Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1833-01-10
From the Ne,O York COA.a.ercsaE Advertiser.
q SCENES ON THE MISSOURI.

4
Mouth of YeLlOsO Stone, July STU, 1882.
I Since wrote 10 you my last letter,
have been so much engaged in the, amuse4
ments of the country, and in the use ofmy
pencil, that have been unable to- drop
you limo until the present moments Be-
fore let You into the pleasures aRd.a
musements Of this delightful coiintry. how
ever, must hastily travel with you over
the tedious journey of 1000 miles, from St.
Louis, over which distance one is Obliged
to pass before he reaches this place
The Missouri is perhaps different from all
other rivers in the world. There is ter
rOr ia its waters which we sensibly feel the
moment we enter into it from the Missis-
sippi. From the mouth Of the yellow
Stone to- the mouth of the Missouri, II
sweeps of in one unceasing current, and
in the whole distance there is scarcely a
resting place. Owing TO the contiOlal
falling of its alluvial banks. its water is all
ways turbid and opaque, having more the
appearance lin color) of a cup of chocolate
than. any thing else 4 can think Of. Ihave
made experiments with piece of silver,
and also with shell, which lisa much
whittier substance, and have ascertained that
they cannot be discovered through the
! sixteenth part Of an inch Of the water
For the distance of about 1000 miles from
ST. Louis, the shores Of the river, and in
many places the whole bed Of the stream.
are filled with snags, trees of the largest
size, which have been undermined by the
falling banks, their roots becoming fasten-
ed in the bottom Of the river, and tops
pointing down the stream, farm most
frigh,ful and discouraging prospect for the
adventurous voyager. Almost every ISL
| and sand bar is covered with huge piles Of
! these floating trees and when the river is
high it is almost impossible for the boat to
proceed, in consequence of the. continued
RATS of this material, which almost LITERAL
ly cover the surface Of the water. With
what propriety we might call it the Riv-
er Styx,' will not undertake to say, but
! nothing could be more appropriate than 10
4 denominate it the River of Sticks. The
scene is not all 50 dreary, for the eye is
| delightfully."- relieved the moment you
| glance it over the beautiful prairie, most OF
the way gracefully sloping down to tho wa
ter's edge, carpeted with the deepest green,
and in distance softening into velvet of the
richest hues, entirely beyond the reach 81
the artists pencil. 1t has heretofore been
/ very enormously represented in the world,
that the scenery on this river was monoto-
nous, and wanting in picturesque beauty.
This, intelligence, find, has come alto
ge;her from set of men who, If they had
been capable of relishing the beauties of
! Nature. would have passed them in this
I place without noticing them, for every mo-
| ment they are trembling for the safety 81
their peltries, &c. or for their lives, which
! are. at the mercy of the yelling savnges who
inhabit this delightful country. hi ss.8g. &,
j One thousand miles or more Of the .up-
1 per part of the river was toh my eye like
fairy iand.' Twas the whole time rivesed
I to the deck Of the boat, from which be-
held with rapture the changing scenes Of
every moment. cannot SO welfdescribe
I with pen as with my pencil, and have
therefore filed my Port Folio with sketch
! es, which may eventually amuse you to
look over. The whole face Of tho coun-
| try, from ST. Louis to the falls Of the Mis-
sissippi, 1000 miles above the mouth OF
| Yellow Stone, is one continued prairie,
except the bottoms formed along the river,
and the streams which empty into il. which
Lare covered with the most 1uxuriant growth
Of forest timber. The surface level of the
j prairie is from 200 to 800 feet above the
level Of the river, forming q valley the
whole way for the river, varying in width
/ from. two 10 twenty miles. The river is
alternately running from one bluff to an
other, which present, themselves TO its
shores in. all the most picturesque and
] beautiful shapes and colors imaginable.
Some of their green sides gracefully slope
down, in the most beautiful groups. to the
waters edge; whilst Others Invested OF
their verdure, present themselves in im-
mense masses of clay Of different cOlors,
some standing IN the most perfect forms Of
huge domes, cupolas, turrets, towers, and
tuined castles. In distance, some ofthese
groups have the appearance OF ancient cit
les in ruins. with solitary standing columns.
falling domes, and ruined ediices. It il
amidst these wild haunis that the mountain
sheep and the feet bounding antelope,
sport in herds, secure in these rude places,
which are inaccessible TO their enemies.
II any thing did ever literally 'astonish
the natives it was the approach Of the
steam boat alongside Of their villages
They were astonished, and thousands ol
them dropped themselves upon the shore,
viewing It wish wender and astoBishment.
Il @. .