328 Expedition to the 



tioned, a fall of snow commenced, and continued during the 

 day; towards evening, it fell mixed with hail and rain, and 

 covered the ground to the depth of about six inches. 



The rain continued for some days, the mercury ranging 

 from 40'^ to 48° and 50°, a temperature and state of weather 

 as little grateful to an ague-shaken invalid as any can be. 

 The snow, which fell on the 10th, remained on the ground 

 until the 18th, when it had nearly disappeared, and a succes- 

 sion of bright days followed. The air was now filled with 

 countless flocks of geese, sand-hill cranes, and other migra- 

 tory birds on their passage to the south. The migrations of 

 the Ardea catiadensis afford one of the most beautiful in- 

 stances of animal motion we can any where meet with. 

 These birds fly at a great height, and wheeling in circles, 

 appear to float without effort, on the surface of an serial cur- 

 rent, by whose eddies they are borne about in an endless 

 series of revolutions. Though larger than a goose, they are 

 seen to rise to so great an elevation, as to appear like points, 

 sometimes luminous, and sometimes opake, as they happen 

 to intercept or reflect the rays of the sun, but even from this 

 height their shrill and incessant clamour may be heard. 



While at Cape Girardeau, we were induced, from motives 

 of curiosity, to attend at the performance of some ceremo- 

 nies by the negroes, over the grave of one of their friends, 

 who had been buried a month since. The)' were assembled 

 round the grave where several hymns were sung, an exhor- 

 tation was also pronounced by one who officiated as minister 

 of the gospel, who also made a prayer for the welfare of the 

 soul of the deceased. This ceremony, we are told, is common 

 among the negroes in many parts of the United States; the 

 dead are buried privately, and with few marks of attention; 

 a month afterwards, the friends assemble at the grave, where 

 they indulge their grief, and signify their sorrow for the de- 

 ceased, by the performance of numerous religious rites. 



On the 22nd November, having been informed the Ohio 



