The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1842-12-09

TO describe them.
In the FIRST place, they have no mast, cor
dage, tackle, rigging, or such boat-like gear;
nor have they any thing in their shape az all
calculated 10 remind one Of boats head,
stern, sides, or keel. Except that they are in
the water, and display couple Of paddle
boxes, they might be- intended, for any thing
that appears TO the contrary, to perform some
unknown service, high and dry, upon a
mountain top. There is no visible deck,
even; nothing but long, black, ugly roof,
covered with burnt out feathery sparks; a.
bove which tower two iron chimneys, and
hoarse escape-vaIve, and q glass steerage
house. Then, in order as the eye descends
TOWARDS the water, are the sides and doors,
and windows OF the state-rooms, jumbled as
oddly together as though they formed small
street, built by the varying tastes Of dozen
men; the whole is supported on beams and
pillars resting on dirty barge, but few in
ches above the waters edge; and in the
narrow space between this upper structure
and this barge's deck, are the furnace fires
/ and machinery, open at the sides n every
\ wind that blows, and every storm Of rain that
4 drives along its path.
i Passing one of these boats at night, and
seeing the great body of fire, exposed as
have just described, thai RACES and rOars be-
meath the frail pile Of painted wood the
machinery, not warded off or guarded in any
way, but doing its work in the midst of the
f crowd Of iders and em9rants, and children,
! who throng the lower deck; under the man
! agement, TOO, of reckless men whose &C
a quainiance with its mysteries may have been
Of six months standings 'one feels directly
that the wonder IS, not that there should be
!! so many fatal accidents, but that any journey
g should be- safely made.
d Within, there is one long narrow cabin,
IS the whole length of the boat; from which
!, the state-rooms open, on both sides. A small
a portion of it at the stern, is partitoned off
n for the ladies'; and the bar is at the opposite
l. extreme. There is a long table down the
10 centre, and at either end stove. The wash
= ing apparatus is forward, on the upper deck.
"a II is little better than on board the canal
boat, but not much. In all modes Of travel
I'd ling, the American customs, with reference
le to the means Of personal cleanliness and
in wholesome ablution, are extremely negligent
and filthy; and strongly incline TO the be-
r. lief that considerable amount of illness ID
he referrabe to this cause"
er THE ONO RIVER.
= GA fine broad river always, but in some
~ parts much der than in others; and then
~ there is usually green leland, covered with
- trees, dividing it into two streams. Occa-
. sionallyS we stop for a few minutes, maybe
% TO take in wood, maybe for passengers, at
:, city, every place is city here;) but the
" banks are for the most part deep solitudes,
| oVergrOwn with trees, which, hero-abouts,
e. are already in leaf and very green. For
le miles, and miles, and miles, these soiitudes
III are unoroken by any sign of human life or
70 trace OF human footstep; nor is any thing
70 seen to move about them but the blue law
d. whose color is so bright, and yet SO delicate,
i that it looks like flying flower. At length
" ened intervals, log cabin, with its little
he space of cleared land about it, nestles under
Il rising ground, and sends it's thread Of blue
lie smoke curling up into the sky. Il stands in
t; the corner Of the poor ielS Of wheat, which
n is full of great unsightly stumps, Ike earthly
us butchers blocks. Sometimes the ground Is
I'd only just now cleared; the feIled trees living
IN yet upon the soil and the Lighthouse ONLY
s. this morning begun. As we pass this clear
re ing, the settler leans upon bis axe or ham
I'd mer, and looks wistfully at the people from
at the world. The children creep out of the
er temporary hut, which is like a gipsey tent
RS upon the ground. and clap their hands and
er shout. The dog only glances at US and
by then looks up into his masters face again, as
I'D if he were rendered uneasy by any suspen.
he sion of the common business, and had no
e, thing more to do with pleasures. And still
there is the same, eternal fore. ground. The
10, river has washed away its banks, and stately
be trees have fallen down into the Stream
d. Some have been there so long, that they are
er mere dry grizzly skeletons. Some have Just
- toppled over, and having earth yet about
ty their roots, are bathing their green heads in
1t the river, and putting forth new shoots and
lst branches. Some are almost sliding down.
as you look at them. And some were drown
ed so long ago, that their bleached arms star,
out from the middle of the current, and seem
OF to try to grasp the boat, and drag it under
Ter water.
~ Through such a scene as this, the IN.
Le Wleldy machine takes lis hOarse sullen WaF,
az venting, at. every revolution of the paddles,
loud high-pressure blast enough, one
~ would think, to waken up the host Of indiana
= who lie buried in great mound youder; 81
0id, that mighty oaks and other forest treei
have struck their roots into its earth and q
ON high, that it is hill, even among the hillr
IA that Nature planted round il. The VerE RI
ae- vers as though it shared ones feelings Of
ca compassion for the extinct tribes who lived
so pleasantly here, in their blessed ignorance
ea OF white existence, hundreds Of years ago
ne steals out OF its way to ripple near this
- mound and there are few places where the
ne Ohio sparkles more brightly than in Bic
an Grave Creek.
~ All this see, as sit in the little stern
= gallery mentioned just now. Evening sowly
= steals upon tbs landscape, and changes /
- before me, when we stop % set some emit
u grants ashore
he MOUTH or THE oHIo-cAIRo.
DIV eNor was the scenery Is We approached
leF the junction Of the Ohio and Mississipp
ne rivers, at ell inspiriting il rs influences
M The trees wsrs siunted Ia their growth : II,
AZ. banks wero low aud fat; che ssstIemente ~
log cabins fewer in number their inhsbi
ie- lants mora wan and wretched than anv We
ne had encountered yet. No songs 81 birdr