472 JOURNAL, [PART in. 



we could. It is, in fact, nothing but a bed of 

 very soft and rich land, and only wants drain 

 ing to be made productive. We soon after came 

 to the banks of the great Wabash, which is 

 here about half a mile broad, and as the ferry 

 boat was crossing over with us I amused myself 

 by washing my dirty boots. Before we mounted 

 again we happened to meet with a neighbour of 

 Mr. Birkbeck's, who was returning home ; we 

 accompanied him, and soon entered into the 

 prairie lands, up to our horses' bellies in fine 

 grass. These prairies, which are surrounded 

 with lofty woods, put me in mind of immense 

 noblemen's parks in England. Some of those 

 we - passed over are called wet prairies, but, 

 they are dry at this time of the year; and, as 

 they are none of them flat, they need but vei'y 

 simple draining to carry off the water all the 

 year round. Our horses were very much tor 

 mented with flies, some as large as the English 

 horse-fly and some as large as the wasp; these 

 flies infest the prairies that are unimproved 

 about three months in the year, but go away 

 altogether as soon as cultivation begins. 



907. Mr. Birkbeck's settlement is situated 

 between the two Wabashes, and is about ten 

 miles from the nearest navigable water ; we ar 

 rived there about sun-set, and met with a wel 

 come which amply repaid us for our day's toil. 



