ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 21 



tion from each other, and as their companions are falling around 

 them, they curve down their necks, and look at them fluttering 

 upon the ground, as though perfectly at a loss to account for 

 so unusual an occurrence. It is a most inglorious sort of 

 shooting ; down right, cold-blooded murder. 



On the afternoon of the 9th, a steamboat arrived, on board of 

 which we were surprised and pleased to find Captain Wyeth, and 

 our ^^ plunder.'''' We embarked immediately, and soon after, 

 were puffing along the Missouri, at the rate of seven miles an 

 hour. When we stopped in the afternoon to " wood," we were 

 gratified by a sight of one of the enormous catfish of this river 

 and the Mississippi, weighing full sixty pounds. It is said, 

 however, that they are sometimes caught of at least double this 

 weight. They are excellent eating, coarser, but quite as good as 

 the common small catfish of our rivers. There is nothing 

 in the scenery of the river banks to interest the traveller 

 particularly. The country is generally level and sandy, re- 

 lieved only by an occasional hill, and some small rocky accli- 

 vities. 



A shocking accident happened on board during this trip. A 

 fine looking black boy (a slave of one of the deck passengers) 

 was standing on the platform near the fly-wheel. The steam 

 had just been stopped off", and the wheel was moving slowly by 

 the impetus it had acquired. The poor boy unwittingly thrust 

 his head between the spokes^ a portion of the steam was at that 

 moment let on, and his head and shoulders were torn to frag- 

 ments. We buried him on shore the same day ; the poor wo- 

 man, his mistress, weeping and lamenting over him as for her 

 own child. She told me she had brought him up from an 

 infant ; he had been as an affectionate son to her, and for years 

 her only support. 



March 20th. — On the morning of the 14th, we arrived at 

 Independence landing, and shortly afterwards, Mr. N. and 



