I START AFRESH FOR THE WOODS. 125 



woods and nature, and was only detained by the hopes 

 of acquiring a sufficiency, and then buying a portion of 

 land and settling, together with the fulfilment of other 

 long-cherished plans. But plans they remained, and 

 in May I cast off my self-imposed yoke ; having ex- 

 changed my shot gun for a double-barrelled rifle, got 

 all my shootmg gear in order, packed up a zither, 

 which I had bought and learnt to play in Cincinnati, 

 I bade a hearty farewell to all the kind friends I had 

 made, and set off again Avith a young German, named 

 Uhl, by the steamer " Commerce," to seek fresh adven- 

 tures and encounter new dangers. 



The steamer foamed and hissed through the waves, 

 which rose high upon her bows, the land receding on 

 both sides, as if impelled by a magician's wand. I felt 

 as if new born, and flying to some strange, wild land. 

 At first starting, the ideas awakened by the passing 

 scenes were rather confused, but, as we rushed on, they 

 became clearer, and at last I might have nodded to 

 each gigantic tree that adorned the beautiful banks of 

 the Ohio, and asked if it did not remember me. 



My companion, a young Berliner, with whom I had 

 become acquainted and struck up a friendship in Cin- 

 cinnati, and who was as fond of field sports as myself, 

 did not participate in my feelings, but sat himself down 

 comfortably with no trifling appetite to a symposium, 

 Avhich he had provided for himself, in the shape of a 

 smoked tongue, with bread and whiskey. We had not 

 proceeded far when it grew dark; and, fatigued with 

 all the labors and excitement of the day, I was soon 

 ensconced on my soft, warm buffalo skin. 



On the 17th May, 1839, we entered the Mississippi, 

 11* 



