XXIV
St. Charles—Its Origin—Peculiarities—Early Name—Spanish Rule—Heterogeneous Population—Germans—The Wizard Spell—American Enterprise—Site of the Village—Prospects—The Baltimore Settlement—Catholic Religion and Institutions—"St. Charles College"—The Race of Hunters—A Specimen—The Buffalo—Indian Atrocities—The "Rangers"—Daniel Boone—"Too Crowded!"—The "Regulators"—Boone's Lick—His Decease—His Memory—The Missouri Indians—The Stoccade Fort—Adventure of a Naturalist—Route from St. Charles—A Prairie without a Path—Enormous Vegetation—The Cliffs—The Column of Smoke—Perplexity—A delightful Scene—A rare Flower—The Prairie Flora in Spring—In Summer—In Autumn—The Traveller loiters [276]
[iv] XXV
Novel Feature of the Mamelle Prairie—A Footpath—An old French Village—Bewilderment—Mystery—A Guide—Portage des Sioux—Secluded Site—Advantages—"Common Field"—Garden-plats—A brick Edifice—A courteous Welcome—An amiable Personage—History of the Village—Origin—Earthquakes—Name—An Indian Legend—Teatable Talk—Patois of the French Villages—An Incident!—A Scene!—A civil Hint—A Night of Beauty—The Flush of Dawn—The weltering Prairie—The Forest—The river Scene—The Ferry-horn—Delay—Locale of Grafton—Advantages and Prospects [288]
XXVI
Cave in the Grafton Cliffs—Outlines—Human Remains—Desecration of the Coopers—View from the Cave's Mouth—The Bluffs—Inclined Planes—The Railroad—A Stone-heap—A beautiful Custom—Veneration for the Dead—The Widow of Florida—The Canadian Mother—The Orientals—An extensive View—The River—The Prairie—The Emigrant Farm—The Illinois—A tortuous Route—Macoupin Settlement—Carrolton—Outlines of a Western Village—Religious Diversity—An agricultural Village—Whitehall—The Emigrant Family en route—A Western Village—Its rapid Growth—Fit Parallels—Manchester—The Scarcity of Timber not an insurmountable Obstacle—Substitutes—Morgan County—Prospects—Soil of the Prairies—Adaptation to coarse Grains—Rapid Population—New-England Immigrants—The Changes of a few Years—Environs of Jacksonville—Buildings of "Illinois College"—The Public Square [295]
XXVII
Remark of Horace Walpole—A Word from the Author—Jacksonville—Its rapid Advancement—Its Site—Suburbs—Public Square—Radiating Streets—The Congregational Church—The Pulpit—A pleasant Incident—The "New-England of the West"—Immigrant Colonies—"Illinois College"—The Site—Buildings—"Manual Labour System"—The Founders—Their Success—Their Fame—Jacksonville—Attractions for the Northern Emigrant—New England Character—A faithful [v] Transcript—"The Pilgrim Fathers"—The "Stump"—Mr. W. and his Speech—Curious Surmisings—Internal Improvements—Route to Springfield—A "Baptist Circuit-rider"—An Evening Prairie-rider [305]
XXVIII
The Nature of Man—Facilities for its Study—A Pilgrimage of Observation—Dissection of Character, Physical and Moral—The young Student—The brighter Features of Humanity—An unwitting Episode—Our World a Ruin—Sunrise on the Prairies—Springfield—Its Location—Advantages—Structures—Society—Prospects—The Sangamon River—Its Navigation—Bottom-lands—Aged Forests—Cathedral Pomp—A splendid Phenomenon—Civic Honours—"Sic itur ad astra!"—A Morning Ride—"Demands of Appetite"—"Old Jim"—A tipsy Host—A revolting Exhibition—Jacob's Cattle and the Prairie-wolves—An Illinois Table—The Staples—A Tea Story—Poultry and Bacon—Chicken Fixens and Common Doins—An Object of Commiseration [315]