ARRIVAL AT ST. GENEVIEVE. 33 



dam of ice gave way. The current of the Mississippi had forced 

 its way against that of the Ohio ; and in less than four hours 

 we witnessed the complete breaking up of the ice. 



" During that winter the ice was so thick, the patrom said we 

 might venture to start. The cargo was soon on board, and the 

 camp given up to the Indians, after bidding mutual adieus, as 

 when brothers part. The navigation was now of the most 

 dangerous kind ; the boat was pushed by long poles on the ice, 

 and against the bottom when it could be touched, and we moved 

 extremely slowly. The ice was higher than our heads, and I 

 frequently thought, that if a sudden thaw should take place we 

 should be in great peril ; but fortunately all this was escaped, 

 and we reached safely the famous cape. 



" But the village was small, and no market for us, and we 

 determined to push up to St. Genevieve, and once more were in 

 motion between the ice. We arrived in a few days at the 

 grand tower, where an immense rock in the stream makes the 

 navigation dangerous. Here we used our Cordelias, and with 

 great difficulty and peril passed it safely. It was near this 

 famous tower of granite that I first saw the great eagle that I 

 have named after our good and great General Washington. The 

 weather continued favourable, and we arrived in safety at 

 St. Genevieve, and found a favourable market. Our whisky 

 was especially welcome, and what we had paid twenty-five cents 

 a gallon for, brought us two dollars. St. Genevieve was then an 

 old French town, twenty miles below St. Louis, not so large as 

 dirty, and I was not half so pleased with the time spent there 

 as with that spent in the Tawapatee Bottom. Here I met with 

 the Frenchman who accompanied Lewis and Clark to the 

 Eocky Mountains. They had just returned, and I was delighted 

 to learn from them many particulars of their interesting 

 journey." 



