30 
.LETTEES FEOM ALABAMA. 
the broad river to a brook ; the calm, mirror-like 
surface, uhrutSed hj a zephyr, gives back the light 
of each individual star ; and now and then, as we 
round some point, a bright red glare, with its 
watery reflection, suddenly and unexpectedly bursts 
upon our gaze from the beacon-fire of some wood- 
yard, casting a broad illumination on the opposite 
bank, which has a startling and poetic effect; 
while the hoarse and hollow booming of the steam, 
occurring at regularly measured intervals, seems 
not out of keeping with the general solemnity of 
the scene. The busv hum and bustle of the vessel 
«/ 
gradually subsided into quietness ; but long after 
all the rest of the passengers had retired to rest, 
to whom I suppose the scene presented not the 
charm of novelty, I continued on deck with un- 
abated delight ; and when I retired, it was not to 
sleep, for I could not avoid sitting up in bed, and 
gazing, through the open window of my berth, on 
the placid beauty of the night. 
At early day, too, I found it delightful to stand 
alone on the upper deck, and watch the opening 
morning. It was yet dawn ; stillness - and quiet 
prevailed, the decks were yet untrodden, the noise 
of the day was yet hushed, the bats and the whip- 
poor-wills were still sweeping over the stream in 
tortuous flight, both engaged in the same vocation, 
the pursuit of crepuscular insects. The breadth of 
wing and rushing flight of the latter deceived me 
for some time into the notion that they were large 
swallows ; the bat, though of swift wing, had no 
chance whatever in a race with them. As the 
eastern sky began to glow and brighten into fiery 
red, they gradually disappeared, the bats being the 
first to retire. Soon the sun, with dilated face. 
