Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-12-03

west descend our rivers, were seen Slow! 'ioa'
;np down the Ohio. Built of rough heavy TIMBER
and intended to move only With the CURRENT
those unwieldly vessels, lay silent ana 'l'o''o"
less on the wave that bore them gehtiy oo"a'u
their destination. At small village OF fa''c' a
spot intended to be occupied as such-t"c oon''
were brought to the shore and moored' anu ,'ie
passengers began to mingle with tne people,
whom curiosity had drawn to the landing place.
It was missionary family proceeding to Its STA
ton among the Usage Indians, that halted thus
IN the wilderness, to receive foretaste ct the
scenes that awaited them In the distant forest
| The place at which they had stopped, was
level plain of rich auvial, from which the TIM
Der had been cleared for The space 81 mile along
the river, aud nearly that depth into the forest.
A cluster of cabins, recently built. otronsh logs,
to which the bark still adhered, presented TO the
eyes of our travellers, specimcn OF human ex-
istencc, more nearly approaching the sudeness
of savagc'iife, than any thing they had yet seen.
There was nothing here to recall to memory their
own lovely homes-the beautiful villages of New
England, There was no green spot shaded with
venerable trees, hallowed to the reposc of the
dead-no church pointing lis spirc TO heaven,
and Offering holy refuge to the living. Here
were no rural embellishments, indicating taste,
and neatncss and enjoy ment-no domestic trees,
no honey-suck!e bowe:s, nor any OF these orna-
ments which heautilv the Village, and give to the
humblest cottage an air OF elegance. Gardens:
and orchards. and mra'imTs there were none'
nor any dwelling hat seemed 20 pc endeareh to
human being by the r:nc oil house The ground
newly cleared, was th;sk!Y set with siumps and
covered with a rank s,oNth ui weeds. The Trail
a, unsi.htly cabins sandns apart from each
other. aud destitute Of ont houses aud enclosures.
seemed 10 be as they really were. the temporary
residence of an unsettled Leoi,,e. But cherries
as this spot appeared, 10 those who had been &C
custoned to all the comforts, and many OF them
luxure s of life, it was such as all new towns IN
the West had once been; such, perhaps, as the
hamIcts were on the shores OF the Atlantic,
where ths,Soiccs of the Pilgrims first assembled
in prayerto Him who had brought them i'll safety
out of the land of persecution.
And vet the scene was not destitute of attIac-
; ton. Art had done little to spoil, and nothing
to embelish it, but nature had been prodigal OF
her bounties. As the travellers stood on the
bank, they bphcld the IS beautiful river' for
miles above and below them, rolling gently along.
} with surface as smooth aspoishetl chrystal.-
The shores were slightly coDted, swelling out on
the one side, aud receding upon the other, so as
, exhibit series of long and graceful bends. The
,. banks as far the eye could reach, were low and
4
the vegetation which formed their chief beauty.
: was rich beyond description. SprinSin6SroW, a
) deep aIuvial Soil, the forest trees "a
/ Immense trunks to an amazing height, wnIe the
! interviewer branches and foliage, formed an i'm
lpenetrable shade. The hues of the forest as
various as they were beautiful Here was the
) melancholy cypress. with dark trunk and SOM
bre leaf, and the tall sycamore with stem Oh
snowy wilderness, and foliage Of light green.-
The poplar, the elm, the maple and tie gum,
with numerous other trees, exhibited every va4ts
ETY. Of verdure between the extremes. The dog
wood and the bud. countless in number deck
ed the whole scene with their rich blossoms: the
former pure white. and the varieties of the latter
glowing with ALL the shades between pink and
deep scarlet. Then there was the locust, rich
in fragrance as in hue. the delicate cata pa,
the yellow aOver of the tulip tree; the graceful
cane covere&He ground. the willow fringcd the
stream. the viiie'cfeptto the tops of the talest
trees and tie hisleto hung among the branches.
The uxuriant soil, while it loaded itself with a
gigantic vegetation. gave depth and vividness
to the coloring of the landscape. that impaired a
peculiar strength and character to the scene. But
if the eye was charmed, there Agas loveincss,
scene that touched the heart. The very beauties
that delighted. and the. 1uietness .tlat soothed,
testifed.that man wasa stranger here land told
the traveller that he was alone withst1t God.
Such were the feelings of the Missionaries as
they gazed on the gentle stream. and its wild shore.
4 They had left their homes and their friends, their
pous companions, their cherished relatives. and
'the scenes Of their childhood. and they were 90
ing beyond the confines of civil society, to dwell
with the savage in his own wild woods. As they
tssgelIed to the west.s they had seen the traces
liberalization becoming sSSery day more FAINT
every day they had found the villages ru-
der and more distant from each othcr-until at
last they had reached the abodes of the hunter,
FEwhere the rifle and the axe furnished the means
]of subsistence and of defence. An immense
tract Of wilderness was yet to be traversed, be-
fore they could reach the Of their future Ia
bors. and they felt sad to think how seldom the
smile OF a countryman, or the voice of i brother.
would cheer them their way. Their spirits
sunk, as they look at the boundIess extent of for-
est-gorgeous it was to the eyai it WAS still blt
a bloymng desert. containing nothing to warm
the heart or cherish the affections Every OBJ
! ect around them was strange, and they felt Xix