*7==a 1720
(1:1) Wr .111 Z M 11
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1845
EdlloeB Mhcellany.
PLNNSTLCANIL HISTONICAL Socirrv.—We have
eree n e d the two first "Bulletins" of this institution for
the present year; and are much gratified in perceiving
eridtices that it is taking a fresh start; and striking out
boldlr into a more extended field of usefulness.
In one of the papers before us, is published some 'M.'
term-ting memoranda, found among the manuscripts of
the late C o l. /inane of Delaware, father of our present
rtnater in England. Col. lifLane was Collector of the
District of Delaware, in 1814, and had pension to v i s it
w a thagtort at the periodof the incursion of the British
under Gen. Ross. On hearing of the news of the battle at
North Point—in the true spirit of a soldier of '76—he
offered his services to the Secretary of War, and was ap.
Nutted aid to Gen. Winder, who was in co m man d o f
th e wore raised to repel the intruder. Be has given
an i nane atiog detail of the movements ofthe two armies ;
an d points out the errors and oversights of both com
„ander,—.Feaking of all parties with great frankness.
Sic defends Gen. A rrasuang and his proceedings, through.
ost—and flies bluntly in the face of public opinion in
that 'expect.
A,,,, t h 0 paper of great imams:, is entitled "remarks
old annotations concerning the Traditions, Costumes,
I.micagm, de. of the indkim• of North America ;
from the hlercons of %rid Leisberge, r, and other Mis
sionaries of the United Brethren." We do not learn by
wham it u communicated. There is; we are persuaded,
an error in this name, as givem in the "Bulletin," Which,
although not repeated throughout, is probably one of the
press Zeisberger, is unquestionably the ItlissiOntay re
ferred to. He spent much time in teaching Indians ?
sin: with Bishop Spargenberg and Conrad Wei to
meet the great c o uncil of the Six Nations at Onondaga,
to obtain a renewal of the permission formerly acciirded
to Count Zinzrndorf, tomstablish missions amongst the
the tribes. On the conclusion of the Treaty of 1764, at
the raiticular request of the body of Christian Indians
who had congregated at Philadelphia for safety during
the war—Ziesberger and Schmick, accompanied them
to Wysitising itt this county, where they established a
brainiful and thriving village. His Indian appellation
was Anacssergtheii"-4ignifying "on the pumpkin."
t , F argen• bery,the l y called Tgithitontie"--a row of tress."
Ir.el,terger died let Gorben, on the Minkirigum in 1668,
at the age of eighty-eight ;—continuing " his labors
of love" scoongM the Indians, to the last. We ,presume
ar. error so crici t tdated to mislead, will be corrected in the
rest - Iluneun7 of the Society.
Amongst thel Corresponding Members recently elected.
re Hon. James Buchanan, Hon. Jesse Hiller; Hon.
Ctatles Miner. Andrew Simon of Fayette co., Frofm
r Malin L Slaver. Henry D. 'Maxwell of Easton, C.
L. Wan! of Bmdfatd, and Daniel Stroud, of Monroe
COCLIIIT
N. Toot & l Eara Rift Moab - I.—By a letter from
fund m New yort City, we learn there is now almost
a eerumtv that, , this gnat work will be eompletal 14-
.Imis stio,ooo has been subscribed. at the date
of oar tnforinsais ktter. Benjamin Loder the new Parra
of the cortiiany, subscribed 5200,000—Jacob La
de Si 00.000--3tepben Whitney $50,000. When such
tam take heltl4it cannot be difficult to raise the retitinte
l'rrrtscof :tb,c ur aurras ca.—The Lancaster Demo
crs: hss an amount of '• some man in New Yea*, who
bs !yen mining off with his friend'i- wife ; and at the
It ssrounts, the said - friend - was running after the,
sun" bowie knife in hand. If he finds him and does
:IN drop his knife, he will be very apt heat his acquaint-
We should 4tink: such a fellow's—
Mil
,-•c r - °ugh!. to ke cat
Attesnivr Coos-tr.—The Damocratie jetty of Al-
Irtheny hate nominated Sp.aaucl W. BL:rk, 27:413MT
:' , lfifly,Jusepi Cooper, an ea. IV, L. :tidier, for
the Assembly ; and seem to be animated with a more
-thm sund sprit of unanimity, and earnest devotion to
the Denxvratk Imes& They hare put forth a very ah:e
sUarss. tram ohich we take the following just and appo
appealdrongly to those members of
tSr Farr, wto have been &heated . hum our ranks by
the fise dsmor l and professions of „our opponents; or
silo, tic= kvaliand personal considerations, temporarily
;ed sun the Federalists.
of Steil men it pertinently asked " Row can
be:p seru-.4 and feeling that the party now ,called
Wt='s. holy - 'National Republicans," various aria their
sze the Same old Federal party, which has al-
Ivez Ltad arrayed against dentociatic principles.
TorT Ere t'wq lone, a t is true. many of their mast adi
s c brit still they stand in clear and decided op.
Fustian to deMomatic principles 'How can any one
"' - t *vitt that the same Federal party which justified
ifaai in her:atrocious violations of our
: commerce, in
he ariv.t claim of the right of search of =vessels at
Rm. and is her iithless viola ti on of the treaty of 1783,
rid testa:till a td opposed all the means adopted by
timi-u-afg Congress, to redress and present the weaug.
n ore I ***si jSstifying England'. rialtos on our north
" hultslary, and on the Pacific ocean, justifying En-
Ehni in to l !ctierferectete with American affairs, and
;rallyin g Meitco in her threats of war.
"Hose can Mrs help seeing that the party cow called
'Whir u t• Mine old Federal party that used to boast
that it had allthe intelligs' we,. wealth and decency on
Ps side. Rotel can they -ourrlook the fact that, though
tlne is a large number of nee democratic men in their
r1 :- .1 * beim; the .. salt that preset-tie them flocs cam ilM
scbm,s; yet ti u there we are to look for every scan who
has the axons to Acknowledge aristocratic tendencies.
here we find time utter Ifigellesa in nsan's capacity for
: *rif-goemmer. In their ranks are to be . found thous
aho once wit feden 'thus'. but who hare seen the item-
Pitt! Ctf fedefal principles, and base adopted thedecno
-tisk. In the Whig iankrionly am to frond those who
claim to he federalism and who adhere to federal
**Lank Mere we End those who are in faun claw.
the tigl t a ef voting to landholders. 'Marro we find
time who would disown and disgrace their anmastry by .
settin g • mash of-Entinetion
on time sf foreign birds.
Mum we find the sdienatna dmessuportesandcuilsoiVe
, and Moue she deit kis my d the laver,
:.* let
prisidC fin the fail and tho rich will timid* fin
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the pace There we find those whom that he who has
property has no interest in the govennimm "and should
have no voice in it. There we find the lovers and ad
mirers of the great whig party of England, which is
composed o 4 and supports a moneyed aristocracy, more
proud and imperious toward* the pommies's:art= the a•
tied nobility," and which opposes as eamenlY a the to
rtes, the advance of Mersa and demoniac principles, and
advocates and supporta exclusive privileges, the rule of
the few, and the continuance of the present tyranny in
behnd."
". We do not say that these principles and Reline are
common to the whole whig party; but we say that they
prevail extensively, and in the whig maks only are they to
be
, found. 4 We rejoice to believe that they are beginning
to feel that they have been acting with the wrong kind
associates, and supporting • party, the full success of
of which would endanger some of the dearest principles
of liberty, and produce an abandonment of awns of its
most important bulwarks."
The Address coniShis a bitter eareasm in regard to
the election of GeV. Cameron by the Whigs, after hav
ing for years libelled and decried him as all that
was faithless in profession and corrupt in practice—lt
inquires—what are the whig libels worth, if they can , '
not even prevent the Whig peaty from voting for one
against whom they have been directed with the most rune
mined severity 1
[For the Biadforti Reporter.)
Thoughts for Young i1e11..-4 1 10. 1.
Hein us THIS DEVILOPYLLYT or Muria.—Two
things CUM in my owntnind, as I become more and
more acquainted with human naturein myself and others,
perpetual and increasing astonishment. The first is,
the almost infinite capacity of the mind ; and the second
the extreme diffrolty Mehl:ter making known' to 'indi
viduals their own powers, or developing by any process
of instruction or discipline, those which intelligent edit..
rotors know that so many paves& The life of William
Emerson, an eminent English mathematician, affords an
instructive lemon relative to the latent possibilities of
excellence," as Dr. Johnson would arm them, which
probably exist in almost every individual of the race. In
his early days he' appears to have been idle and inatten
tive to his studies. He used to state that till near the
age of twenty, his favorite employment at one season of
the year, was hunting bird's nests. It was not until he
had reached thirty-twa years of age, th at any containa
ble change inW a clurractei or habits took place, tho' he
bad made some progress in mathematical studies,chiefiy
it is said, by way of diversion. At this period he mar
tied the niece of a Dr. Johnson, rector, of Hurworth, in
the county of York. Dr. J. had promised five hundred
pounds as a marriage portion to his niece, but when re
minded of it, chose .to forget his went rind moreover,
treated Mr. Emerson with contempt as one beneath his
notice. The latter. enraged,by this treatment, sent back
to the Dr. even his erffe's apparel, declaring that he
would not be indebted to him for . a
single rag, and add
ing in a vehement manner that he would prove himself the
better man of the two. He resolved to seek distinction .
in mathematics, and in • fey years actually attained a
highly respectable standing in that elevated department
of hunian learning ; and in addition to other valuable
works, transmits his name to the most distant posterity
as a commentator upon Newton's Priced*.
Why is such an event a prodigy in the history of our
race ! There wens not the slightest reason to believe
that Mr. Emerson was endowed with natural abilities in
any degree superior to those of multitudes, who with ev
ery advantage for study, never accomplish any thing
that fairly proves them intelligent beings. His mental
life was the creature of the single determination to 6m
onstrate himself a man. Cannot every student, especial.
ly' every chrinian student, find reason enough for the
determination to bring his every capacity to the highest
possible state of perfection ! This - bare purpose to be
all within oar power, would exercise • magic influence,
and as its existence would set each individual above the
miss of his 'fellow tarn, so its effect would be to elevate
him to the ranks of the first of his species. .
The case of John Bunyan is fully in point, as show-
Mg what may be whirred by men of only common ad
vantages, when stimulated to high effort by motives of
rare strength and continued operation. His immoral,
and throughout the christian world every where famous
work, the Pilgrim's Progress, may indeed be supposed
decisive of a mind far above the common range of men r
but looklat the history of that seemingly inspired produc
tion. Bunyan had commenced penning his thoughts up.
on another topic ; it owned to him to represent the
christian life as *journey, and having put down his first
thoughts, he found others pressing upon his mind.- Well,
thers,"says he„“if yon band sofas; I will pntyosi by your
He did so, and following his thoughts, where
stern they would lead, he became the author of • vol
ume, where the fire and invention of the poet are only
rivalled by the clearness and accuracy of the divine.
Win it be thought inappropriate or impertinent to
suggest that among the readers of this paper, those too
who have never thought themselves capable of distin
guished excellence, may be some whore mental powers
would be called into new and astonishing vigor., by the
simple process of penning the first thoughts that occur
upon any valuable topic ! Wait not for txilliant ideas,
for a number suffetinit to form an essay, but pen the
first that =or, and in any language that can be found.
Others, it it is hkely, will follow ss soon es they an be
recorded- Ycu will, perhaps, be surprised at the num
ber which will arise, where ion commenced with a sin
gle idea. But do not imagism that irrecaliate amens
will be the amtain remit of your efforts. Many repro
tiara may be necessary ere anything of a very caroling
sag nature well present itself.
The proposed course is her. suggested with the
seri
ous bope'that mention to it may secure to the veorid
the shining forth CrSO=X minds that would else pass
that earthly existence in the state of lethargy now so
general amongst men, as to induce the tali's( that genius
is the peculiar girl cf not more than two or three jar:r
ya:aids in swage or nation. .
acquain:.
Could the weer by which tam of the hi,-hest pow
ers has* often bronco seek be Eairiy dogma's!, and the
itasements intethgently beamed, the cansieinn alight
be ammo, that any onn, who cnisiseiroan esearageand
*ice* =fining to mph* d his Ferns. is the et
unapt to took throne' the wan that arparatealtbs from
s region af post and mein' nod Wit any am find
hinsetise entinly new mato% as fade tan his kaiser
'FA as ttx banally is idl heady is Us iht bath:
INIE
PUBLISHED ' EVERY WEDiESDAY, AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. S. GOODRICH St SON.
. .
IEOARDLE 01 . DiNITNCLAIIION FROM ART QIIiitTXR.."
some and daddy alunaded grab, that just beton lay &n
-atant in ita shell
As I may touch this subject again, I shall only add.
it natters not, whether madness in this matter be charg
ed upon me, u the result of much or Utile learning for,
in the truthful language of S. T. Coleridge, the world
counts every one mad, who has not lost his reason."
Towanna, PA. C. S. A.
[For the Rcatifonl Reporter.)
Means. Emmons :—I eery much :egret that Javan.'
does not quietly mint the good easiest of a sincenfriend.
It was not by eloquence that I hoped to move him ; bat
by reason, and truth, by reminding him of immense evils
to be avoided by abstinence fromintoxicating drinks, end
immense good to be 'mined in the prefer me of his
faculties.
riot do I wish " to frighten him ^ "from lawful. en
joymeuts;" only lel us know what they are. As it re
arms the letter of the law, whether human or divine, it
does not touch the point in question but all good laws
do, in their spirit at least require someof its to make the
best possible use of any abilitiei, that we may have, iv
the attainment or accomplishment of good. There was
no Law in print requiring George Washington. to be so
linens, and so attentive to his dirtier, as to fit him for
the high post of s Saviour of his country—none I mean,
except the principles of the Christian religion; to which
if loved* will submit, lam content. But there were
many and strong reasons why George Washington
should employ all his powers according to their natural
use ; and be would horn done very unwisely to plead
the iswfulness of any enjoyineut that eanklinterfew with
his lofty designs. Let JIITIMiII think of this. He is
more than welcome, so far as I hive any concern, to ev
ery enjoyment, that is upon the whole legitimate-•.only
let him examine the higher stamehooks, and not rest in
lower and insufficient authorities.
This is my answer to one sentence of his specious re
ply. When he hu duly pondered this, as if seise, he
certainly gra and ss I am confident in fact that he muat,
mill reply to other puts of his piece. -
Very truly yours, and his, Berm-out.
[For tbe 'Bradford Reporter,]
The Land I am Leaving.
=
Bright scenes duly childhood forever slim
I will bid thee farewell in my moments of guineas ;
Thoughts of thee are entwined in the depths of my sod
As I pin with thee and my bright hopes of gladness.
will my fight ringing langhter be helot
Or tones of glad happiness. known but to childhood ;
How dear to my heart is the songlof each bird, [wood.
As its rich plaintive strain sweetly floats through the wild-
At the cool dusk of the evening I loved to repair
To the shales of the grove where the stretunlet was flowing;
As I gazed on that stream not a sound filled the sir, Ling.
And the sky with the bright eyes of cherubs seemed glow-
With soft gentle nonanurs the warm of that stream,
Rolled onsranl in tremulous majesty sleeping;
While Cynthia, o'creame by the begonia= scene,
On the river's brood breast is in happiness weeping.
Yet I go to eland where the sky is as clear,
And the:nightingale warbles his 'nag all the even ;
And warm-hearted friends will there greet me as dear,
But a tear drop will fall to the land I am leaving.
(Far the Bradfoni Reveler.]
The Faded Flower.
Lovely dower thou an indeed.an eppruprite emblem
of the instability of earthly happiness, and the uncertain
ty of human anticipations;—but yesterday it was upon
its native stem, rejoicing in all its lovefinew, unfolding
its delicate petals to the genial and fructifying rays of
light, and enduing its odor upon the surrounding atmos
phere. To-day, the rude touch of the admiring child of
nature has cut short its brief existence, removed it from
the place of its nativity, dissipated its fragrance, and made
it an offering to the purest emotions which emanate from
the innocent and youthful heart. Such also is lik ; and
human happiness ! Today, rejoicing in health and pins.
peony ; Hope gilds the future with bright anticipations
of happinesw—she smile of eontentedent sits phyfidly up
on the brow, and the mind insatiate, upon the rich.and
delicious repast presented by the vividness of our youth
ful imaginations. Tii-monow the magic and trainform
ing wand of Fortune panes before oar mental vision,
and the bright star of Hope which shed its halo of glory
upon our pathway, is obscured - by sickness and adversi
ty ; and the future, no longer redolent with vivid antici
pations of happiness, is enables:sled by the dark Ind
impenetrable Ell of !Mteertainty—disawinted hopes and
blighted proipects, is all that remains of what the heart
so family cherished, ea devoutly adored.
Floiwers base their time to Eadc,
And leans to withcrand decay ;
. Thar blighted prospects ever acing,
• And fill with deep dismay.
Sraisartzta, Pa. M. A. G.
]For the Bridfeed Reporter.]
Ti, One Itstat.
(- Though time and distance may divide,
And' cares and Ms beset,
Yet Memory brings me to your air,
And bids me all forget.
The golden ham' my memory brim,
And rapt= knots anew;
While Lore, in 11l its sritisperiaga,
&all bids me dm to yolk
And who shall sneer at sacred Uwe,
Or scorn tbe holj tie—
(Twas granted mortals (min above,
To cheer their destiny-)
Without this. Lou, our earth would he
- A dark and. dreary gloom,
And gladly hailed the ties whet ins
Could rem within the math.
Bat Woman's mule sans our path;
A tow of promise darns ;
And her f®d loge a pourer hail
• . To scatter &ear mom
And ye most ix& kr names power--.
Her Arm, domed
bte—
To cheer m m Met abase Mori-
And lid vo look skein
Towner* Pa.
A.DnUme Bum
=
!craw a 'cradle at a cottage door
Where the fair mother; with her cheerful wheel,
I Cltrolled so sweet a song, that the young bird
Which, timid, near the threshold sought for seed,
Paused on his lifted foot, and raised his head
As if to listen.. The rejoicing bees
Nestled in throngs amid the woodbine cups
That o'er the lattice clustered. A dear stream
Came leaping fermi its sylvan height, and poured
Music among the pebbles; and the winds,
Which gently 'mid the vernal brMtches played
Their idle freaks, brought showen4. : blossoms down,
Surfeiting earth with sweetness. StW I came
From weary commerce with the heartless world ;
But, when I felt upon my withered cheek
My mother Nature's breath, and heard the tramp
Of those gay hmeets at their honeyed toil,
Shining like winged jewelry, and drank
The healthful odour of the dow'ring tees
And bright-eyed dolma—but, most of all, •
When I beheld Mild slumbering innocence,
And on that young maternal brow the amile
Of those of which do purify •
And renovate the soul—l turned me back
In sadness, and with added strength, to eon
My weary race, lifting a thankful prayer
To Him who +Mimed me some brighttintof heaven
Here cm earth, that I might safer walk, •
And gime combat sin, and met rise '
From earth to heaven. •
Grinding and eroding Grain
In answer to oar correspondent, on the sub.
ject of the - advantages of grinding grain for
feeding animals, and especially in relation to
grinding Indian corn with the cob. we will
give our opi Dion deduced from some esperience,
and such reasoning on the subject as strikes us
as applicable.
With respect to the advantages of grinding
all grains before feeding, there can hardly bee
doubt. If for the purpose of fattening. the
sooner it can be performed, the sooner the re.
tuna of the outlay, and saving in the time and
labor; and is almost self-evident, that any as
sistance we cau render the digestive process
of the stomach, either by rendering the food
fine and properly divided, and even cooking it,
(for to that point it must come in the stomach
before it can digest.) is aiding the animal econo.
my iu the process of assimilating it into fat
and muscle ; and when we take into considera
tion that no human or animal stomach can di.
gest any one specie's of the grains until it is
crushed and brdken, iand the imperfect manner
in which neat cattle and hogs perform that of
fice. there cannot be indulged a rational doubt
but that the grinding of gram for feeding must
prore advantageous.
With respect to the virtue of grinding the
cob with the grain. its advantages are at present
rather a matter of speculation than of well-tes
ted experiment. That the cob possesses some
nutritious matter there can be no doubt ; but
whether in a greater degree than the'same
number of pounds of hay.is yet problematical.
There is no vegetable matter within our know
ledge that will produce the same quantity of
potash in burning, from the same quantity of
material; anti it consequently must be some
thing more than " mere pine saw-dust." and
contain some of the vegetable products, sugar,
gum. &c.. which are the constituents of nutri
ment in the great mass of the vegetable king
dom. Grain and poiatces contain starch and
gluten, and 'bagas, beets and esculents and
grasses,sugar and gum, or mucilage. as the
principal ingredients of the nutritious princi
ple.
Tofeed cattle and horses, when ground with
the cob. it has its advantages in lightening the
food and distending the stomach, on the prin
ciple of using chopped hay br straw with meal.
to avoid thunder. chofic, and haven, or bloat;
and in that view is undoubtedly beneficial. in
dependent of its nutritious qualities.
In fatteliing hogs, a proc e ss that cannot be
over expedited, as they are not a dyspeptic
creature, and laugh to scorn the idea of founder
or the belly-ache, and, having a digestive ap
paratus that cannot be overcharged with rich
ness of food—it is reasonable to conclude. that
the entire grain, well ground. cooked and fer
mented. is the most pr6per aliment for going
the "whole hog" system of fattening that
"sweet and interestineanimal."
The principle is anilagous to the story of
the old farmer. who, when asked how he made
his hogs so fat, replied, that he "used meal
and saw-dust ;" but added, "the less saw-dust
the better."
Cutting hay and straw we consider a very
economical process, at least, to those who have
but small qnantities, or who live in reach of a
market. Hay cut and wetted. with or without
meal or mill stuffs, and occasionally salted.
combines the advantages of a great saving in
quantity when fed in boxes or troughs. assists
the ruminating or chewing process, and avoids
the necessity of the animals drinking. particu
larly in winter, the great quantity of cold wa
ter necessary to moderate the food when eaten
dry and uncut. whereby the whole system is
chilled and paralyzed. until the animal beai is
again renewed, - at a great expense of nutriment
and muscular exertion ; for remember. that
warmth arid protection from cold are as impor
tant adjunets to sustenance. as food ; for it is
a well-settled fact, that animals exposed to se
vere cold expend their food to keep up animal
heat. when, if protected. it would produce fat
and flesh.
An animal stabled and littered. with its food
int and moistened, will consume one-third less,
andremain in better order, than trLhen expos
ed in open yards, and drenchinitiltemselres
with l i ce-cold water, and exposed to the blasts
and storms of winter.
It is said that histee Albert will die very
wealthy, lis he lays by a Sovatmos every
night. -
. The greatest alk wanukeurring town in this
country, is Mansfield, Ct. it has eight facto-
(Prom the Washington Union.) I
•
Frem . ont's Exploring Expeditions.
The Style of Captain Fremont is worthy of
imitation by all travelers. Simple. clear, un
assumbig. beautifully graphic; describing what
was seen precisely as seen; with' seniiments
which would naturally arise on the occasion.
We giVe 'as a specimen the passage of the
" cannon " of the Sweet Water, a tributary of
the Platte. It is taken from page 72 of Lie first'
expedition ;
4ugu s I 24.—We started before sunrise.
intending to breakfast at Goat island. , 1 had .
directed the land party, in charge of Bernierd
to proceed tii this place, where they were to
remain, should they find no note to apprize i
them of our 'having passed. In the event of
receiving this information, they were to con-'
tinne their ioine, passing by certain places
which had Been designated. Mr. Pieties ac
companied me. and with as wee' five of my,
best men, viz : C. Lambert, Basil Lajeunesse,
Honore Ayht. Benoist. and Deecoteaux. Here
appeared no scarcity of water, and we took on
board, with various instruments' and baggage,
provisions or ten or twelve days. We , pad
dled down the river rapidly. fur our little craft
was light as a duck on the water ; and the sun .
had been seen some time risen, when we heard
before us a hollow roar, which we supposed to
be that of a fall, of which welted heard a
vague rumor. but whose exact locality no one
had been able to describe to us.' .We were
approaching a ridge, through which the river
passes by a place called ••cannon".(pronounc
ed kanyon)as Spanish word, signifying a piece
of arußerv, the barrel of a gun, or any kind of
tulle; and which. in this country, has been
adopted to describe the passage of alriver be:
tween perpendicular, rocks-of greetheight,
which frequently approach each other so close.
ly overhead as to form a kind of tounel over
the stream. which foams along below. half
choked up by fallen fragments. Between the
mouth of the Sweet Water and Goat Island.
there is probably a fall of. 300 feet. j and that
principally made in . the cannons before us ; as,
without them, the water was comparatively
smooth. As we neared the ridge. i the river
made a sudden turn , and swept squarely down
against one of the walls of the cannon with a
great velocity, and so steep a descent, that it
had. to the eye, the appearance of aq inclined
plane. When we launched into this the men
jumped overboard to check the velocity of the
boat, but were soon in water up to their necks,
and our boat ran on ; but we succeeded in
bringing her to a small point of rocks ou the
right, at the mouth of the cannon. Here was
a kind of elevated sand-beach. not rnahr yards
square, backed q the rocks, aid around the
point the aver swept at a right angle. Trunks
of trees dipostted ou jutting points 20 or 30
feet above, and other marks, showed that the
water here frequently rose to a conSiderable
height. The ridge was of the same decom
posing granite already mentioned, and the wa
ter had worked the surface. in mane places,
into a wavy surface of ridges and holes. We
ascended the rocks to reconnoitre the ground;
and from the summit the passage appeared to
be a continued cataract foaming over many ob
structions, and broken by a number of small
falls. We saw nowhere a fall answering to
that which died been described to us as having
20 or 25 feet ; but still condoled this to be
the place in question, as, in the season of
floods, the rush of the river against the wall
would produce a great rise, and the waters,
reflected squarely off. would descend through
the passage iii a sheet of foam. having every
appearance of a large fall. Eighteen years
prei tom, to this time, as I have subsequently
learned tram hunselt. Mr. Fitzpatrick, some
where above ou this river, had embarked with
a valuable cargo of beaver. Unacquainted
with the stream, which he believed would con
duct him safely to the Missouri, he came unex
pectedly into this cannon, where he was wreck
ed, with the total loss of his furs. It would
have been a work of great tune and labor to
pack our baggage across the ridge. and I de
termined to run the cannon. We all again
embarked, and at first attempted to check the
way of the boat; but the water swept through
With so much violence. that we narrowly es
caped being swamped, and were obliged to let
her go in the full force of the current, and to
trust to the skill of the boatmen. The dan
gerous places in this cannon were where huge
rocks had fallen linin above, and hemmed in
the already narrow pass of the river to an open
space of three or four and five feet. These
obstructions raised the water considerably
above. which was sometimes precipitated over
in a fall ; and at other places. where this dam
was too high. rushed' through the contracted
opening with tremendous violence. Had our
boat been made of wood, in passing the nar
rows she would Have been staved ; but her
elasticity preserved her unhurt front every
shock, and she seemed fairly to leap over the
falls.
•• In this way we passed three cataracts •in
succession, where. perhaps. 100 feet of smooth
water intervened ; -and finally. with a shoutof
pleasure at our success. issued from our tunnel
into the day beyond. We were so delighted
with the performance of our boat.>and so con
fident in her powers. that we would not hare
hesitated to leap a fall of ten feet with her.—
We put to shore for breakfast atsome willows
on the • right bank, immediately below the
mouth of the manor' ; for it was now 8 o'clock,
and we bad been.w.Orking since daylight, and
were all wet, fatigued. and hungry.- While
the men were preparing breakfast. I went out
to reconnoitre. The view was very limited.
The course of the in er was smooth, so far as
I could see; on both sides were broken bills,
and but a mile or two below was another high
ridge. The rock at the mouth of the moon
was still of the decomposing granite, with great
quantities of mica; which made a very glitter
ing sand.
• We re-embarked at 9 o'clock. and in about
twenty . mintites reached the, next cannon.—
Lan.. . •
ding on
„a rocky shore at its commence.
incnt,we assendid the, ridge to reconnunre.--.
,I! 6 -i-t._;' - i , ~'-'!!..r:,(,.:.
El
;
=I
ME
SIMEIZEIL
MEI
Portag washout
.. •
of the question: s cr,. far is
twe could e, the jagged nicks pointed 'nut the
e ,.
course of-t e cannon, on a winding line of se.
ven or eight miles: hives simply knerrow.
dark chasm in the cock ; 'and" here the Peiped
dicular faces were much higher than in the
previous pass, being at this end two to three
hundred, and further down, - as we afterwards
ascertained, five hundred feet in vertical height.
Our previous success; hid made us bold,, and
we deteratined - again to rtinihetannort.' Every
thing was secured as - firmly as possible; and,
having divested 'otirselyes of the keater par
of our clothing , we pustied'into the streent.--
'fo save our chronometer from accident, Mr.
Preuss took it, and . attemped to proceed stung
the shore on the masses of rock. Which' in
places were piled up on either side; bat, after
he had walked about five WAtintes, everything
like shore disappeared, and t he vert i cal Wall
came squarely down (into the water. He
therefore waited until we came up. An ugly
pass lay before us. We had made fast to the
stern of the boat a strong ropeabout fifty feet
long; and three of the men clambered along
the rocks. and 'with this rope let her down
slowly through the pass. In several places
high rocks , lay scattered about in . the channel ;
and in the narrows it required all our !strength ,
and skill to avoid staving the. boat on the sharp
points. in one of these. 'helmet proved a
little too broad. and stuck fast for an instant,
!while the water flew , over us ; fortunately it
was but for an, instant, as our united strength
forced her immediately through. 'The- water
i swept overboard only a . sextant and a pair of
t saddlebags. I eijoglit the semen* as it passed
i by me ; but the saddlebags liennie the 'prey of
the whirlpootr - We reached the place where
Mr: - Preuss was standing, took him on board,
and, with the aid of the boat, put the men-with
the rope on the succeeding pile of rocks. We
I found this pass mach worse than the previous
one, and our position-was rather a.bad one.-- .
To go back, was impossible; before us, she.
cataract was a sheet of foam; and shot up in
, the chasm by the rocks, Which in some places
I seemed almost to meet overhead, the roar of
the water - was deafening. We pushed- off
again ; but, after making a little distance, the
force of the current became too great • for - the
men on shore, and two of them let go the rope.
Lajeunesse. the third man. bung on. and was
, jerked headforemost into the nver from a rock
about twelve feet high ; and . down the boat
shot like an arrow.. Basil following us in Abe
i rapid current. and exerting all his strength, to
keep in mid channel—his head , only seen oc
casionally like a black spot in the white foam.
How far went, I do not exactly know; but we
I succeeded in turning the boat into an eddy be
low. •• 'ere Dieu." said Basil Lajeunesse, as
he arrived immediately after 'us, ...ft crois
bien que lei nage tin demi mile." He had
owed his life to his skill as a swimmer; and I
determined to take him and the others on
board, and trust to skill and fortune to reach
the other end in safety. We placed ourselves
on our knees, with the short paddles in our
hands, the most skilful boatman being at the
bow; and again we commenced mar rapid de
scent. We cleared rock after rock, and shot
•prst fall after fall. our little boat seeming to
play with the cataract. We became flushed
with success and familiar with the danger;
and, yielding to the excitement of the Occa
sion, broke forth together into a Canadian boat
' song. Staging. or rather shouting, ire dashed
alotia • andwere, I believe. in the midst of die
e*
i chorus, when the boat struck a concealed rock
, immediately, at the lout of a fall, which Whirled
; her over in an instant. Three of my men
could not swim, and my first feeling was to
assist them, and save some °four effects; bat
a sharp concussion or two convinced_ ins that
I had not yet saved myself. A. few strokes
brought me into au eddy. and 1 landed on a
pile of rocks on the left side. Looking around.
I saw that Mr. Preuss had gained the shore on
the same side, about twenty yards below ; and
a little climbing and swimming soon brought
him to my side. On the opposite side, against
the wall, lay the boat bottom op ; and Lamben
wax in the act of saving Dei.coteaux, whom he
had grasped by the hair, and who could not
swim; •' Lathe pea," said he. as I afterwards
learned. '• lathe pas. Mir frere. l. ! '' Crain
pas," leas the reply. —Je m'en eais.mourie
avant cue de to lecher," Such was the reply.
of courage and generosity in this danger. For -
a hundred yards below, the current wassesteei.
ed with floating books and boxes, bales of
blankets, and scattered articles of clothing;
and so strong and boiling was the stream, that
even our heavy instruments, which were all in
cases, kept on the surface, and the sextant,
circle, and the long black box of the telescope,
were in view et once. For a moment. I telt
somewhat disheartened. All our books--al
most every record of the journey--ourjour
nals and registers of astremomiea) site baimite
trim! observations. had been fort in a moment.
But it was no time to indulge in regrets; and
I immediately set about endeavoring to save
something from the wreck. Making ourselves
understood as well as possible by signs. (for
nothing could be heard in the roar of waters.)
we commenced our operations. Ofeverything
on board. the only article that had been used
was my double-barrelled gum; etisch Defeo
teaux had caught, and clung to with drowning
tenacity. The men retrieved down the river
on the left bank. Mr. Preuss and myself de
scended on the side ere wereon; and Lajeo
nesse, with a paddle in his hand, jumped on
the boat atone, and continued down the cannon.
She was now light, and cleated every bad
place with much less difficulty. In a short
time, be was; joined by Lambert; and the
search was continued for about a mile and a
half, which was as far as the boat could pro
ceed in the pass. -
•• Here the , walls were about five hundred
feet high, and the fragments of rocks
.from
above bad choked the river into a hollow pats.
but one or two feet above the Surface. Through
this and the interstices of the rock, the water
found its way. t Favored beyond our expecta
tions. all of oar registers bad been recovered,
with the excep tion of" one of my journals.
• tart tecexe risear t.,_
11E1
INEMOI