V
Darkness Visible—The "Father of Waters"—The Power of Steam—The Current—"English Island"—The Sabbath—A Blessed Appointment—Its Quietude—The New-England Emigrant—His Privations—Sorrows—Loneliness—"The Light of Home"—Cape Girardeau—Site—Settlement—Effects of the Earthquakes—A severer Shock—Staples of Trade—The Spiral Water-wheels—Their Utility—"Tyowapity Bottom"—Potter's Clay—A Manufactory—Rivière au Vase—Salines—Coal-beds—"Fountain Bluff"—The "Grand Tower"—Parapet of Limestone—Ancient Cataract—The Cliffs—Divinity of the Boatmen—The "Devil's Oven"—The "Tea-table"—Volcanic and Diluvial Action—The Torrent overcome—A Race—Breathless Interest—The Engineer—The Fireman—Last of the "Horse and Alligator" species—"Charon"—A Triumph—A Defeat [82]
VI
Navigation of the Mississippi—The First Appropriation—Improvements of Capt. Shreve—Mississippi and Ohio Scenery contrasted—Alluvial Deposites—Ste. Genevieve—Origin—Site—The Haunted Ruin—The old "Common Field"—Inundation of '85—Minerals—Quarries—Sand-caves—Fountains—Salines—Indians—Ancient Remains—View of Ste. Genevieve—Landing—Outrage of a Steamer—Indignation—The Remedy—A Snag and a Scene—An Interview with "Charon"—Fort Chartres [93]
[xi] VII
The Hills! the Hills!—Trosachs of Loch Katrine—Alluvial Action—Bluffs of Selma and Herculaneum—Shot-towers—Natural Curiosities—The "Cornice Cliffs"—The Merrimac—Its Riches—Ancient Lilliputian Graves—Mammoth Remains—Jefferson Barracks—Carondelet—Cahokia—U. S. Arsenal—St. Louis in the Distance—Fine View—Uproar of the Landing—The Eternal River—Character—Features—Sublimity—Statistics—The Lower Mississippi—"Bends"—"Cut-offs"—Land-slips—The Pioneer Cabin [102]
VIII
"Once more upon the Waters!"—"Uncle Sam's Tooth-pullers"—Mode of eradicating a Snag—River Suburbs of North St. Louis—Spanish Fortifications—The Waterworks—The Ancient Mounds—Country Seats—The Confluence—Charlevoix's Description—A Variance—A View—The Upper Mississippi—Alton in distant View—The Penitentiary and Churches—"Pomp and Circumstance"—The City of Alton—Advantages—Objections—Improvements—Prospects—Liberality—Railroads—Alton Bluffs—"Departing Day"—The Piasa Cliffs—Moonlight Scene [113]
IX