EMIGRANTS. 49 
an inch thick at the thickest part, tapering down to a very 
long thin end. Long practice enables them to throw.this out, 
from its trail on the ground, with great accuracy and 
tremendous effect, cutting like a long flexible razor, and with 
a report like a pistol, drawing the blood at every blow. 
It was an exciting sight, to see the herd plunge off the 
high bank—about fifteen feet perpendicular hight—and swim 
across, nothing ‘appearing above water, but their taper heads 
-* and long thin horns. The emigrants we had passed upon the 
prairie had also come down, determined to cross at all hazards. 
They had exhausted all their provisions, and were too 
impatient to wait until the stream was fordable. There were 
about four hundred of them, men, women, and children, and 
the scene of confusion, and damage to property, beggars all 
description.’ Their goods were saturated with water, the 
whole party wetted to the skin; and in one instance a wagon 
sank entirely out of sight, and was only recovered by dint of 
diving and fastening ropes to it, when, with the assistance of 
several yokes of oxen, it was drawn ashore again. 
Poor Richard says, “ Two removes is as bad as a fire.” I 
doubt whether the crossing of the Boggy was not a complete 
ei to these movers. 
is very rapidly flowing into Texas, and of a class 
idea materially to advance her interests. We con- 
versed very freely with this party, and found them, both in— 
outfit and conversation, a superior stock. They were all 
from Missouri, and had plenty of ready money, 
Es) a : 
Mo. Bot. Garden, 
1897. 
