The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-06-12
tbr ~ Gssetls.]
SKETCHES OF TRAVEL.

ybr ~ Gssetis.1
SKETCHES OF TRAVEL.
An even,ful week, Mr. Editor-a week hing
to bs remembered BY your agent, 10 the one
which closed on Saturday nisg, last. week
Of strange adventure, sir; . week why, itfe-
ally seems to me that have been gone more
,han moush--a month with the Sundays I'll
left out. Now thu, |. 10 past, look back upon
lis ever varying scenes and incidents rather a.
. wild, romantic dream in which innumcrablc
images have been brought up in vivid array be-
fore my mental vision, without order, and almost
without end; in fact, an uuconnectsd cham q
events, which Rnd Il difficult. nay, impossible,
10 reuni,s The tourist may tell Of much he has
seen ia his travels, and give his reader hne des-
criptions, and often vivid conceptions Of what he
has seen; bu, he cannot, in the poor language
Of human thougha give to events the stirring
interest Of reality, and closhe Nature, ~ Nature
closhss herself. Thess, to BE- understood, must
b. esn-feis-realized. An interesting MARIA
tive nigh, make Of this il possessed the pow
q Of thus transmitting 10 paper living ds'crip.
ton Of VIVA. my pen has TO record. A. y,
however, the reader must try 70 content himself
with short and measre outline Of things, and
allow his imagination the most unbounded lib
sr,y in filing up the inserstices.
Ny route Tor the week lay as follows: Leav-
ing Davenport on Monday, ID instant, recon-
noi,ered the country lying between said point
and Muscatine from Muscatne passed through
10 Rochester; thence left for Upton; thence
for Spring Rock; thence for Pos,en's Grove
thence via Round Grove sgain TO Davenport;
the entire apparent distance travelled being bu'
about hundred mles-no allowance for mean
dering. Between this point and Muscatine en-
counsered very bad roads. Found farmers in
the vicinity Of Blue Grass who had not begun to
plant corn; indeed this was the case in numer-
Gus regions which visited. Hundreds Of acres
Lying on the Mississippi bottom between this
point and Musca.ine are completely submerged
and for miles together the fences along the river
bank, and even Ear back in the bottom. have
been swept away. The Mississippi bottom
entered It Fairpor, This is . thriving little
town, and there seems to be much enterprise
among the inhabitants was compelled to
leave the river, and resume the prairie route
through to Muscatne. Found Mad Creek very
high at the usual crossing place, owing chiefly
TO the back-water Of the Mississippi. Was obi
ged to cross some miles above. Reached Mus
catine II about I O'Clock in tho evening In
this place was happy to note decided i'm
proyemen., well worthy Of emulation. The de-
votion Of her citizens to the cause OF educs,ion
has been evinced in the erection Of two beau.i-
full and expensive public school-houses, which
would do credit to an eastern city. One of these,
! was informed, cost about 5000 I, 10 con-
s,ructed Of brick. i is designed for three de-
+par,men,s, viz: q primary school, = youths de.
partmeni, and high school. When viii Dav.
export take up this subject
While At Muscatine had an opportunity Of
visiting what Is there commonly kn wn a,
|ssWaicher's Hill"-a high bluff W hich overlook.
VIVA. used TO be vast region Of country at tn.
southwest, Blu, which has recently been made
one with the Father Of Waters, BY bapiism.--
Turning your eyes from the natural course Of
the river, which here runs, or should run south,
il you look ia direction but little south OF west
you will perceive nothing for miles together bu,
an almos, in,erminable shee, Of water, with per.
chance, here and there isherman's boat plying
carelessly upon its bosom; while in the dim dis
lance the eye finds nothing upon which to rest
but smoky ridge Of bluffs, which seems TO say
to the rolling food below, ssHitherto shall ye
come, and no farther; and here shall your proud
waves be stayed" This subaqueous trac, OF
country, gentle reader, is Muscasine Island,
which comprises some Of the best farming land
in the county which bears iss name. The writer
Of this article has be. n ~ humble instrumen, 10
converting many acres Of this Island into well
cultivated fields, and he now lives to zoe these
same fields buried in waiery grave, aud some
< Of the mos, valuable Improvements Of the Island
swept entirely away. Let Us leave this scene
OF desoation; for tits too mela ncholy 10 contem.
plate.
l left Musca,inc for Rochester early the next
morning, Wednesday roads ss usual, bad
enough. Found Cedar bottom, in the vicinity
Of Rochester, al under water. Hundreds OF
"Ssos W tsHuS vi tO'u were Ten0eY-
ed quite useless by the foods for the present sea
son-s corn crop being entirely on, of the que..
ton; and Is for wheat and other small grain.
there will be total ioss, as i, will all be drown.
ed out in the bottom lands both Of the Cedar
and its tributaries. Fences, OF course, have
been left to tho mercy Of the unbridled water,
and when this dcluge subsidies, nothing will be
left but the naked fields to tell that they ever
existed. Wheat usually looks remarkably well,
wherever it 10 found above water; but il wants
the genial influence of the sun 10 give it thai
fresh green color which it wears in health. Far
mers express their fears that even in this crop
their hopes may not Be realised; as the wei
weather tends to promote the growth OF the
stalk rather than the grain ITSELF Corn thai
was planted before the wet weather set 10, look 8
remarkably well, oil things considered; and l
am happy TO state that there is reason to hope
the damage done 10 this crop is not 20 general
- one might bs led to suppose. Its only in
tho low, fiat regions Of country, and in the bot
tom lands. that il has suffered TO any great ex-
tent. Still, the prospects Of : very respectable
portion Of our farmers are truly dishe artsning.