out to my
 companion with joy like that of tho sea-
 man, who discovers distant sail in the
 speck which floats on the ocean. When
 Ll:.. k,unnnnI fo hc in thn d;rnc.