Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1837-07-29

|ocean-sedlmcnt; when we dive into its faith
omless bosom, and bring forth the crumbing
/ relics OF man and animal from sepnlchres. in :
20 winch Tor untold cycles they have been en-
tombed; and when we lnger along those roll
ing streams by which they are intersected, and
oehold upon their banks the mighty indications
OF whlring floods, and behold, buried in the
heart OF the everlasting rock, production only
| oil the sea---the conviction is forced home upon
| us almost resistlessly, that here the broad O.
jcean once heaved and roared.
+ Inc surface peculiar to the prairie, is first
perceived in the state of Ohio As we pro.
tceed north aud west itincreases in extent, un-
I'll, few hundred miles beyond the Mississip-
pi. II rolls on in the majestv and magnifcence
tof boundlessness to the Rocky Mountains.
Such---such are the beautiful prairies of the
iar west; and if, gentle reader, my pen, all
rapid though it be, has fingered tediously to
thle along their fairy borders, it may yet prove
noismall consolation to thy WEAKNESS to re-
fiet that its errngs are for the present well
mig, ended.
\ was yet early in the day, as have init
mattel. when reached the centre of that broad
branth of the Grand Prairie. over which was
IasSng; and, mile after mile, the narrow path
way almost obiterated here and there by the
wating vegetation, continued to wind itsefa-
long. With unreAecting carelessness. which
chtracterises the inexperienced waytarer,
hal left behind me the last human habitatlon
II was for hours to look upon, without obtain
ing the slign,e.. sefreshment; anu now, the
demands of unappeased nature sharpened by
Iexecise, by the keen atmosphere OF the pral-
riesand, probably by the force oftancy, which
nevf fails to aggrayatc prlva1lons which we
know to be remediless, had become absolute
ly painful. The faithful animal beneath me.
also, from the total absence Of water along our
path, was nearly exhausted; and there, before
and aFound. on every side, not an object met
the vitw but the broad---rolling llmitess prai-
RE, and the dim. misty, horizon IN the distance.
Above, the heavens were calm and blue, and
the bright sun was careerlng along his giant
course as glorously, as if the storm cloud had
never swept his path. League after league,
the prairie lay behind me, aud still swell up
on swell---wave after wave, heapcd up Itself
in endless succession before the wcarled eye.
There is point, reader, in natural, not less
than in moral affairs where forbearance ceases
to be virtue; and, veritably, suggestions Dor
dering on the horrible, weIe beginning to fit
athwart the fancy. when happily, long, low,
" aving cloud-Iike line was caught stretching
itself upon the EXTREMIST verge of the misty
horizon. My jaded animal was urged onward;
and slowly, very slowly the dim line undula-
ted upward and the green forest rose gradually
before the gladdened vision! "A few miles,
the path plunged into the green, fresh woods
CROSSED deep creek, which betrayed its
meanderings by the grove along the banks,
and the hungry traveller threw himself from
his horse before log cabin EMPOWERED IN the
trees. The spot was one Of those luxurlant
copses in the heart OF the prairie comprising
several hundred acres, so common IN the SOUTH
ern sections Of IIlinoi5.--"Victnais aud drink
-.-were Of course the first demand from a fe-
male, who showed herself at the door; and, 81
Iiudge' was the laconic, but cheering reply,
and she stared with uncontrolled curiosity at
her strange guest. At the moment he must
nave looked perfectly ferocious, very genius
of famine and starvation, but all in good time
he was uxuriating over huge fragment OF
|swines flesh, bowl Of honey, and loaf OF
bread; and soon were his miseries over. What!
honey ard hogs flesh not luxury---Say yc
so reader! Verify, then, were ye never hall
starved in the heart of a western prairie!
SALEM, ILLINOIS. Il. +.