New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-27
TRIP Up THE MISSOURI RI!'ER.

From Our Special Correspondent
MISSOURI RIVER, Thursday, Oct. Il, 1855.
Did Jou over hazard the navigation Of the Mis-
souri, river in the month of October If you have
not don't, uUless YOU are gifted with the patience
of Job or have taste for seeing how people get
along under difficulties We had often heard of the
snuOsities and shifting currents and snsgs of that
wonderful stream, and had regarded these stories
pretty much as we had done those of Marco Polo; ;
that we should ever have nearer acquaintance
with their origin had not occurred to us but the
Eates, or the editors of TIE TRIBUNE, it isimmae-
rial which, having decided that we should spend
the Fall Of this year Of grace 1855, IN that land of
Goshen and debatable ground Kansas, we found
ourselves in the early part OF that month when the
leaves turn red, aud yellow and sere, standing on
the Ievec Of 1T. Louis, and determining which of
the numerous craft tcketed for the Missouri river
should havo tho honor OF conveying us up its hi
racuous course We hsd previously learned that the
Missouri river as unprecedentedly low. q" Scant
three feet on the bars aud falling was the report,
and as most Of the boats We saw drew four, our
meditatoos began to assume u mathematical cast
Tho Missouri river boats are generally good in
fact far too good for tine pre- ent condition OF thai
river; but on the Day when we were ready TO start
The only boat leaving wis IN old tub OF concern,
which bad worn out Its earl y ste.mboathoOd IN the
lower river trade, and proposed ekiDg out its de-
Ginning years among the snsGs of the upper Mis-
souri,. As wo did not consider this transition
purely philosophic, and wished to reach Kansas
before Christmas we laid over one day, having
the promise of three good boats on the next Mex,
day we made selection of the smallest and most
trim looking Of the three She was as neat aud
elegant, aud clean as an unsunDed cOckleshell
ana had we learned, Just returned from trip up
the Yellow Stone, with government stores, having
been eighteen hundred miles above the mouth OF
the Missouri. We also learned that the Gen0s
(that was her nancy has been some two years IN
the Missouri river trade without an accident, owing
to the prudence and skill of her oi1icers aud
although this latter was fact the miraculous na-
ture of which we could not appreciate then so
fully as now eth il determined u.s. and before the
sun went down We were steering up the Mlssls-
sippi and when twilight had deepened into night
and wrapped the shores Of Illinois and Missouri
in uncertain gloom, and the few stars visible were
casting their DIM rays on the darkened waves, we
reached TO where the turbd waters of the Mis-
souri, debouched into the stream and having seen
our vessels PROV pointed westward up it's channel.
We turned in to sleep with the pleasant reflection
that far al had gone well alas all OF the battle
was yet 10 come.
As We had only FIVE hundred miles 10 travel, we
looked upon the assurance that we should reach
our destination in four day as by no means an i'm
probable draft on anticipation Under more happy
state of affairs We have no doubt we should have
done SO; rs il was We were doomed TO an inutile
expectancy for more than twice that period.
More than half our passengers were destined Tor
Kansas, and these were chiefly from the Western
States The other passengers were mostly mer-
chants and business men Tor the dIderens towns
and cities along the river Some OF the Kansas
seeking men mesnt to settle and remain, but the
majority of them. like the crafty GibeOnite, were
merely bent spying out the land, With the uten-
ton of future location, provided there should be
sufficiently fatteriDg prospec. OF the milk and
honey"
We were awakened on the 6rst morning by 3
confused ringing of bells escapades Of steam, AMI
heaviDg Of the lead On turning out we learned
that we had made but little progtess during the
night, having been obliged TO tie up for fog and
darkness. which causes subjected Us 10 nocturnal
inactivity during the whole of the VOYAGE We
were then irving to get through one OF the numer-
Gus iutrcacies IN our course. TIE river was
stretched in broad expanSe, but broken by nnu-
merable bars ard sand banks which cut the water
into ribbons Up one OF these ribbons we were
slowly vending our tOrtuouS wsy-and snch
channel, We were going 70 compare 1t 10 porcu-
pine or to an indefinite number of combs set back
down; but as comparisons fail we would merely
say that it wss a narrow and crooked stream be-
tween two sand banks, full of shoals, but far more
iul of snsgs, logs, roots, and branches scattered
IN glorious and careless profusiOn, and without any
particular regard for the facilities of getting
through. Among these we were passing In
slow and cautious cOrkscrew route; now ground
ing 90 shOal again missing snag BY foot,
bresdth-yswng, having, poking hither and
thither, we finally got through after wearing away
several hours and our patience. We Indignantly
asked there were no saag boats on the river.
Aaa were informed that there AsA beea .. 0ae