me that it was not what I wanted, without seeming to betray his own ignorance. Some kind friend of his who seemed to be "posted up " on the subject, informed him that the bottle or jar would be marked Acetate of Lead, consequently as earch was instituted for "Acetate of Lead." Each and every bottle, beginning at the end of the row, was taken down and spelt out letter by letter, but still no sugar of lead was produced. My friend was at last nonplussed, and owned up that he did not know sugar of lead from arsenic, which was a doubtful state of things for a druggist's clerk. He said, however, that he had used some once to cure sore eyes, and thought he knew how it smelt, and as a last effort, had recourse to his nasal organs. The scene was becoming amusing, and I watched it with interest. He entered into the search with all the zeal and energy of a Yankee. Commencing once more at the beginning of the row he smelt his way through. All went well for a while, though he made some long faces at the various compounds he encountered, until he arrived at a large glass jar of ammonia, more commonly called hartshorn. He had by this time become warmed up by his long and fruitless search, and seemed determined to surmount all difficulties or die in the attempt. His eye flashed as he seized the big jar, he held it off, and looked at it with a triumphant glance that seemed to cry, "Eureka!" I have found it! he snatched off the lid, thrust his nose deep into the fragrant vessel, and -a snort that a wild buffalo might be supposed to make, followed. Down to the floor went the jar, and over the counter went Hawkeye, commencing a series of leaping, rolling and tumbling that would have done honor to a circus performer, blowing at his nose, giving forth tremendous snorts, and demolishing everything in his way. The fumes from the broken jar drove us out of doors, and I left him sitting on a post, alternately eyeing the door and clearing his olfactory.

TRAVELS IN THE SOUTH WEST.

279

TRAVELS IN THE SOUTH-WEST.

BY GILBERT HATHAWAY, ESQ., OF LAPORTE, IA.

CHAPTER IV.

At the death of his master he was made free.

He had resided at

Washington twenty years, and was keeping a livery stable, at which business he was doing pretty well. He owned five horses, two hacks, a fine buggy, and eighty acres of land lying near the town.

He was married, but his wife was a slave; her master resided seven miles from the village. He had five children; but by the law of the land, they were all slaves. Before he was married, the owner of his wife told him if he married the girl he would free her at his death. But says he, her master is dead, and "some how my wife is yet a slave, and my children are slaves. I do not think they do quite right. Her present owner says he will set her free one of these days; but it seeios to me as if he was not a goin' to do it. But then my wife is only a house servant-she has pretty easy times, and none of my children have to work in the field."

About ten miles from town we overtook an emigrant wagon broken. Some time before I reached the spot, I heard the wailings and moanings of a person in deep distress. As I approached I saw a woman in the wildest state of excitement, making the most piteous cries and lamentations. From the husband, a good easy soul, I ascertained, that the hind axletree of the wagon had broken, and in its fall, had caught their child, a little girl of ten summers, beneath it, and he supposed she was dying. When Charles stopped the "hack," the mother most piteously besought me for aid, to save her child. It was her twin." her "twin child," and she "could not leave it." Here she would burst out in prayer to God, in the most inconsolable grief and agony and distress of mind, asking assistance.

I approached a heap of ragged quilts lying on the ground. After removing many thicknesses,-enough to have smothered an uninjured person I discovered the object of my search, a little girl, apparently in some pain, but certainly not in as dangerous condition as imagined by her parents. The mother came near, and for a few moments consented to be sufficiently calm to answer a few questions; then again

1

she would burst forth in wild, and really quite frantic lamentations, beseeching the doctor, as she called me, to save her child from dying.

From the examination I gave, I concluded there were no bones broken, and no cause for so much alarm. Having my traveling case of medicines with me, I prepared a prescription, and with the direction of free applications of cold water to the parts affected, I took my leave, in the full belief that the child would speedily recover, and the choicest blessings their grateful hearts could conceive, a bounteous heaven was implored to shower upon my head.

Our way lay over much such country as I have described to you. In the course of three hours we reached Red River, at a ferry, which of late has become somewhat noted, from the first, that it is the place where the Cairo and Texas road will probably cross that stream.

It was something past the hour of mid day, when I came in sight of the ferruginous waters of that much noted river. The early breakfast, cool air of the morning, and excitement on the route, all tended to sharpen my appetite, which at most times may be considered good. Travelers in this latitude at this season of the year, are in the habit of taking no meal at this hour, or of feeding their horses, preferring to make their drives between meals. I expected to have done so, but on reaching the ferry-finding it would be some time before we could cross, in consequence of the number of emigrants in advance of us— I was induced to return from the bank of the river a few steps, to a building where I had observed a small diamond shaped board, on the top of a leaning pole, some forty feet in the air, with the significant marks of INN rudely painted thereon. I stepped through the open casement, and was met by a red-headed woman, of rather slovenly appearance, to whom I addressed the inquiry if I could have dinner served in a few moments, as I did not wish to lose my turn in crossing the river, to which she replied "I reckon." Dina, the waiting woman, made sundry evolutions and quick girations, indicating great haste; and in a short time I was requested to take a seat, for dinner was ready. It was past the usual hour, the cloth was still spread, and the confused remains of the meal upon it.

When I was seated, the woman first addressed asked if I would take a bit of beef, or a cut from the roast bear meat. I took the latter, and for the first time made a meal, the principal part of which was from a portion of old bruin; for really, to tell the truth, there was but little else on the table-nothing in fact, save a half cooked sweet potatoe, and a half baked corn meal ash cake, all of which I relished quite well. Are bears plenty in these parts, I inquired. "There are a heap taken just now, but sometimes they are scarce, and then the people suffer

powerfully," was the reply. Do you rely upon it as an article of food? "Some years, when the mast is good, it is about the only meat we have."

We were ferried in the usual way of crossing Southern streams. A rope is stretched across, by the means of which a long scow, on which the freight is deposited, is pulled over.

Now commenced the difficult part of our journey, of crossing Red River bottom, sixteen miles through the cane-brakes. For some distance we passed on ground near the bank of the river, at this dry season, not very objectionable, the principal impediment arising from large projecting roots and fallen trees. In some places, however, the cane thickets were so dense that it was with great difficulty we got through. The road was but very imperfectly cut out, at best, and in many instances so completely blocked up with prostrate timber, that we were obliged to cut our way through the thicket, while, in others, where a way had been partially cleared, the stubble of the cane had been left standing six or eight inches high, rendering it very annoying to the horses, and a ride over it anything but agreeable.

You will understand that the cane of which I speak, is what is known in your city under the name of reed, of which bird cages are made, and universally adopted for fishing poles. It grows here very luxuriantly; it stands very thick upon the ground, and in some instances attains the height of from twenty to thirty-five feet. In many places it will be so dense that it is almost impossible to get through. In these places the bear takes shelter, when hotly pursued by the hunter and his dogs. From his great strength old bruin is able to make his way, and when wounded, make a more successful defence.

The bottom land is covered with a rich growth of cotton wood, black walnut, hack berry, gum of various kinds, and also the different varieties of the haw. The soil is exceedingly productive, and utterly inexhaustible. A person owning a plantation in this bottom, well stocked, can raise more cotton than he can dispose of, for no matter how great "a force" he may have, he will "make" more than than he can gather.

The land, however, is subject to overflow, and must be leveed before it can be cultivated with any prudent degree of safety; besides, it is said to be very sickly; and this remark needs no further proof to obtain belief, than to see it, for where there is so rich a growth of vegetation on low land, exposed to the rays of a Southern sun, the malaria consequent thereon, must produce ill health to all who are exposed to its influence.

The planters understand this matter perfectly, and provide accor

dingly. Most of those who have plantations here, reside elsewhere, in states further north, or on the sand hills in the neighborhood, deeming it prudent to leave the negroes only to occupy the bottoms, they being so organized as to endure a life in a miasmatic region, where a white person would soon find his grave. Should the planter occasionally lose a boy from this cause, he concludes he can well afford it, by the richer returns from his labor over what he would realize in more healthy regions where the soil would be light.

Ten miles of the sixteen, which would take us through the bottom, had been passed, when we reached the low or lake lands, as they are called, and which, at no season, however dry, are free from water.

It is a little remarkable that the land on all streams in alluvial districts, is much higher near the bank than it is a short distance back. Near the hills, there is always a low country of greater or lesser extent, which is either covered with water, or soft and marshy.* So here we were, in the midst of this slough, which, at this particular place, was about five miles in width. Just imagine our surging from root to root, plowing through the mud and water, our horses floundering along, sometimes on their knees, and then down completely on their sides, night approaching, and angry clouds threatening rain. Το "break down," under such circumstances, would be dreadful, for we were very illy prepared for "camping out." That no such calamity befall us was my devout wish, yet we were exposed to it every moment. The road became more rough, and the mud and water more abundant every step.

It was now quite dark, so dark that we could see our way but a short distance before us, and the big drops, precursors of a heavy shower, came pattering around us. Still we went plunging through, when suddenly we were brought to a halt, by one of the fore wheels giving way, and letting the fore part of our hack into the mud.

About this time the clouds opened and poured out their richest showers upon our devoted heads. Surely, thinks I, here is a dilemma. Addressing myself to Charles, I inquired what was to be done? "Lor Gody, massa, tis beyond my comprension to tell," was his reply.

Knowing there was no time to be lost, if we wished to get through the swamp before midnight, it became necessary to reconnoitre, ascertain the damage we had sustained, and if possible make repairs and go on. Accordingly I got into the mud, which was not far from two feet in depth, and in a moment ascertained that we had broken one wheel so badly that it would be quite out of the question to repair it;

*For explanation of this, see "Land of the Pyramids," Chap. xx in No. 4, page 170, of this Magazine, first and last paragraphs.—Ev.