The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-02-10
The Mississippi.

The Mississippi.
The following true and eloquent re-
marks are the commencement of letter
from Ghas. A. Dana, Esq. of the n. Y.
Tribune, who accompanied the late excur-
sion given by the Rock Island railroad.
1t is dated from St. Paul:
Certainly, of all our rivers, the Mis-
sissippi is the most imposing, the most
picturesque, and the most beautiful. /
speak now of that portion Of above the
mouth of the Missouri, for the rest have
not seen. Magnitude with the most del
icate finish, grandeur of outline with ex-
quisite beauty of detail, are the charac
teristics of scenery. The broad and pow
erful stream is broken by frequent islands
covered with dense foliage !; which, at
this season at least, is deliciously fresh
and green, and bordered by lofty bluffs,
Ear more than the Palisades of the Hud-
son, rising in every fantastic variety of
form, with abrupt and .craggy rocks in
front, but with the most perfect green
sward stretching back to the prairie in the
rear, or sloping down in lovely hollows
and charming hooks that break the con-
tinuity of this river wall, and give con-
slant change and delight to the beholder.
These hills all wear the aspect of old cul-
tivation and the groves of oak that dot
| their smooth surface, scattered along
their sides or perehed like orchards on
their SUBMITS, have nothing wild, and
favor the illusion. The rocks that form
the foundation of the bluffs and chiefly
face the river, do not rise abruptly from
the waters edge, but break out about
half way up the height, TO tower perpen-
dicularly and broken, in the form of an
cient walls, or castle battlements, so that
the very Rhine does not seem more his
toric in its appearance, Alta little dis
lance, SO regular are these walls, so true
often the eliminating point, so regular
the abrasures of time and weather, that
ii is difficult not to believe that some
race of barbarians built these Businesses,
and long ago left them to fall to ruin.
| " AS | said, no river is so rich. in all
the elements of beauty-and there are
Indian legends enough for romantic asso-
ciation-but, above all, no river is so
rich in all the elements of power. We
gazed with wonder at these astonishing
fields prepared by nature herself, where
the first tool of the pioneer is the plow--
and at this soil whose teeming richness
and facility of culture announces the
home of millions. There is no region on
earth, | think, which can sustain larger
population than on both sides of the
northern Mississippi. A rich soil, suited
to every product of the temperate zone,
and absolutely inviting the hand of the
farmer; climate genial but not enerva-
ting; frequent streams to afford water
power, and fuel abundant on the earth /;
the great river for highway, and rail-
roads, which in forty EIGHT hours land
the traveller on the Atlantic-with all
these advantages the entire country must
become the home of one of the freest,
most intelligent, most powerful. and most
independent communities of the world.
Nowhere else has the hand of Proyi-
dence so marked out the foundations of
empire; nowhere else is there such an in
flux of emigration from all directions
The Eand of God in the Desert.
Bayard Taylor, in his journal to
Central Africa. thus speaks of the natu-
raj beauties of the greas Nubian Desert:
81 soon fell into a regular daily rou-
tine of travel. which, during all my latter
experiences of the desert, never became
monolonous. rose at dawn every morn.
ing, and bathed my eyes with handful
OF the precious water, and drank cup oi
coffee After-the tent had been struck
and the camels laden, | walked ahead fol
two hours, often so far in advance that
lost sight and hearing of the caravan.
found an unspeakable fascination in th,
sublime solitude of the desert / Otter
beheld the sun rise, when, within th,
wide ring of the horizon, there was n,
other living creature to be seen. III
came up like god, in awful glory, AM
it would have been a na.ufai act, had
east myself upon the sand and worshipet
him. The sudden change in the color
ling of the landscape, on his appearance
i the lighting up Of the dull sand into !
warm, golden hue, and the tinting oi
purple and violet on the distant porpfiyry
nils, was a morning miracle, which j
never beheid without awe. The richness
of this coloring made the desert beauti.
/ full it was TOO brilliant for desolation
The scenery, so far from depressing, IN
spired and exhilerated me. / never Eel;
the sensation Of physical health and
strength IN such perfection, and was
ready to shout from morning till night,
from the overflow of happy spirits. The
air IS an elixir of life, as sweet and pure,
and refreshing as that which the frs
man breathed, on the morning Of crea:
ton Yoa inhsie the unadulierated elel
ments of the Atmosphere !; for there are NJ
exhalatfons from moist earth, vegetable
matter, or the smokes and steams which
arise from the abodes Of men. to stain It
purity. This air, even more than It's 81
Ience and solitade, Is the secret of one,
attachment to the desert. It is beauti
fiil illsissration Of the compensating car
Of that Providence which leaves fsoiie Q
the waste places OF the earth without sons
a5oning glory. Where all the p1easan
aspects Of nature are wanting, wher,
there IS no green thing, NO fount for ID,
fF.sresx- l,,, 60 IL - -