THE MISSISSIPPI. 
“T have been 
Where the wild will of Mississippi's tide 
Has dashed me on the sawyer.”—BRAINERD. 
Tue North American continent—in its impenetrable 
forests—its fertile prairies—its magnificent lakes—its 
variety of rivers with their falls—is the richest portion 
of our globe. Many of these wonderful exhibitions of 
nature are already shrines, where pilgrims from every 
land assemble to admire and marvel at the surpassing 
wonders of a new world. So numerous indeed are the 
objects presented, so novel and striking is their charac- 
ter, that the judgment is confused in endeavoring to de- 
cide which single one is worthy of the greatest admira- 
tion; and the forests—the prairies—the lakes—the 
rivers—and falls—each in turn dispute the supremacy. 
But to us, the Mississippi ranks first in importance ; 
and thus we think must it strike all, when they consider 
the luxurious fertility of the valley through which it 
