Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-04-18

duals, and the universal distress it would create
+, throughout the land, accomplishing no object but
to crafty the bad passions of lnconsderate and
uniformed men; or to satiate the mercenary har-
py, who fattens upon the miseries eff the credu
Ions dupe. or the thoughtless victim Of wild aud
visionary speculation
/ Mr.. Van Buren, will leave here in few days.
He has, at length. it is believed, succeeded in
making removal which he has long wished. 1t
will probably take place shortly after his depar,
ture. It is desirable to give it the appearance
of emanatng from some other quarter; not so
much ON account of the removai as the successor.
Although long apprehended, have reason to be-
lieve it will, at this time, be unexpected to the
incumbent-N \. COm,er's Spyin Washington.
! Letter from Washington irving. The friends
of this distinguished writer will be well pleased
to hear from him again, and still more to read the
following sketch of his recent journeyings among
the wild tribes beyond the verge of civilization;
and we earnestly hope that twill not be long be-
fore we have something more than sketch of
this interesting tour; although we believe he has
as yet written nothing upon the subject for the
press The letter before US. it will be perceiv-
! cd, was written TO friend in Europe, during
Mr.. iryipg's recent sojourn in Washington. 1t
reaches US through the medium of the Londoa
| Athenaum.-NeO York Com.
| WAsa1NGToX CRY, Dec Is, 1888.
! | arrived here a few DAYS since, from a tour of
several months, which carried me far to the West,
beyond the bounds Of civilization.
! After | wrote to you in August, from, think,
Niagara. l proceeded. "ith my agreeable fellow
travellers, Mr.. l.. and Mr.. to Buffalo. and
| we embarked at Black Rock, on Lake Erie. On
board of the steam. boat was MIR. f. one of the
! commissioners appointed by government to su-
perin,end the settlement Of the emigrant Indian
tribes, to the west OF the Mississippi. lie was on
! his wav to the place of rendezvous, aud on his
Invitation, we agreed to accompany him in his
expedition The offer was too tempting to he
resisted: should have all opportunity OF seeing
the remnants of those great Indian tribes, which
are now about to disappear rs independent ma
tons. Or to be anal amated unGer some new
! form Of government | should see those fine
countries Of the g far west" while still In a
state nj pristine widness, and behold herds Of
bu IA oes securing their native praires, before
they are driven beyond the reach of a civilized
tourist.
We, accordingly, traversed the centre OF Ohio,
and embarked in steam boat at Cincinnati, for
| Louisville, in Kentucky. Thence "e descend
ed the Ohio River in another ste am boat and as.
cented the Mississippi to st. Louis. Our voy-
age was prolonged by repeatedly running aground,
in consequence of the o"ness OF the waters,
and on the first occasion we were nearly wreck
ed and sent TO the bntom. BY encounterinS anu'
tber steam boat coming with all the impetus OF
| hieh pressure engine, and rapid current. For
tunately we had a time to shear little so as to
receive the blow obliquey, which carried away
part of a wheel, AMI all the upper works on one
side of the boat.
From ST. Louis went to Fort Jefferson, about
nine miles distant, to see Black Hawk, the In.
dian warrior, aud bis fellow -prisoners--a toriotn
crew, emaciated aud dejec,ed--the redouotaole
chietan himself, meagre old man upwards OF
seventy He has, however. line head, Ro-
man style Of face and a pFep.'sess'"E appear :.
! ance.
| >AtSt. Louis, we bought horses for ourselves,
and covered wagon tor our baggage, tents pro-
visions. &C.. and travelled by land to lndepen'
dencc, small frontier hamlet oi los houses 81
| tuat ed between two and three hundred miles up
the Missouri, on the utmost verge Of civilization
From Independence, we struck across the In.
dian country, along the line OF the Indian mis-
sions; and arrived, on the 9Th OF October. after
ten or eleven DAYS tramp, at Fort Gibson, Iron
tier fort in Arkansas. Our journey lay almost
entirely through vast prairies, or open grassy
plains, diversified, occasionally, by beautiful
groves, and deep fertile bottoms along the streams
of water. We lived in frontier and almost In
dian STYLE. camping out at nights, except when
we slapped at the Missionaries, scattered here
and there in this vast wilderness The weather
was serene, and We encountered but one rainy
night and one thunder Storm; and found sleep
inc in tent very sweet and healthy repose-
1t was now upwards of three weeks since | had
left 81. Louis and taken to travelling on horse
back, aud it sgreed with me admirably.
On arriving at Fort Gibson, we found that a
mounted body Of Rangers, nearly hundred, had
set off two DAYS before, to make a wide tour to
the west aud south, through the wild hunting
countries; BY way of protecting the friendly In:
dams, who had gone to the buffalo hunting, and
to overawe the Pawnees, who are the wandering
/ 8 ,ho W. and continually on the a..