)
Let me say, for better detail, that through several months (1848) I
work'd on a new daily paper, _The Crescent_; my situation rather a
pleasant one. My young brother, Jeff, was with me; and he not only
grew very homesick, but the climate of the place, and especially the
water, seriously disagreed with him. From this and other reasons
(although I was quite happily fix'd) I made no very long stay in the
South. In due time we took passage northward for St. Louis in the
"Pride of the West" steamer, which left her wharf just at dusk. My
brother was unwell, and lay in his berth from the moment we left
till the next morning; he seem'd to me to be in a fever, and I felt
alarm'd. However, the next morning he was all right again, much to my
relief.
Our voyage up the Mississippi was after the same sort as the voyage,
some months before, down it. The shores of this great river are very
monotonous and dull--one continuous and rank flat, with the exception
of a meagre stretch of bluff, about the neighborhood of Natchez,
Memphis, &c. Fortunately we had good weather, and not a great crowd of
passengers, though the berths were all full. The "Pride" jogg'd along
pretty well, and put us into St. Louis about noon Saturday. After
looking around a little I secured passage on the steamer "Prairie
Bird," (to leave late in the afternoon,) bound up the Illinois river
to La Salle, where we were to take canal for Chicago. During the day
I rambled with my brother over a large portion of the town, search'd
after a refectory, and, after much trouble, succeeded in getting some
dinner.
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