CHAPTER VII.

Leave the Creek Territory-Mrs Lucas' Hotel-Capital Dinner— Montgomery-Circuit Court-Want of Accommodation — Major Johnson-Untimely Visit of Tomie Collins-Board and Lodging— Journey from Montgomery to Mobile-Captain Wade in the Stage -Dangerous Passage of the River-Waggon-load of Whisky— Prairie Land-Flowers, Plants, and Shrubs-Islands of Wooded Land in the Prairies-Want of Roads in the Prairies-Mrs Bonum's Breakfast-Manners of the Hotel-keepers and Drivers in this Country-Treatment of an Old Woman by the Indians-Colonel Wood's Hotel—His Killing the Deer—Origin of Colonel Wood's Military Title-Lynch's Law-Fine Trees and Shrubs in the Southern Country—Oak, Tulip-tree, Magnolia, Dog-wood, Red-bud, Catalpa—The Wild Turkey-Want of Singing Birds-Major Taylor's HotelThunder Storm-Price's Hotel-Mrs Price from Isle of Skye— Their Opinion of Captain Hall's Travels-Thinness of the Population—Piney and Oakey-Cocker's Hotel—Longmyer's Hotel— Elisha Lolly, a Driver—His Oaths—Splendid Evergreens-Butterflies Mrs Longmyer's Skill in Medicine-Duncan Macmillan's Hotel, Argyleshire Man-He and his Wife speak Gaelic-His Farm -Manners of the Family-Family Worship-Breakfast at Mr Peebles' Hotel-Conduct of the Driver-Mrs Mills-No ardent Spirits in any of the Hotels here-Indian Gamekeeper-Stage-house building for Mrs Mills-Pork, the general Food at this Season— Customs to wash in the open space in the Houses-Judge Burns' House at Blakeley-Driver to Mobile-His Salary-Steam-boat from Blakeley to Mobile, and from Mobile to New Orleans-Mobile unhealthy-Details of the Steam-boat from Mobilę to New Or

leans-Claret in general usee-Pascagola-Pelican Bird-Sheepshead Fish-Canal for Six Miles to New Orleans.

March 1830.

A FEW miles after leaving the Indian territory, we stopped at the hotel of Mrs Lucas to dine. She has been a good-looking woman, but now is fatter at her age, (only thirty-five) than any woman I ever saw. She is married now for the second time, her first husband having been killed in a conflict with the Indians. She takes the entire management of her house, and, from what I saw and heard, manages it admirably. At dinner, she sat at the head of the table, her husband sitting at one side; and the dinner, consisting of chickenpie, ham, vegetables, pudding, and pie, was so neatly put upon the table, and so well cooked,—and the dessert, consisting of dried fruits, preserved strawberries and plumbs, was so excellent of all its kinds, and withal the guests seemed to be made so welcome to every thing that was best, that Mrs Lucas was, in our eyes, almost as meritorious a person as the old lady at the Bridge Inn, at Ferrybridge in Yorkshire, whose good cheer no Scotsman, travelling between London and Edinburgh, ever omitted, if it was in his power to enjoy. The preserved plum was in as great perfection here as at Ferrybridge. There was wine on the table, as well as brandy and water; and plenty of time was allowed us to partake of our repast. The whole charge was only three-quarters of a dollar for each person. This certainly was as comfortable a meal as we found anywhere in travelling in the United States.

We

reached Montgomery, the capital of Alabama, in the evening; but the circuit being here, it was very difficult to find accommodation at either of the hotels. The landlord at the hotel where we stopped smiled, when I asked if I could have a separate bed-room. As soon, therefore, as I had my portmanteau deposited in a place of security, I sallied forth under the guidance of one of the waiters, with a view to find out a lodging. I was told that Major Johnson, a Scotch gentleman, who is well known in the United States, on account of the exertions he made to save part of the Archives at Washington, on occasion of the British incursion, resided in the suburbs, and was always glad to see his countrymen. It turned out, unluckily, when I went to his house, that neither he nor any of his family were at home. I called at two or three other places which were pointed out to me, but had no better success, and returned to the hotel without attaining my object. The bar-keeper, however, after some talk, took pity on me, and told me he would put me in a double-bedded room, into which he should take care that no one should have right from him to enter; but that I must keep the door bolted, to prevent any one from coming into the room and taking possession, when he found only one of the beds occupied. I need not say that I obeyed orders; but I had not observed that there were two doors in the room to be secured, and only secured one. About the end of my first sleep, I was awoke by the noise of an intruder in the room. He brought no light with him. I started out of bed, and called, "Who's

there." He answered, "I'm, I'm Tomie Collins." Whoever you are, I replied, you must get out of the room, both beds are taken. I hurried him out of the room without a moment's delay. I found the door at which he had entered, and had it bolted immediately. When I rose very early next morning, I discovered that the door of the hotel had not only not been locked, but had been standing open all night. I see in the newspapers, which I have got, published here, that boarding and lodging may be had by the year, in the best hotels in the neighbourhood, for 100 dollars.

On the following morning, I started by the stage for Mobile, on the Gulf of Mexico. There is steamnavigation from Montgomery to Mobile by the Alabama River; but the steam-vessels are more for the conveyance of cotton than of passengers; and the distance by the river, about 400 miles, is more than twice as long as by land. I had only one fellow-traveller in the stage, Captain Wade. He was acquainted with the country; but I believe he, as well as I, thought the driver had got us into a scrape, by preferring the ford to the bridge over the river, on our way to the south of Montgomery. We were all but swamped. The water got into the carriage; but the American drivers are very fond of sailing close to the wind, and never run any hazard, as far as I have seen, without being sure that they will be able to extricate themselves. On the road near the river, we met an immense waggon load of whisky proceeding to Montgomery. The driver stopped and saluted; and the

driver of the whisky allowed our driver to take as much of it from a great greybeard as he chose. He had also the courtesy to offer to the inside passengers as much of the liquor as we liked. But, while we acknowledged his kindness, neither of us had any disposition, so early in the morning, to hob and nob with him.

Not long after leaving the river, the stage passed through the first prairie land that I have seen, consisting of large undulating pastures, which never seem to have been covered with wood; on the skirts of which are fine forest trees, and frequently dropping trees, and clumps of wood adorning the plains.

Before I saw the prairie land, I was impressed with the notion that the prairies were great arid plains, almost entirely level; but the first prairie I now passed convinced me of my mistake, as it consisted of waving ground, necessarily of good soil, from the beautiful sward of grass rising from it. This is the character of a great part of the prairie land; but there are some entirely level plains in Louisiana. The great prairie land of America bears, as remarked by Darby, a close resemblance in geographical position, and in characteristic marks, to the Steppes of Asia. The inhabitants, too, of each of those districts have been free, as the plains over which they roam, knowing no luxury beyond the chace, nor any pursuit beyond their herds and their fields.

I can hardly trust myself to describe the prairie lands of this and the western states, where I afterwards