NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 1:33 



Ohio until the month of July, — nay, sometimes not until October ; and 

 after all this immense trouble, it brought only a few bags of coffee, and 

 at most 100 hogsheads of sugar. Such was the state of things in 1808. 

 The number of barges at that period did not amount to more than 25 or 30, 

 and the largest probably did not exceed 1 00 tons burden. To make the best 

 of this fatiguing navigation, I may conclude by saying, that a barge which 

 came up in three months had done wonders, for I believe, few voyages 

 were performed in that time. 



If I am not mistaken, the first steam-boat that went down out of the 

 Ohio to New Orleans was named the " Orleans," and if I remember right, 

 was commanded by Captain Ogden. This voyage, I believe was per- 

 formed in the spring of 1810. It was, as you may suppose, looked upon 

 as the ne plus ultra of enterprise. Soon after, another vessel came from 

 Pittsburg, and before many years elapsed, to see a vessel so propelled 

 became a common occurrence. In 1826, after a lapse of time that pro- 

 ved sufficient to double the population of the United States of America, 

 the navigation of the Mississippi had so improved both in respect to fa- 

 cility and quickness, that I know no better way of giving you an idea of 

 it, than by presenting you with an extract of a letter from my eldest son, 

 which was taken from the books of N. Berthoud, Esq. with whom he at 

 that time resided. 



" You ask me in your last letter for a list of the arrivals and depart- 

 ures here. I give you an abstract from our list of 1 826, shewing the 

 number of boats which phed each year, their tonnage, the trips which 

 they performed, and the quantity of goods landed here from New Orleans 

 and intermediate places. 



" 1823, from Jan. 1. to Dec. 31. 42 boats, measuring 7,860 tons. 98 trips. 19,453 tons. 



1824, do. 1. Nov. 25. 36 do. 6,393 do. 118 do. 20,291 do. 



1825, do. 1. Aug. 15. 42 do. 7,484 do. 140 do. 24,102 do. 



1826, do. 1. Dec. 31, 51 do. 9,388 do. 182 do. 28,914 do. 



" The amount for the present year will be much greater than any of the 

 above. The number of flat-boats and keels is beyond calculation. The 

 number of steam-boats above the Falls I cannot say much about, except 

 that one or two arrive at and leave Louisville every day. Their passage 

 from Cincinnati is commonly 14 or 16 hours. The Tecumseh, a boat 

 which runs between this place and New Orleans, and which measures 

 210 tons, arrived here on the 10th instant, in 9 days 7 hours, from port 



