I was furthermore witness to a revolting spectacle in Louisville, from which I escaped as quick as I was able. A pregnant mulatto woman was offered for sale at public auction, with her two children. The woman stood with her children on a bench at a coffee-house; the auctioneer standing by her side, indulged himself in brutal jests upon her thriving condition, and sold her for four hundred dollars!
[CHAPTER XXIII.]
Cincinnati, interior of the State of Ohio.—Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania.
On the 30th of April I was very agreeably surprised by a visit from Colonel Wool, returning from an inspection on the Red river, the Arkansas, and New Orleans: he had ascended the stream in the steam-boat Washington, and arrived in the night at Shippingport. Being on his return to Washington, he took his passage on board the steam-boat Atlanta, for Pittsburgh. As this boat stopped at Cincinnati, whither it was my intention to go, I immediately concluded upon continuing my journey in the same boat, to enjoy as long as possible the society of so estimable a friend. We went on board between ten and eleven. The Atlanta was crowded with passengers, but we were fixed very comfortably and neatly. The greater part of the passengers were from Natchez, who came with the intention of spending the summer in the healthier northern states. Among them was Major Chotard, who was going with his family to New York, whence he intended to embark for France; and Abbé Martial, a Frenchman, who had kept a boarding-school in New Orleans for a long time, and was at that time employed by the Bishop of Kentucky in Bairdstown, on whose account he was to travel in France and Italy.
Our trip up the river was very pleasant. The weather was fine; the shores of the Ohio became more and more interesting the higher we ascended the stream. In the afternoon, we perceived on the right shore the little town of Madison, situated on an eminence. It appeared to be in a flourishing condition, and contained many brick houses; a multitude of well-dressed persons were standing on the shore. Towards evening we passed the mouth of the Kentucky river on the left shore. The Kentucky river, according to the Western Navigator, is a beautiful river in Kentucky. It originates in the Cumberland mountains, is two hundred miles in length, one hundred and fifty of which are navigable. Its mouth is one hundred and sixty yards broad, and proves to be an excellent harbour for boats. The town occupies a very pretty situation; above its mouth, and farther down lies Prestonville. The flourishing town of Frankfort, the seat of government, is situated about sixty miles from the mouth of the river. The former is five hundred and twenty-four and a half miles distant from Pittsburgh, fifty-seven and a half from Cincinnati, and fifty-five and a half from Louisville. Shortly after leaving Louisville, we were followed by another steam-boat called the General Marion, towards evening it reached, and wanted to pass us; a race took place, which discomposed us considerably, and became dangerous to a high degree. The boilers, being soon over-heated, might have burst and occasioned a great disaster; during this time we were so close together, that the railing, as well as the roofs of the wheels knocked against each other. The danger increased as night drew on, and particularly so as there were a great number of ladies on board, who were crying in a most piteous manner. One of them conducted herself most distractedly; she fell into hysteric fits, wanted to throw herself in the water on the opposite side of the boat, and could scarcely be prevented by three strong men. The heating of the boilers of the General Marion had been so violent, that they ran short of wood, and to their great confusion, and our extreme satisfaction, they were not only left behind, but were overtaken by the slow steam-boat Ohio: thus the Atlanta obtained a brilliant victory. Ten miles above the mouth of the Kentucky river on the right shore, is the little town of Vevay, built and inhabited by Switzers. They planted vineyards, which it is said give them a good revenue. I regretted very much that we passed them by night, and thus were deprived of the view of Vevay. On the left shore is a small village called Ghent, in honour of the treaty concluded in that city, in Flanders. I regretted not to have been able to visit that place, if only on account of the name. Without farther accident we went on the whole night, and next morning found ourselves opposite to the mouth of the Great Miami, which joins the Ohio from the right shore. This stream forms the boundary between the states of Indiana and Ohio, and the Western Navigator makes the following observation concerning it. “The Great Miami is a considerable river, which takes its sources in Allen, Logan, Shelby, Merion, and Drake counties. It runs southerly through Miami and Montgomery counties, and receives in the last two considerable rivers, on the left the Mad river, and on the right the south-west fork. On entering Butler county the Miami takes a south-westerly direction, and flows into the Ohio at the south-west corner of this state, and the north-east one of Indiana. Its course is one hundred and twenty miles. Its sources situated between 40° and 41° lat. are in the vicinity of the Massassinaway, a branch of the Wabash, the Auglaize and St. Mary’s, which are branches of the Maumée and the Sciota, its course is in general rapid, but without any considerable falls, and runs through a large and fertile valley which is partly submerged by high water. Near Dayton, about seventy-five miles from its mouth, the Miami receives on the east side the Mad river; from this place boats carrying three and four thousand barrels, may run into the Ohio during high water. The trial of ascending Mad river is seldom made, the stream being too rapid and there being a great many sand-banks and dams. The Miami has a diameter of one hundred and fifty yards during forty miles. ”
We found the shores of the Ohio well cultivated, with orchards and Indian corn: we observed several very pretty country-seats. These shores are mostly elevated, and at the distance of about a mile we could perceive a chain of hills covered with woods, which made a fine prospect. Towards ten o’clock in the morning we reached Cincinnati, four hundred and forty-nine miles from Pittsburgh, one hundred and thirty-one from Louisville, and fourteen hundred and eighty from New Orleans. It is situated on the right shore of the Ohio, and built at the foot of a hill, which is surrounded by a half circle of higher hills covered with forests. This city presents a very fine aspect. The hills on the opposite side likewise form a half circle, and in this manner the hill on which Cincinnati is built, lies as it were in a basin. On the left shore, the Licking river flows into the Ohio. This, says the Western Navigator, is a considerable river in Kentucky, which, originating not far from the sources of the Cumberland and running about two hundred miles in a north-westerly direction, flows into the Ohio opposite Cincinnati. The towns of Newport and Covington, the former immediately above, and the latter below the mouth of Licking river, are beautifully situated in Campbell county, Kentucky: Newport contains a military depot of the United States. The shores near Cincinnati are rather steep, and to render the loading and unloading of boats more convenient, they are paved and provided with rings and chains of iron.
Before we could land, the health officers came on board to seek information respecting the health of the passengers, as great fears were entertained in Cincinnati of the small-pox, which was raging in Louisville. We took lodgings at Mack’s, a good hotel, near the shore. Shortly after our arrival, I took a walk in town with Colonel Wool and Major Foster, of the sixth regiment, who came here to recruit. We visited some bookstores. The town contains about fifteen thousand inhabitants, and consists mostly of brick houses. Some of the streets run parallel with the Ohio, and others form a right-angle with them, which makes them very regular; they are wide, well-paved, and have side-walks. Those streets which cross in the direction of the river, ascend and lead to the top of the hill, from which there is a view resembling a panorama. Here they were building a large Catholic cathedral, which was commenced during the last year, and would probably be finished the next: it will be an ornament to the city. The Bishop, Mr. Fenwick, had been travelling for some years past in the Catholic countries of Europe, and had collected considerable contributions for the construction of this cathedral. The old cathedral, a modest wooden building, stands yet in the rear of the new one; it is to be demolished when the former is finished. Cincinnati was settled in the year 1788, round an old fort, called Washington. The first settlers came from New England. The settlement did not succeed until 1794, when General Wayne subdued the Indians. In 1815, it contained six thousand five hundred, in 1818, about nine thousand, and in 1826, about fifteen thousand. Cincinnati is the most important city of the western states. There are two Presbyterian, two Methodist, one Episcopal, one Baptist, one Swedenborg, and one Quaker church, and the Catholic cathedral. There are three markets, and several museums. We visited the principal one, called the Western Museum, but did not meet with any thing new: several Indian dresses, weapons, pipes, a human scalp, a dried human head from the South Sea Islands, the head of an Egyptian mummy, manuscripts on papyrus from the sarcophagus of the mummies, several ancient and modern coins, the last consisting mostly of foreign gold coins, and some objects of natural history; a handsome collection of birds, many of them European, several quadrupeds, some minerals, as well as an indifferent collection of butterflies. We also saw some oil paintings,[II.23] scarcely worth mentioning, and finally some show-boxes.
To my great regret, Colonel Wool left us this day, to continue his journey up the river, on board the Atlanta. Having seen on the map of the city of Cincinnati, the indication of some Indian mounds, I went in search of them, but was unsuccessful, for the very good reason that the hills had been demolished and in their place houses built. After this I called on Bishop Fenwick, but he was not at home. I here met with a clergyman who was a native of Hildesheim, his name was Rese, who was educated in the Propaganda in Rome. This man showed me the old and new cathedral. The former is built of wood, resembling a German village church; in its interior the splendid episcopal seat is particularly distinguished. The altar had but few ornaments with the exception of four silver chandeliers which the Queen of Etruria gave to Bishop Fenwick for his church, and a gilded tabernacle a gift from Pope Pius VII. In the sacristy there were no ornaments, with the exception of two gilded frames with relics. The new cathedral is a spacious and lofty building: they were building the choir, in which an organ made in Pittsburgh was to be placed. There was to be a large vault under the altar, destined for the sepulture of the bishops and clergymen. The church had not as yet any bells, with respect to these, the clergy expected some contributions from Italy. The vicar-general of the bishop was Abbé Hill,[II.24] he had formerly been a captain in the British service, and having become a Catholic while in Italy, entered the Dominican order. He was said to be a good orator.
Deer creek runs into the Ohio above the town—two wooden bridges lead over it. This brook was very inconsiderable, and could be leaped over, but it was evident from its steep shores that it swelled sometimes to a great height. On the other side of this creek is the highest hill in the vicinity. From its summit there is a delightful prospect over the city and valley, the centre of which it occupies. This view, even in Europe, would be considered as very handsome. I found on the top a great quantity of reddish limestone with shells, an evident proof that this part of the country was formerly covered by the sea. Among the gentlemen who favoured me with their visits, I remember a General Neville, from Pittsburgh, whose father had been adjutant to General La Fayette during the revolutionary war. Mr. Symmes,[II.25] brother of Captain Symmes, author of the theory that our planet is hollow and inhabited, drew very well, and had collected the likenesses of all the persons visiting Cincinnati who had interested him: he had the kindness to include my portrait in his collection. Some of these gentlemen conducted me to see the remains of Indian antiquities which are yet existing, but which could scarcely be recognized. We ascended an Indian mound, which is about thirty feet high, situated in a garden. One part of it had been cut off, but nothing being found in it, they began to plant it with trees. I had resolved on travelling in the interior of the state of Ohio, in order to convince myself of the condition of this country, which has been inhabited but thirty years by a white population. I therefore renounced the comfortable travelling on the Ohio for the inconvenient passage by land. To be enabled to travel at my leisure, I hired a carriage with four horses, at six dollars per day, and left Cincinnati on the 3rd of May, at eleven o’clock, A. M. We rode that day twenty-one miles, to the lodgings of the governor, Mr. Morrow, to whom I had letters from Governor Johnson, of New Orleans. The road led through a hilly and well-cultivated country. The fields separated by worm fences adjoin each other, and contain good dwelling-houses and barns. Their extensive orchards mostly contain apple and peach trees. I had not seen before any place in the United States in so high a state of cultivation. But alas! the rain had made the roads so muddy, that it was with difficulty we proceeded. Fourteen miles from Cincinnati we reached a little country town, Montgomery, of very good appearance, surrounded with handsome fields. A few years past there were nothing but woods here, as the roots which still exist bear testimony. They cultivate Indian corn and wheat, which is said to succeed better here than in the state of Indiana. The dwelling of the governor consists of a plain frame house, situated on a little elevation not far from the shore of the little Miami, and is entirely surrounded by fields. The business of the state calls him once a month to Columbus, the seat of government, and the remainder of his time he passes at his country-seat, occupied with farming, a faithful copy of an ancient Cincinnatus; he was engaged at our arrival in cutting a wagon pole, but he immediately stopt his work to give us a hearty welcome. He appeared to be about fifty years of age; is not tall, but thin and strong, and has an expressive physiognomy, with dark and animated eyes. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and was one of the first settlers in the state of Ohio. He offered us a night’s lodging at his house, which invitation we accepted very thankfully. When seated round the chimney fire in the evening, he related to us a great many of the dangers and difficulties the first settlers had to contend with. They suffered mostly from the Delawares, the Indians then living there. They had to place their houses in a state of defence. There are at present scarcely any Indians in the state of Ohio, and it is not now necessary for the inhabitants to guard their crops and cattle, or to tremble for their lives. The governor told us that the increase of population in the state of Ohio was almost incredible. In the year 1800, it amounted to two hundred thousand inhabitants, in 1810, between four and five hundred thousand, in 1820, about eight hundred thousand, and it is to be expected that at the next census of 1830, it will pass one million. Very few of the settlers brought any thing with them, it was therefore necessary that they should do every thing by their industry and exertion. The state had not yet been able to undertake any public works, roads, &c. The two canals which were constructing, were the first great work which they had attempted. We spent our evening with the governor and his lady. Their children are settled, and they have with them only a couple of grandchildren. When we took our seats at supper, the governor made a prayer. There was a bible and several religious books lying on the table. After breakfasting with our hospitable host, we took our leave at nine o’clock, and rode fifteen miles to Union Village, a settlement of the Shakers. The road was again hilly, and the country as well cultivated as that we saw yesterday; we passed through a country town of good appearance, Lebanon, which lies only four miles from the Shaker Village.