over all the gigantic forest trees within a large circumference, and the viridity of their still flourishing neighbours, by whom the plague-struck spot is surrounded, only renders the blasted and brown appearance of the stricken trees the more remarkable. And truly they are stricken-literally stricken-and that by the axe wielded by the stalworth arm of the backwoodsman. The process which engenders the appearance described is shortly this: When it has been resolved to clear any portion of land of the timber growing on it, the first step taken by the woodcutter is, to cut a notch some inches deep into and through the bark, at the bottom of the trees. This prevents the ascent of the sap; the trees wither and decay, and of course speedily assume the blighted appearance already referred to and thus they stand until, being sufficiently decayed, the next powerful storm of wind comes in aid of the woodcutter's operations, by levelling them with the ground. Ere this consummation is attained, the trees have the blasted appearance to which allusion has been above made.

Who is there who has heard of the navigation of the Father of Rivers, without hearing of the "snags" and "sawyers," which form impediments and dangers to be encountered in navigating his stream? The vast volume of waters moving through the great alluvial plain, and ofttimes overflowing large portions of it, frequently changes their course and direction. The bank on one side is undermined for a considerable distance, and then disappears in the

mighty, muddy stream, carrying down to the bottom with it the trees growing upon its surface; which trees ofttimes get stopped by some shoal, and are then embedded in the bottom of the river by gradual accumulations of sand. On the other or opposite bank, in most cases, there is a proportionate part of the former bed of the river left exposed and comparatively dry, and the part from which the water has thus receded is speedily-indeed ere the season closes -covered with a luxuriant crop of young cottonwood trees. The trees overwhelmed and sunk in the new channel the river has formed for itself, are known by the terms " snags or sawyers," according to their powers of doing mischief. When the submerged tree stands upright and fixed, it is less objectionable, and is called a "snag," or occasionally a "planter;" while, when the end which rises above the water points in a slanting direction, and dips up and down as it is moved by the current, its characteristically descriptive name is a sawyer."

Thunder-storms are of very frequent occurrence about the shores of the Mississippi; and what has been already said of the loneness of the scene, will prepare the reader for the statement, that there is much that is very imposing and impressive in the rolling and reverberating of the thunder, and the flashing of the lightning on this gigantic river, and among these vast sylvan solitudes. It seems as if it were the only artillery proportionate to the scene.

Another feature of the Mississippi, already noticed

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when writing of the steam-boats, is the total absence of vessels under sail. During a ten days' sail on the broad deep stream, I did not perceive any nearer approach to a white sail than was to be seen in the square dirty rag of some bargeman, who was thus endeavouring to aid the power of the downward current, by seeking a little assistance from a favouring breeze.

About three hundred miles up the river from New Orleans stands the town of Natchez-containing some five or six thousand inhabitants-divided into Natchez on the hill, and Natchez under the hill, and having a short time back a very villanous reputation, as the place of harbourage of various bands of gamblers and other disreputables, but now enjoying a somewhat better and an improving character.

About two hundred miles beyond Natchez, the steamer touches at the very picturesque little town of Vicksburg, (famous for the summary justice some years ago executed on the persons of a band of these very same gamblers, already mentioned ;) and steaming onwards for some five hundred miles farther, and passing various small stations, including Helena, a town of about five hundred inhabitants, (lately the scene of a diabolical tragedy in the burning of a slave,) you arrive at the town of Memphis, a town which despite the ancient name that has been given to it-bears as many of the marks of modern movement as any upon the route. One or two days' farther steaming brings you to the mouth of the Ohio,

into which I passed, with anything save a feeling of regret that I was exchanging the dull oppressive sameness of the Mississippi, for the somewhat bolder and more varied scenery of the Ohio. Up the latter river we proceeded through a succession of views, which, although certainly a great improvement on that of the larger stream of which it is a gigantic tributary, did not, in my opinion, exhibit any peculiarities to induce me to add to the descriptions of previous writers.

We proceeded, in the first place, to the town of Louisville, in Kentucky, (a very improving town of some 40,000 inhabitants,) and thereafter to Cincinnati -now the largest city in the Western States of the American Union.

CHAPTER II.

"The fall of waters and the song of birds,

And hills that echo to the distant herds,

Are luxuries excelling all the glare

The world can boast, and her chief fav'rites share."

COWPER.

STATE

OF OHIO CITY OF CINCINNATI-SYSTEM OF EDUCATIONPORK TRADE OF OHIO-RAILWAY TO SANDUSKY-AMERICAN DEMOCRACY-SANDUSKY CITY-LAKE ERIE-CITY OF CLEVELANDBUFFALO-NIAGARA VILLAGE-FALLS OF NIAGARA AND THEIR CONCOMITANTS.

DICKENS and others have called Cincinnati a "beautiful city;" and, while I am not prepared to admit the entire appropriateness of the appellation, I certainly think it a very handsome town. The extraordinary rapidity of its progress is, however, the most important circumstance connected with its history. Even Mrs Trollope would now scarcely recognise Cincinnati, so much has it changed and increased during the few years that have elapsed since it was made by her the chosen spot of her temporary sojourn; and, judging of former manners by her portraiture of them, those of the inhabitants of Cincinnati must have made equal progress with the buildings of the city.