46 THE PRAIRIE CHEST. 



gratitude. Some, who came prominently into my plans, 

 I must of course individually refer to as my narrative 

 proceeds, and I trust with justice ; it is at present enough 

 to assure my readers that I have a deep debt of obliga 

 tion to all my transatlantic friends. 



Having got over the impression at first made on me, 

 that the tradesmen of New York were the most brusque 

 and ill-conditioned set of fellows I ever met with, who 

 seemed utterly to have mistaken the position of tradesman 

 and customer, and to regard you, when you came to 

 make purchases, as an intruder who was seeking a "favour 

 at their hands instead of doing one to them, I went to 

 Mr Duncan's store in the Broadway to order what was 

 henceforth to be called "the prairie chest," arid to get 

 some wine and brandy. I found him politeness itself, 

 and, from the commencement, a strong contrast to many 

 of his compeers, who so foolishly and erroneously try to 

 impress you with their equality in state and station., by 

 disfiguring themselves with a rude manner which really 

 does not pertain to their nature, and which melts away 

 on better acquaintance. From Mr Duncan I received 

 much good counsel in the fitting up the chest. It was 

 obvious to me (though no one advised it) that to travel a 

 month or six weeks in a desert it would be well to carry 

 with you some choice provisions to fall back on if the 

 weather, sickness, or any incidents prone to happen on 

 plains, the abode of malaria, as well as of a savage and 

 treacherous people, should militate against supplying the 

 camp with food by hunting, and that these provisions 

 should be packed in as small a compass as possible. I 

 selected hermetically-sealed cans of ready-dressed beef 

 and gravy, and beef-gravy and vegetables, and the same 

 in regard to mutton ; but each of these things, when 



