Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1853-02-10

Lands, villages, Nc.'-@dn AMcoMp-
went- SLAVE HuctiOn - Pydiries- Z
Herd Of BufaIos-- The PIatte--Fort
Kearney-Ertensiv View. dc.
Left St. Louis on the evening Of the
Esd of March, 1850, on the steamer
:" Princeton" built expressly Cor tho
Missouri River trade. as are all the boats
which run on that famous stream-belng
hottomed with four-inch oak plank, and
covered with iron, SO as 10 nakeyit %
near snag proof as possible. The Mis-.
souri, is the greatest mud factory in the :
world. One reason for this is, that It l.
the crookedest Of all rivers aaother IS
that the soil Of which It's banks are com
posed is Of light alluyiai nature to .
great depth. The current constantly
bearing upon the projecting points. they
are Of course undermined and fall into
the stream, with the trees standing there
on, whiehsAo down until thei' root"
become embedded in mud, their limbs
fall off. and their bare trunks stand in..l
clining down streahi. with their tops gen.
orally li,,le above water. They are
dreadful looking objects for steamer to-
run upon, and yet these snags are some
times SO thick in the river that boat.
cannot pass without striking some Of
them. In many places the water is not
more than three or four feet deep on the
sand bars. which are numerous and con.
s,antly wearing away 10 one place and
forming in another. In March It is low
water. In May. the floods from the far
North West raise the river some twenty
feet higher.
The bottom lands alcng the valley are
general ) mile or two iu width. covered
with cotton, wood timber the greater part
of the way, although occasionally the
high lands come out full to the river.-
There are few villages which have re>-
Gently sprung into existence Jefferson
City. though not the largest. contains the
| capitol Of The State. very magnificent
building. standing near and commanding
a very extensive prospect down the river
G Glasgow. Lexington. Independence. KAN
sas, Fort Leavenworth, Weston and st,
Jesephs. are all large and flourishipg Wis
lagos. At the last named place We arr
rived on the evening Of the Goth OF
March-5OO miles above st. Louis.
St. Josephs I suppose has a population
Of about 1000, many OF whom are French.
and perhaps twenty or thirty stores. The
country around is very fertile. prodscing
corn in great abundance. Hemp is alse-
raised and manufactured into ropes In
! comfortable quantities. After an en-
campment Of about nine days in this
"Land Of the tree aud home ofthe hrave,"
I(where a slave auction was held soon as
ter our arrival procuring 10 the mean
time the balance Of our outfit for the
long journey before US. on the 9th Of
| April we crossed tho river. which is here
the west line Of Missouri aud divides tho
claim Of the United States fro., that Of
a tribe Of Indians who inhabit the forests
on the west bank. the stream being
about FIVE miles wide at thia point.
Passing through this forest. We as
cended to more elevated country Of
rolling prairie. destitute Of timber except
few scattering trees TO be seen along
the streams. The prairies Of this region
are generally more rolling than those o.
Iowa and Illinois, SO that the trail Is ne
ccssarily very circuitons. making an avs
erage Of nearly three miles OF travel @
Two miles in direct line. There are
places, however. where a gentle swell
depression or plain OF vast exSeF1, occu VIZ
On one Of these. about lao miles west
Of 81, JOsephs. We saw Il. the A ilsss herd s' q
buffalos: m III aasFls pea. alassi IS
\ The Pawnes Indians and'wolses also
roam. over these wild ilelds Of dcsosaa'i0n.
and Il would bedifieult TO say which are
M mos. as .,yags ii the two. We passed
nm 4, n. Bloc liver. ahieh j. about =
l.rca As yoar Bantam riyer.) in'a north
,-.s, direction /, The soil Of tbs county
!. pretty good. although sone"Aas ME
,;or 10 the more as.ernprairiss. andes-
identity deteriora.es . You 60 westward;
40 that the rushing tide ofonr .en'gEar