RIVER MISSOURI MR FLINT. 259 



is bounded to the west by the ridge of bluffs, of which the 

 Mamelles form a part ; and to the east by the forest on the 

 Missouri and Mississippi bottoms. On the north the Mississippi 

 curves gracefully round the margin, and its bold eastern bank 

 forms a beautiful outline. The centre is monotonously flat ; 

 and at no great distance from where I stood were two insig 

 nificant clumps of stunted trees, which afforded no relief to 

 the eye, and excited ideas of sterility. Excluding the pretty 

 valley stretching towards St Charles, and which cannot with 

 propriety be considered as forming part of the prairie, half-a- 

 dozen of hamlets could not be numbered, and there was a 

 total absence of animated life. The rich blossoms of the 

 various plants which impart delight to a lover of nature, had 

 yielded to the influence of the season, and autumn had seared 

 vegetation. The long narrow stripe of stagnant water which 

 I had skirted the night before was a conspicuous feature, and 

 suggested ague and pestilence. The view from the Mamelle 

 was found to be extensive, but not pleasing ; and, hurrying 

 from my elevated position, I scampered off for St Charles. 



Mr Flint, in speaking of this prairie, says, &quot; It yields 

 generally forty bushels of wheat, and seventy of corn, to the 

 acre. The vegetable soil has a depth of forty feet, and earth 

 thrown from the bottom of the wells is as fertile as that on the 

 surface. Here are 100,000 acres of land of this description 

 fit for the plough.&quot; 



I am of opinion there is not a square inch of such soil 

 as Mr Flint describes. But in differing with him on the 

 merits of this prairie, I must not forget that the impressions 

 of a scene are always affected by the circumstances under 

 which it is viewed, both with regard to nature and the in 

 dividual himself. The weather was unfavourable at the 

 time of my visit, which was on the 1st of October. Thick 

 clouds obscured the sky, and were scudding before a cold and 

 tempestuous west wind. The ground was drenched by rain 

 which had fallen in course of the evening, and strewed with 

 leaves and branches torn from the trees by the violence of 

 the storm. Personal circumstances were more favourable 

 than those of the weather for forming a just estimate. Ha 

 ving already traversed part of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois, 



