LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 63 



prairies, lord of the unappreciated soil that now yields 

 its prolific treasures to the spade and plough of civi- 

 lised man. To the wild and half-savage trapper, who 

 may be said to exemplify the energy, enterprise, and 

 hardihood characteristic of the American people, divested 

 of all the false and vicious glare with which a high 

 state of civilisation, too rapidly attained, has obscured 

 their real and genuine character, in which the above 

 traits are eminently prominent to these men alone 

 is due the empire of the West destined in a few 

 short years to become the most important of those 

 confederate States composing the mighty union of 

 North America. 



Sprung, then, out of the wild and adventurous fur 

 trade, St Louis, still the emporium of that species of 

 commerce, preserves even now, in the character of its 

 population, many of the marked peculiarities distin- 

 guishing its early founders, who were identified with the 

 primitive Indian in hardihood and instinctive wisdom. 

 Whilst the French portion of the population retain the 

 thoughtless levity and frivolous disposition of their 

 original source, the Americans of St Louis, who may 

 lay claim to be native, as it were, are as strongly 

 distinguished for determination and energy of character 

 as they are for physical strength and animal courage ; 

 and are remarkable, at the same time, for a singular 

 aptitude in carrying out commercial enterprises to 

 successful terminations, apparently incompatible with 

 the thirst of adventure and excitement which forms so 

 prominent a feature in their character. In St Louis 



