ST CHARLES NOTICES OF NATURE. 261 



connected with human happiness. Settlers are yearly taking- 

 up their residence in this quarter, and the junction of the 

 Illinois with Lake Michigan, by means of a railway or canal, 

 which the state has undertaken to construct, will insure its 

 early settlement. 



St Charles is one of the many places in the Western States, 

 founded by the French, which they partially explored in the 

 early part of the eighteenth century ; and the descendants of 

 the first settlers are still met with throughout the course of 

 the St Lawrence and the valley of the Mississippi, possessing 

 the language, manners, and customs of their forefathers. The 

 population is stated to be above 1200, and to consist of nearly 

 equal numbers of Americans and descendants of the French. 

 It is washed by the Missouri, and has increased considerably 

 in wealth and population of late years. 



Immediately after breakfast the landlord of the hotel, whose 

 name has escaped my memory, conducted me over the rocky 

 banks of the river to the horse ferry-boat, on board of which 

 was his waggon and handsome pair of horses. The boat pro 

 ceeded up the north bank for nearly a mile before crossing 

 the stream, and the horses by which it was propelled were 

 considerably distressed, and generally blind and in low condi 

 tion. The Missouri possesses a different character from any 

 river I had seen before. Here its breadth is about half a 

 mile, the waters running impetuously between wooded banks, 

 and so turbid as to exceed in muddiness the water of British 

 streams after the most copious rains. The islands and banks 

 seem to be constantly changing, and strewed with fallen trees, 

 having their tops in the stream, and their roots on land. The 

 water of the Missouri is said to undergo little change in con 

 sistency or colour, which is whitish, except during severe frost, 

 when it contains less mud. The state of the waters of the 

 Missouri is thought to be owing to the washing away of the 

 banks, and it is difficult to account for it on other grounds. 

 The course of the river before reaching St Charles is not 

 much short of 3000 miles, and I have not been able to learn 

 the state of the waters towards its source, or that of its tribu 

 taries at the places of junction. 



On reaching the opposite side of the Missouri, we travelled 



