The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-01-21
TWO CENTS.
BATON RoroE, Dec "a, 1913.
Havel through the Cosmtry-Irip to Baton Rouge
The Scewss and Pertls of a Journey, &c. &c.

Inc NfeNss ana FTS OF Journey, &C &c.
When set out on my trip hltherward, antIci-
pated much matter Of comment on my travels, both
from its novelty and from the variety oil the scenes
and people with which should be brought in con-
tact. These anticipations have been poorly real
lied. The truth is, the annoyances aud discom-
forts OF the river route to New Orleans, IN Decem
Der, are SO manifold as to put all idea of enjoyment
to flight. II likewise so happened that from Cum
berland to New Orleans we did not see the sun
three times
My Impressions of the journey and the rverI
can therefore give in very few words In former
letter, attempted to give some faint notion of the
passage across the mountains. At Pittsburgh one
gets into very Indifferent boat bound for Cincln
natl, where he arrives in about three days At the
latter place he takes boat for Louisville, where
he arrives in about twenty-four hours Here you
pick out boat advertised to start for New Orleans
hat evening. You go on board IN hurry, natu-
ally expecting to start at the hour specified but
hose OF your fellowtravellers accustomed to the
hing, knowing better, take it easy. You are very
ortunate 1t you get of in three days. Orpalty,
after waiting easonabe tine after the three days
grace, at length grew impatient, and made inquiry
OF the captain as 10 when he expected to start. He
was sorry 10 inform us that the "Doctor" was
broken, and that 1t would be impossible to start
for three days to come. OF course we did not wait
tor the recovery of the {. Doctor" but went on
board the first boat that offered which, by the
way, did net start until the next day.
And here, must say, that with the exception OF
two very good hotels. / know nothing else good
about Louisville. The mails must BE- in queer
condition between there and New York, tor the
agent of the Herald informed me that, notwith-
standing many were exceedingly anxious to take
the paper, yet 1t is wholly impossible to get It with
any degree OF regularity The telegraph appeared
to be almost In as bad condition as the mails.
You get on board the steamboat at place called
Portland, three miles below Louisville, where the
PERCEPTIONS nature OF the levee, and the magnitude
Of the ruts, would certainly acqui the driver lit is
impossible On foot) of breaking ones neck, and
would as certainly convict the authorities of the
said little town Of Portland. But, fortunately, the
being as adhesive as brdllme, and the carriage
wheels sinking down to the axle, that an upset 10
very rare; SO that Portland has, after all, some
natural advantages to boast of.
From Louisville, until you float down INTO the
Mississippi at Cairo, there Is nothing OF Interest,
and all of Cairo that you see, ls wharl-b0at,
very muddy bank, and few dingy houses. But
the arrival at Cairo is an event, neverthe-
muddy stream Of the Ohio, for the more muddy
sire am Of the Mississippi. The scenery cf either
river has not much of interest for the travel
Ter in midwlnter; dreary and mpnotonous
succession Of leaffess trees on either hand; no
green lane leading down to the verge OF the water,
and revealing the quiet hamlet or the pointed spire
beyond; no mountains in the distance break the
and the flat banke and the bare trees, and the grey
sky the only objects the eye rests upon, day at
ter day But still the Mississippi is mighty river,
and one has some idea Of its vastness when, after
travelling days and days, one grows weary and
longs to arrive at his destination
One feature of river travel which will strike
New Yorker, Is the entire absence OF waarves IN
the larger clties-such as Pittsburgh, Cincinnati,
Louisville, and New OrleansTthelr place is sup
piled by evees, and in the smaller places, such as
Baton Rouge, by wharf.boats Now, tor the benefit
OF those who have never travelled on the Missls-
sppi, will explain that wharf boats old steam
and paddles have been removed, and which are
laid close to the shore; thus serving as a kind o
floating WHAT. Levees are inclined planes, sIop
ing from the street TO the river rendered necessary
II Is said, by the rising and falling OF the Mssis
sIpPi and OHIO. The best have seen Is at Pitts
urgh.
Boating on the Mississippi, to an imaginative
biped, Is calculated to be aught but suggestive OF
night, Git that can be called lying down which
is creeping up to bed, almsst as hard as that
OF Prociusus, for unless the unhappy occu-
pant be of sesqulpedalan dimensions, ne must
double up" and then his knees touch the cell
lng,) one IS apt to dream, either asleep or
awake, of being thrust up through the hurricane
deck by sawyer, or Impaled by snag. Occa-
slorally, also one passes the wreck OF some boat
some. thirty or forty persons. | remember one
morning passing steamboat, the side OF which
had been, the night before, feoniously and burgla-
riousy entered by snag, which said snag did ac-
the slate-rooms of some OF the ladies', and tumble
the fair occupants pel-mell on the floor. rather
awkward theme Of reflection, when creeping up
to ones uneasy perch at night. Saags or saw
yers, however, are not to be dreaded gong down.
Lying IN direction with TIE current, they are
dangerous only to boats ascending the nver
From Natchez to New Orleans one sees on
either bank sugar plantations, more or less extern
thz.S .i,,
rolling from the chimney Of the sugar-house,
showing that the process Of grinding is going on
within. The grinding season commences in Oc-
ttber, and generally continues till January. Dur
ing this season the lite OF the negro Is indeed
wietchtd. The labor is much heavier than on
the cotoa plantation, and, matter OF course,
the life OF the slave is much shorter AT present
the value OF sugar is deprecated, and the
curtalled. Heretofore, those profits have been
enormous. With good crops, an income Of forty
and fifty thousand dollars year was not uncom-
monty realized by the rich planter; and thus enor-
nous fortunes were amassed. But times are
changed.
On those plantations, or near them. one will Of
ten see the orange tIee,-its glossy foliage studded
with golden fruit; the live oak, with its immortal
metrical beauty. The overseer's house is general
ly the negro hufs and the mansion OF the pro-
prietor at the other end of the plantation. The
nearer you approach 10 New Orleans, the more
growth of cotton wood and willow disappears from
the edge of the river, and the evidences of habia-
ton grow more and more frequent Boats pass
ard re.pass at every turn. Apropos of boats -
There cannot be conceived anything moe unlike
the noble steamboats, Of the Sound and the North
River, than those OF the Ohio and the Mississippi.
In shape they resemble exaggerated bumble-bees
more than anything else can think Of | canno
attempt description Of them but just imagine q
Jersey City terry boat, loaded down until the deck
Is level with the water with sort OF platform
ed about fifteen feet from the deck on wooded
props, and about ten feet above, another PLATFORM
both running nearly the whole length Of the lower
deck, and you may have some idea of a river boat
On the lower platform are the state rooms, dining
room, &c, and on the upper, the captains and pi-
lots apartments There are very few of those
boats In VIII oh any degree of comfort is attaiDabe.
They ale built tor the purpose OF making money;
generally OF very slender materials, and scarcely
ever last longer than eight years Such are the
floating palaces Of the Western waters.