New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-27

ing that in exercising the ingenuity Of our Western
nayigators il was comforting a greater benefit on
society, ,hsD by opening up the navigation OF a
river which holds the commerce Of Western
empire. As the prosperity Of Kansas will always
depend more or loss on this stream, we suppose an
appIopratng spirit for its improvement, among
the powers that be, viii be governed by the turn
given to the "yexed question"
Owing to the rapid current, and loose, sandy bed
Of the rlTer, the channel is constantly changing,
and 30 rapidly that pilot who has made trip
down one week is at loss where 70 90 up the
next Indeed, the channel will sometimes change
in single night From the TACT that our boat has
ou,stripped seyeTal Others which had 3 few days
the start of her, infer that pilots fair
specimen Of the trade-but ut most Of the Difficult.
places the mode Of procedure was to get out the
yaWl, in the stem Of which the pilot stood with
long, slender pole with which he poked about over
the bars for the best channel This was certainly
very sott course, but il was dreadfally slow, and
looked 80 shOckiDgly unscient-ic. La taking up
chute il il is long one the only rule observed ap
pears to be an estimate Of the amount Of water
that comes down, this estimate being either Diff
cult 10 make or not an intallibe rule, for on two
or three occasions after pursuing chute for some
distance it ended IN an impossible bar when we
had to " bout ship and 90 back and try another.
We learned that our two pilots get, the one three
hundred and the other two hundred and fifty dol
lsIs q month, which is certainly a very handsome
thing il we consider the small amount sf scientific
skill which appears TO be involved Our captain,
who is man Of refined and cultivated mind,
appears to know more Of the general character OF
tie river than either Of the pilots. The trade of
pilot in the West, does We think, offer induce
ments to young men of ability and discretion.
Another business must, we think, be good at the
points where these boats reft; we mean the bell
hanging business; for szch an incessant changing
oDd jaDgpg is kept up between the pilot and the
engineer, that We often thought il would save
trouble to attach the belhangiDg apparatus TO the
engine and keep it going When our craft stuck
altogether, which happened rather Oftener than
harmonized with our impatient wishes to resch
our destination, the boat hands resOrted to the
plan Of "pOllDg over which is done on the same
principle on which man walks on clutches.
Heavy beams of timber were launched one end in
the stream and the other attached TO the bows of
the boats by ropes, was worked by the capstan,
and thus we were slowly dragged over Then
there were the beavings of the lead, and the monOt
onOus, ard attimes mOuInfully sounding responses
of those who were thus employed How tantal:
izing when it ranged between three and four feet,
while the rubbing and grating on the bottom
reminded US of the precariOus nature of our pro
gIess. Indeed it soon got to be a relief when the
man at the lead sung out "nO bottom ~ Yet so
mOurnfuly strange were the echOings Of that CRY
"no bottom! no bottom :" that we could almost
fancy it as the wall of the doomed in TOphet.
We were forcibly struck with the insignificant
character Of the improvements along the banks Of
the stream. But few farms have been reclaimed
from the rich alluvia soil and when we did see
houses the majority of them wero log cabins with
an indescTibable simplicity, and in many cases
very describable squaor. Supplying the passing
steamers with wood appeared TO be the occupation
of nine teDthS Of these bottom residents. We sup.
pose that one great cause Of the meager improve
ments in these bottoms il traceoble TO the high
water foundations 20 which they are liable; bat
there were evidences enough TO drive us TO the
conviction that no inconsderable part of it is
tTacesbe to the want of enterprise which usually
ckarscteTizes a Slave State. The attempt 10 en-
graft Slavery on ssch northern territory has u
double dsadyantage. Few wealthy planters from
the South are likely 10 emgTate hither with a
large number Of slaves, where the dependence
would not be upon those products which render
slave labor most profitable consequently we find
here host of petty shareholders who have just
enough of these people to demand their attention
ard beget the pride aud luxurious ease which theic
presence prOyOkes, while there is neither wealth
TO give tie system power, nor profit TO insure it
duration. The higher up tho river we have come
the more We have had occasion 70 note the i'm
proved character and seeming enterprise, not only
Of the towns but OF the agricultural aspects pre-
sented but We could not conceal 20 ourselves tho
fact that tits was chiefly owing 10 comparatively
recent infusion OF enterprsing material from every
fCctlCn Of the country, which, in search Of new
localities whero there would likely De a rapid rise
il property have carried with them much whole
some blood aud energy. We haze noticed good
many forlOTn Indications Of the kind Of places wa
alluded to first one of the most striking being the
town of Portland some hundred and twenty miles
above the mouth Of the river. As the boat haltei
short time at that point, We strOlled ashore.
Al the white people we saw appeared 10 be- lOung-
ING about in state of blissful exemption from the
toll which our first parents entailed upon the race
and although al the negroes we saw we're engaged
at something, 1t was generally IN manner which
showed that, true TO negro S alleged faculty for
imitation they copied after their superiOrs as FAR
as they probably thought it would be safe to do So
Portland (as we learned from a half tipsy indiyid-
ual who accOstt us shortly after we went ashore,
and who, amid great deal OF other palayer,
sured us repeatedly that he a gentleman
Portland is the outlet for an extensive back
country statement which q glance at the
landing inclined US to receive with some reserva-
ton. A sandy bank some twenty feet high tr0nted
the river and along the face OF this very narrow
roadway had been cut down 20 q small strip OF
beach al the bottom. That any sensible animal.
not blind, could be driven down such place did
Lot appear 10 US as very probable, but couple
Of negroes with two horse wagon III charge, soon
showed Us the m0dRs operdrdi; they backed their
team down one OF them holding their heads, and
another pulling at the wheels. We strolled of
and did not wait to see how they got up again.
The town occupied good natural situation-a
ridge situated in break of the bluffs. At the up
per end OF the town was a small stream; over il a
bridge had been thrown-but such bridge. II
had neither parapet nor railing. AMI mad such an
antique and suspension appearance, that 1t re
called 10 us the descriptions OF those found oy
Humboldt in South America. We saw what sp