New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-08-09
A Trip North by Way Of the Lakes.
Correspondence of TIT Grtsttut.


A Trip North by Way Of the Lakes.
Correspondents of tbr grtsrtnt.
New YORK, July 80.
Arrived here yesterday after trip of thir-
teen days, minus a few hours and while rest
ing from the fatigue of travelling, intend Civ
ing you a slight sketch of our journey.
We left New Orleans on the 10th inst, on the
Aeck Scott and reached ST. Louis on the 23d,
after pleasant trip of six days There being
no scenery, to speak Of on the lower part Of the
Mississippi, those who travel it are dependent
for pleasure on their fellow passengers, the
weather, the accommodations, and their own
internal resources The weather in our case
was rather unfavorable, being first too warm,
then rainy, and lastly cold; the accolnmoda-
tons were hardly tolerable, the boat being so
crowded that many of the ladies had to take
staterooms in the gentlemen's cabin, and many
of the gentlemen had to sleep on beds spread on
tables or the floor still, spite of the weather
and the throng, we had delightful "trip.
60 Our party" started with determination to
enjoy themselves and did not let any thing
interfere with their plan, If the cabins were
| dimly lighted, we sought the hurricane deck,
where we had no cause of complaint, for the
nights were bright, balmy and breezy. If there
were deficiencies at table we compensated
| ourselves with wit and wine Of our own provi-
ding When informed that the ladies had to
| pay higher price for their passage than the
gentlemen, although they occupied staterooms
| in the gentlemen's cabin, we took 1t as COM
] pliment to our superior worth, and cheertully
| paid for it as such We did not suffer any
| squeamishness to prevent our sitting III the for
| ward part of the boat which is usually monopo-
| lied by the masculines and was decidedly the
coolest spot to be found. Accordingly, while
the perspiring victims of propriety were swell
tering in the ladies cabin, we were famed by
| delicious breezes, which, though laden with the
odor of tobacco, and the promise Of freckles, We
eagerly welcomed.
| TO describe the various interesting characters
we met, or repeat the various good things that
were said, would swell this letter to volume,
| so | forbear; suffice it to say, that 1t was with
real regret we saw our company dispense at st.
| Louis
After taking a ride to see the town. we
went aboard the Belle Gould, which our escorts,
on account of her beauty presume, had pre-
| ferred to the Gossamer, smaller boat, on which
many of the SCOTS passengers were going.
| We bought through tickets to New York, the
runners having assured us that the passage
would take but three days. Alas for the hopes
that are based on such promises We were
nearly that time on the Illinois river owing to
| the low stage of the water, Of which the runners
were judici0usly forgetful The Belle Gould is
a very pretty boat as limited before, and is
said to be fast | believe she is fast enough
when going | know she's fast, when stuck.
Early Monday morning we were reused with
an injunction to don thick clothing, as the wealth
er had turned much colder during the night,
and we should find it necessary to be warmly
IL I L
passengers accordingly had themselves and their
baggage in readiness to be transferred to the
small boat which was to have met us at Henne-
pin Flats but when we arrived there we learned
| that it had left an hour before with passengers
from another boat, and would not return till
| four o'clock in the afternoon, Of course no one
was to blame.
Never shall forget that spot, nor the day We
passed there. Der spirits had run completely
down; our party had lost some Of its most en-
tertaining members at St Louis our best books
had been perused there was nothing to do, and
no one to firt with Many Of the passengers when
| their patience was exhausted, crossed the river
in skitfs and took wagons to Lasalle, q distance
Of sixteen or seventeen miles, but we resolved
to trust still to the Captain, whose interest it
| was to hasten our departure as he had to feed
| us while we staid.
Four o'clock come but no small boat five,
six, seven, still we strained our eyes in vain
! The Gossamer, which left st. Louis nearly n
day later than we did, passed Us with triumph
ant shouts and waving Of every thing white
chat was not in use) on the boat. Handker
chiefs towels, even sheets hoated on the breeze
The bitterness Of our modification was some
what sottened by the spiteful certainty that our
rivals could never get over the next bar, which
was so difficult to cross that, it was said Of it,
the turtles had to tow the catfish over. Our
wishes were gratifed, they stuck and just then
a faint streak of smoke in the distance an
nounced the approach Of our small boat 1t
stopped above the Gossamer, and sent q barge,
called the Ruby, for US. Into the cabin, or
rather under the matches Of this were slowed
our passengers and their baggage, which served
as seats and sleeping accommodations. By the
time the Ruby was ready to start it was nine
o'clock and consequently too dark to distin-
guish the downCast countenanees of our rivals
but they were all on deck and in answer to our
uproarious farewell, the engine was made to hiss
at us and one of the deck hands told US to go to
--, a place even warmer than our crowded
quarters. We spent the four hours which it
took to reach Lasalle in this den, as it was pro-
nounced by those who examined the steamboat
to be a pleasanter place The next morning
we took the cars to Toledo, which we reached
without accident. Here We took the splendid
steamer Empire State for Buffala--But this let
ter is exceeding all bounds, SO | must defer the
description Of the remainder of our journey
including q visit to Niagara, till my next.
| LAURA LEA.
n II