Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-11-17
Daniel Boone.

IdO1t4 oSOnE
In his peaceful habitati0n on the banks Of
the Yadkn river in North Carolina, DAME!
Boone, the illustrlous hunter, had heard Finley.
trader, So mem )ra5le as Il pioneer describe
tract of land west Of Virginia. as the richest IN
North America, orin the world In May, 1869,
leaving his wife and offspring, having Finley as
pilot, and four others rs his companions, the
young man, about three and-tweuty, wandered
through the wilderness of America in quest of
the country Of Kentucky. known to the savages
as = The Dark and Bloody Ground the Middle
Ground" between the subjects of the Five Ma
tious and the Cherokees After a long and
tatiguing journey through mountain ranges. the
party found themselves in June, on the Red
river 4 tributary to the Kentucky aud from
the top of an eminence surveyed with delight
the beautiful plain that stretches to the north
west Here they built their shelter, and began
to rec0nnoitre and hunt.
All the kinds Of wild beasts that were natural
to America-the stately elk, the timed deer
the antlered stag. the wild cat. the bear, the
panther and tue woit-crouched among the
canes, or roamed over grasses which, even be-
meath the thickets shades. sprang luxuriantly
out of the generous soil, The butfaloes cropped
fearlessly the heritage or browsed on the leaves
of the reed. aud were more frequent than in
the settlement Of the Carolina herdsmen.
Sometimes there were hundreds in drove. and
round the salt licks their number was amazing.
The summer. in which for the first time a
party Of white men enjoyed the brillancy OF
nature near and in the valley OF the elkhorn,
passed away in the occupations Of exploring
parties and the chase
| But, one by one, Boone's companions dropped
| off until he was left alone with John Stewart.
| They jointly found unceasng delight in the
| wonders Of the forest, till one evening, near
Kentucky river, they were taken prisoners by a
band of indians. wanderers like themselves
| They escaped, and were joined by Boone's
brother, SO that when Stewart was soon after
| killed by savages, the first victim among the
hecatomb of white men slain By them in their
desperate battling for the lovely hunting
grounds. Boone still had his brother TO share
with him the dangers and attractions of the
wilderness, the building, aud occupying the
first cottage in Kentucky.
In the spring of l710 that brother returned
to the settlement for horses and supplies of am
muntion, leaving the renowned hunter s. by
| himself, without bread, or salt. or sugar, or
even horse or dog The idea of a beloved
wife, anxious for his safety, tinged his thoughts
with sadness: but otherwise the cheerful medi
|
of the rifle, not the plow. of strong robr1s,
frame, in the vigorous health of early manhood
ignorant of books but versed in the forest and
| forest life, ever fond of tracking the deer OIL
foot away from men, yet in his disposition
| humane. generous and gentle, was happy in the
uninterrupted succession of sylvan pleasures
"He held UNCONSCIOUS intercourse with beauty old a
! creation"
| One calm summer evening as he climmed
| commanding ridge, and looked out upon the re
mote venerable mountains. and the nearer
ample plains, and caught glimpse in the dis
lance of the Ohio which bounded the land Q
his affections with majestic grandeur, his hear
exulted in the region he had discovered. 50 Al
| things were still" Not breeze so much a.
shook a leaf. He kindled a fire near a fountain
| of sweet water, and feasted on the loin of s
| buck. He was no more alone than a bee among
flowers, but communed Familiarity with TIL
whole universe of life. Nature was his in
innate, and as the rowing woodman leaned con
fdIngfy her bosom she responded to hi
Intelligence.
For him the rocks and the fountains, the lea
and the blades of grass, had life: the cooling
air, laden with the wild perfume, came 70 hin
as friend; the dewy morning wrapped aim il
It's embrace the trees stood up gloriously
foAuu aoout HIN ds 50 uidhy HsIiado ol cum
panions. All forms were the character o
desire or peril. But how could he be afraid
Triumphing over danger lie knew no fear. Thu
perpetual bowling of the wolves by night arount
his cottage or his bivonac in the brake was t.
him diversion; and by day he had joy in sur
vcying the various species os animals that sur
rounded him. He loved the solitude bette
than the lowered city or the hum of business.
Near the end of July, ITO, his faithful
brother came back to meet him at his old camp
Shortly after they proceeded together to thu
Cumberland river. giving names to the dtferen
waters and he then returned to his wife anC
children, fixed in his purpose, at the risk of life
and fortune, to bring them as soon as possible
to live in Kentucky, which he esteemed &
second Paradise.