The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1845-11-13
From the Literary Emporium.
WFSTERy pR,JPIFS

s"A slA1 AAtstAI. LAniusiuin.
. WESTERN PRiIRIES.
Not the least remarkable features in IN,
Great Western Valley are the Prairies
which are found in every direction owe
the face Of IFS vast territory. They are O
Two kinds, the swelling or rolling. and III,
level or fiat. The former consists Of un,
dulating fields. broken into swelIs or reach,
es Of various lengths and breadlhs. enlend
ing sometimes 10 IN altitude Of sixty o.
seventy feet. Between these swells arc
sloughs, or " sloOs," which are generally
marshy, and in many instances contain
small lakes or pools, and some, which arc
dry, exhibit the appearance of tunnels.
and answer similar purpose in carrying
| oil water into the ravens beneath, the ex-
istence of which is indicated by the soil
above. The fiat prairies are plains Of rich
alluvion. grown with long lank grass, and
occasionally presenting lake. and often
studded here and there with groves of the
wild crab-apple, aud clusters Of forest trees,
that look like emerald isles in 4 sea of
waving green.
The Prairies are ol various extent from
one mile TO hundreds of miles. The lar.
gest are in the far.off West, the home of
the buffalo tId the red hunter. Where
ever they are partly cultivated, as most of
them are, in the " States" and where the
annual fires are discontinued, they soon
grow up with timber. The is with very
immense crops OF ii nufaaal lpyial. and Sjelds
coarse grain. When they exist in the
neighborhood Of settlements, they afford
excellent pasturage for horses and cattle,
and fine ranges for swine, and are iravers-
ed by herds Of deer. the number of which
increases near the plantations, when not
in too close proximity, as their greatest
enemies, the black and prairie wolves, de-
crease rs cultivation advances. Wild tur-
keys, ducks, prairie-fowls or grouse, and
quails and rabbits, also abound on the
prairies, and afford great amusement to i
sportsmen. Numerous other animals, as
the gopher, the opossum, racoon, etc. etc., !
are found in them, or on their borders. |
The wayiarer over these wide savannahs
will sometimes be startled by sound as
of hounds on the hunt, and anon a noble
" buck Of ten tines" will leap past him, fol-
lowed by apack ofhungry yelpiug wolves, !
as they run in hot pursuit: hut he will look +.
in vain for the sportsmen Of the field: Ire ),
can but fancy that invisible hunter " hors-
ed on the -iewlcss couriers of the air" are
tracking their game and urging the wild
chase. Some theorists believe the Prai- !
ries to have been very ancienily the beds
Of lakes or Of the sea. This opinion finds
arguments in the alluvious character Of
their soil, and in the marine shells, which
are invariably found embedded in the lime
stone of the adjacent bluffs.
When the grass is thoroughly ripe in
the autumn, towards the close of Novem-
her, most of the praries are burned. The
fires sometimes originate by accident, but
more often from the design of the hunters,
to facilitate them in the destruction of
game. The dr. grass, which then is Of
ten as high as the head ola man on horse
back, burns with fierce and terrible rapi-
dity, and extends the flames for miles in
few minutes, impressing the beholder with
the idea of general conilagration. lfthe
wind chances to be high, tufts Of the burn
ing material dart like flaming meteors
through the air: ana far as the eye can
reach, pail Of black smoke stretches to
the horizon and overhangs the scene,
while all below is lighted up, and blazing
with furious intensity; and ever and anon,
flaming whisps of grass flash up, revolving
and circling in the glowing atmosphere,
and lending TO the imagination a semblance
of convict spirits tossing in lake of fire.
The birds startled and bewldered, scream
wildly, and tumble and roll about above
the flames; the affrighted dear leaps from
his covert and courses madly away, and
the terrified wolf, forgetful Of the chase,
runs bowling, in an adverse direction.
When the experienced hunter finds him
self upon a prairie, 10 which fire has been
applied, he Immediately kindles fire near
him, and the wind bears the flames onward
burning path before him, which he fol-
lows to place of safety, and thus escapes
horrid fate, that but for his sagacity
would have been inevitable. A prairie on
fire can sometimes be seen at distance Of