round a sand-bank, or island covered with canebrake, of a bright verdigris green, we could see, rising beyond, huge cliffs crowned with dazzling crimson foliage.

One place, in particular, I remember; we reached it on Sunday. It was a small town called Chester, situated on the brow of twin hills, embedded in an ocean of crimson leaves. On the summit of each hill was a wooden church, painted white, and the belfries, reflected against the crimson, looked as picturesque as the minarets of the East reflected against their dark cedars. Only an artist's brush could convey any idea of the magnificent colouring in these woods. Even then the transparency would be wanting, and nothing I have ever seen can compete with it except the Bengal light in pyrotechnic displays. These yellow trees are brighter than the brightest gilding, and the most brilliant dyes of crimson, scarlet, Bismarck blue, violet, green, yellow, and magenta, do not surpass the tints of these autumnal leaves. I am satisfied that, for a lover of nature, it is the most wonderfully beautiful sight to be seen on the North American continent, and to me it was far more fascinating and impressive than Niagara itself.

After crouching over the dirtiest of coals, and shivering in the rawest of east winds in St.

Louis, the transition to these Pactolean tides and glowing sunlight had very much the same effect on the nervous system as drinking champagne after a very dreary and damp picnic. It excited a puzzled sort of feeling as to how we could have felt so wretched, with nobody dead or married, no legacy left, and no earthquake to upset us, and as to how our individuality could have so suddenly assumed so different an aspect.

The navigation of the Mississippi in these parts is complicated by sand-bars, which are constantly shifting, and the snags, which as constantly take up new positions. These "snags" are trees, which have been gradually undermined and washed from the bank, and have then floated into the river, where either their roots or branches becoming obliquely embedded in the sandy bottom of the river, they prove dangerous snares to vessels passing over them, with insufficient depth of water. Mississippi flowing at a rapid rate, and the engines going at full speed, a heavy but yet slightly built steamer strikes "end on " against a snag with terrific effect.

The

The glorious scenery of these rivers makes us feel half inclined to forgive the Yankee for his intolerable bombast; as, naturally, he identifies himself with his newly-acquired grandeur of country, and forgets that he came of the good

old stock of England, and has rather receded than advanced beyond the mother country. Yet he apes everything British, imports everything British, and even boasts of his ancient British family. A very thorough Yankee related to me a conversation which he had had in England with an Englishman on the subject of the "Alabama" claims. After discussing the merits of the case, the Yankee said, "You Britishers will have to pay for it." "What if we refuse ?" Well," said the American, we should just make you!" Madam, would you believe it? He just turned on his chair and said Pooh !'"

said the other. 66

The cool scorn implied in this interjection seemed to have taken my Yankee friend aback ; he thrust his hand into his trousers, and repeated "Pooh!" evidently essaying whether by any possibility it would bear another construction than simply "Pooh !"

“I appeal to you, madam, as a lady who has travelled some in this country, whether we are a nation to be put off with Pooh !''

I replied, "In return, I appeal to you, who have travelled in England 'some,' if John Bull is one to be bullied into paying what he does not believe he owes. The time has not yet arrived for England to submit to any nation."

"It's tarnation near it, at any rate, marm, I

.

tell you.

Yes, sir-r," continued he, getting angry, and forgetting genders; but meeting with no further opposition from me, the matter dropped.

Canada is a great eyesore, and very little is needing in the way of provocation to make America retaliate by seizing Canada. Their late successes over the South, however obtained, have inflated them to such an extent, that nothing but actual demonstration will convince them that they are not far superior to other nations in the arts of peace and war. Essays have even been written to prove that Grant and his generals were greater military geniuses than Buonaparte and his marshals. And this on the extraordinary ground that more men lost their lives in the battles of the former than in those of the latter, and that the will is all that is needed to enable Grant and his generals to accomplish the conquest of the world.

CHAPTER IX.

MORE FEET THAN BARGAINED FOR.

MERICAN railroads have been very much vaunted as superior to our own, but in point of actual comfort I am not of opinion that they at all approach ours. They are constructed longitudinally instead of transversely, and have a passage directly through them, with doors at each end. On either side of this passage are seats which will contain two persons closely pressed together. They are narrow, with a low back rail, which can be turned to make a vis-à-vis, or dos-à-dos, or one line facing the same way. They are so narrow and close together, that you must have your knees dovetailed into your neighbour's, there being otherwise not sufficient space for them. The door at each end can be closed, but as it is the sole means of ingress and egress for the whole of the passengers, it rarely remains shut