Having progressed some way in the Missouri Territory, I again crossed the river, and entered the Indian Village at one of the Chickasaw Bluffs. The settlement here is considerable; and the Chickasaws, being friendly to the United States, evince in their appearance, the beneficial consequences of a peaceful policy. White men of little or no reputation frequently intermarry with this tribe; and the Indians are much pleased with the connexion. On this Bluff is situated Fort Pickering.[[189]]
The evenings in this part of the country are delightful; especially in the woods, far from the haunts of men. The aspect of the heavens is here [204] peculiarly serene; and the human mind is disposed to dwell upon the power, wisdom, and goodness of God; the station of man in the scale of being; his probationary state, with all its relations and events; and his hopes of happiness beyond the grave.
The traveller, in proceeding from a cold to a warm climate, is forcibly impressed by a sense of the revolutions of the seasons; especially if he commences his tour in the midst of winter. Those who are acquainted with astronomy, who know what are the effects of the annual motion of the earth; and particularly the beneficial consequences of its declination, will, if they have any sense of moral power and goodness, unite with Milton in his sublime fiction:—
“Some say He bid his angels turn askance
The poles of earth, twice ten degrees and more,
From the sun’s axle; they, with labour,
Push’d oblique the central globe.”
The remembrance of those aspects in nature, which are peculiar to the various seasons of the year, are delightfully painful. There is a religious influence in them;—they are connected with the recollection of a thousand events which mark the stages of man’s pilgrimage through life.—The winds of spring; the autumnal evening; the equinoctial gale; the frozen ground; the January thaw; all eloquently speak of childhood, the vicissitudes of time, and of a better world.
In addition to the difficulties, attending the navigation of the Mississippi, already mentioned, there are here many bends, points, and sand bars, which cause the current to set in a great variety of directions, and render necessary, not only constant watchfulness, but much practical knowledge.
[205] Whilst in the Missouri Territory, and not far from the bank of the river, a bald eagle, perched upon a tall and blasted oak, attracted my attention. It was in the forenoon, and he viewed the sun with an unblinking eye. Whilst I was admiring the strength of his form, and the majesty of his aspect, a wild turkey flew from a neighbouring tree, and alighted on the ground. The eagle immediately pounced upon his prey; but ere he could effect his object the turkey was shot. I might too, have killed the eagle, but admiration and awe prevented me. I felt that he was the emblem, and the inspiration of my country; and, at that moment, I would not, for ten thousand worlds like ours, have cut a feather of his wing.