A Ramble of Six Thousand Miles through the United States of America — Reading Companion

Sail for New York in an American vessel--the crew--ostentation of the Captain--a heavy gale--soundings--icebergs--bay of New York--Negros and Negresses--White Ladies--climate--fires--vagrant pigs--Frances Wright--Match between an Indian canoe and a skiff

Depart for Albany--the Hudson--Albany--Cohoe's Falls--Rome--the Little Falls--forest of charred trees--"stilly night" in a swamp--fire fly--Rochester--Falls of Gennessee--Sam. Patch--an eccentric character--Falls of Niagara--the Tuscarora Indians--Buffalo--Lake Erie--the Iroquois--the Wyandots--death of Seneca John, and its consequences--ague fever--Wyandot prairie--the Delawares' mode of dealing with the Indians--the transporting of Negros to Canada

Arrive at Marion--divorces--woodlands--Columbus--land offices--population, &c. Shaking Quakers--kidnapping free Negros--Cincinnati--the farmers of Ohio--a corn-husking frolic--qualifications necessary to Senators, Legislators, and Electors--a camp-meeting--militia officers' muster--Presbyterian parsons--price of land, cattle, &c.--fever and ague

Set out for New Harmony--the roads--a backwoodsman--the journey--peaches--casualties--travelling--New Harmony--M. Le Seur--barter--excursion down the Wabash--the co-operative community--Robert Owen

Depart for St. Louis--Albion--the late Messrs. Birkbeck and Flowers--Hardgrove's prairie--the roads--the Grand prairie--prairie wolf--mode of training dogs--Elliott's inn--inhabitants of Illinois--ablutions--coal--soil and produce--the American Bottom--St Louis--monopolies--Fur companies--incivility of a certain Major--trapping expedition--trade with Santa Fé--lead mines--Carondalot--Jefferson barracks--discipline--visit to a slave-holder--the Ioway hostages--Indian investigation--character of the Indians.

Leave St. Louis--Indian mounds--remains of ancient fortifications--burial caverns--mummies--Flint's description of a mummy--the languages of America--town making--the Indian summer--population, &c. of Illinois--the prairie hen--the Turkey buzzard--settlers--forest in autumn--a gouging scrape--the country--extent and population of Indiana--hogs--a settler in bottom land--the sugar maple--roads--a baptism

Set out for New Orleans--Louisville--Mississippi steam-boats--the Ohio--the Mississippi--sugar plantations--the valley of the Mississippi--New Orleans--Quadroons--slavery--a Methodist slavite--runaway Negros--incendiary fires at Orleans--liberty of the press--laws passed by the legislature of Louisiana--Miss Wright--public schools--yellow fever--the Texas

Depart for Louisville--tellandsea, or Spanish moss--Natchez--the yellow fever--cotton plantations--Mississippi wood-cutters--freshets--planters, sawyers, and snags--steam-boat blown up--the Chickesaws--hunting in Tennessee--electioneering--vote by ballot--trade on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers--the People--the President's veto--finances--government banks--Kentucky--the Kentuckians--court-houses--an election--universal suffrage--an Albino--Diluvian reliqua

The political condition of the Indians--Missionaries--the letter of Red-jacket--the speech of the wandering Pawnee chief

Kenhawa salt-works--coal--a Radical--rattle-snakes--Baltimore--Philadelphia--taxation--shipping

"The Workies"--Miss Wright--the opening of the West India ports to American vessels--voyage homeward--the stormy petrel--Gulf weed--the remora--the molusca--quarantine

Following the plan I had laid down for myself, I sought and found a goodly Yankee merchantman, bound for and belonging to the city of New York. Our vessel was manned with a real _American_ crew, that is, a crew, of which scarcely two men are of the same nation--which conveys a tolerably correct notion of the population of the United States. The crew consisted of one Russian, one German, one Italian, one Scotchman, one Newfoundlander, one Irishman, two Englishmen, two New Englanders, and two Negros--the cook and steward. The seamen of America are better paid, and better protected, than those of any other nation; but work harder, and must understand their duty well. Indeed if we had not had a good crew, our ship, being old, might have suffered severely.

In selecting this ship, in addition to accommodations, I only took into account her build; and so far was not disappointed, for when she _could_ carry sail, she scudded along in gallant style; but with ships as with horses, the more they _have done_, the less they have _to do_.

I had a strong impression on my mind that a person travelling in America as a professed tourist, would be unable to form a correct estimate of the real character and condition of the people; for, from their great nationality, they would be likely to show him the best side of every thing. Of this kind of ostentation I very soon had a slight proof. Our ship left port in gallant trim, but had no sooner gained the open sea, than all hands were employed in stowing away the finery, and covering the rigging with mats--even the very cabin doors were taken off the hinges, and brass knobs and other ornaments which appeared to have been fixtures, were unshipped and deposited below, where they remained until our approach to New York, when the finery was again displayed, and all was placed once more _in statu quo_.

For the first twelve days we had rather pleasant weather, and nothing remarkable occurred, unless a swallow coming on board completely exhausted with flying, fatigue made it so tame that it suffered itself to be caressed; it however popped into the coop, and the ducks literally gobbled it up alive. The ducks were, same day, suffered to roam about the decks, and the pigs fell foul of one of them, and eat the breast off it. Passing the cabouse, I heard the negro steward soliloquising, and on looking in, perceived him cutting a hen's throat with the most heartfelt satisfaction, as he grinned and exclaimed, by way of answer to its screams, "Poor feller! I guess I wouldn't hurt you for de world;" I could not help thinking with Leibnitz, that most sapient of philosophers, that this is the best of all possible worlds.