The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-05-27
Down the Mississippi
By CHARLES MACKAY.

BY CHARLES MACkAY.
In the London Illustrated Netos of April 8, DR.. Mac
kay tells in rhyme how he and Belle Britain went
down the Mississippi to New Orleans.
Twas q wintry morning. the clock struck ten,
That we left ST Louis two detected men -
Gazing on the river thick with yellow mud,
And dreaming of disaster, freand smoke, and food :
OF boilers bursting of snags that break the wheel
And sawyors ripping steamboats, through all her length
ofkeel;
Yet on shipboard stepping we dismissed our fears,
And beheld through snnlig ght in the upper spheres
Little charubs, waving nigh their golden wings
Guarding US from evil and its hidden springs
So, on heaven reliant, thinking OF our weans
Thinking of our true loves sailed for New Orleans
'Southward, ever southward, in our gallant ship,
Floating, steG'ning, painting do'0n the M's''SSP'
In blaze of glory shone the sun that day,
In blaze of beauty, fresh as howery May.
A maid from Alabama came tripping on our deck
Bright as heaven above us-pure, without speck'
Singing songs till twilight freely as the lark, :,
That for inner gladness sings though mono may hark
Songs Of young Affection mournfu songs OF home,
Songs of happy sadness where the fanctes roam
From TIL oppressive Real of the shadowy Far,
Shining through the Future, sivery as star
And the departed in his crimson robe,
Leaving Sleep the victory to refresh the globe;
Thus we travelled Southward in our gallant ship,
Floating, drifting, dreaming dozen the Mis'iss'p'
Brightly rose the morning DER the strt ggling town,
Where the broad Ohio pours its waters down
To the Mississippi, rolling as before,
Seeming none the wider for increase OF store;
And they sad These houses scattered the strand
Take their name from Cairo, in the Eastern land,
And shall be city at some future day,
Mightier than Cairo, dead and passed away"
And we thought it might be, as we gazed awhile
And thought il might not, ere we passed mile !;
And our paddles padded through the turbid stream
AS we foated downwards in golden dream;
Southwark ever southwark. in our gallant ship,
Idiing, dracting, ioatfng doton he M'sS'Ssip.
Sometimes in Missouri we delayed an hour
Taking in cargo-butter corn aud dour;
Sometimes in Kentucky shipped pile oflogs
Sometimes sheep and turkeys once drove of hogs.
kIa ham dONyn tha
Stubbornly the porkers eyed the narrow plank,
Till at length, rebellious. snufing danger near,
They turned their long snouts andward and grunted
And the whte-teehed niggers grinning with delight
Rode them, and bestrode them, and charged them in
the fight;
And then come shrill lamenting, and agony and wall
And pummeng, and hosting and tugging at the tail
Until the swine were conquered and southwark
passed our ship,
Painting, steanliqg, snort,rg do,Ua the Nississip.
Three days on the rver-nights and mornings three
Ere we stopped at Memphis, the port ofTennssee.
And wondered why they gave it such name OF old
renown-
A dreary dingy, muddy melancholy town,
But rich in bales of cotton all DER the landing spread
And bound for Merry England, to earn the peoples
broad
And here, oh shame to freedom that boasts with
A freight of human creatures, bartered, bought and
sold
Like hogs sheep, or poultrythe living blood for
gold
And ,tsr oroened remorseful and thou gbt in pity
stronS
A curse miSht fall upon us for suffering the wrong;
A cnrss mon the cargo curse upon the ship
Pautiug. groaning, moaning dosn The Msss,ip.
Weary were the forests, dark on either side;
Weary ware the marshes. stretching far and wide;
Weary were the wood piles, strewn upon the panK;
Weary were the cane groves growing wild aud dank
Weary were the tree-stumps charrsd and black with
fre
Weary was the Wilderness without house or sPirs;
Weary were the log huts built upon the SAND;
weary was the waters, weary was tns ianui
Weary was the cabin with its gilded WALL
Weary was the deck we erod-Weary-weary aii-
Nothing seemed so PLEASANT to nope tor or 10 Keep
Nothing IN the wide world SO Deautitul as heeP'
AS we journeysd southward IN our lazy SNIP