“He has just been reading the slabs sent from Nineveh by Mr. Marsh; their date is only about five hundred years B.C.

“Mr. Seyffarth’s published works amount to seventy, and he was surprised to find a whole set of them in the Astor Library in New York.

“March 19.  We came on board of the steamer ‘Magnolia,’ this morning, in great spirits.  We were a little late, and Miss S. rushed on board as if she had only New Orleans in view.  I followed a little more slowly, and the brigadier-general came after, in a sober and dignified manner.

“We were scarcely on board when the plank was pulled in, and a few minutes passed and we were afloat on the Mississippi river.  Miss S. and myself were the only lady passengers; we had, therefore, the whole range of staterooms from which to choose.  Each could have a stateroom to herself, and we talked in admiration of the pleasant times we should have, watching the scenery from the stateroom windows, or from the saloon, reading, etc.

“We started off finely.  I, who had been used only to the rough waters of the Atlantic coast, was surprised at the steady gliding of the boat.  I saw nothing of the mingling of the waters of the Missouri and the Mississippi of which I had been told.  Perhaps I needed somebody to point out the difference.

“The two banks of the river were at first much alike, but after a few hours the left bank became more hilly, and at intervals presented bluffs and rocks, rude and irregular in shape, which we imagined to be ruins of some old castle.

“At intervals, too, we passed steamers going up to St. Louis, all laden with passengers.  We exulted in our majestic march over the waters.  I thought it the very perfection of travelling, and wished that all my family and all my friends were on board.

“I wondered at the stupidity of the rest of the world, and thought that they ought all to leave the marts of business, to step from the desk, the counting-room, and the workshop on board the ‘Magnolia,’ and go down the length of the ‘Father of Waters.’

“And so they would, I suppose, but for sand-bars.  Here we are five hours out, and fast aground!  We were just at dinner, the captain making himself agreeable, the dinner showing itself to be good, when a peculiar motion of the boat made the captain heave a sigh—­he had been heaving the lead all the morning.  ‘Ah,’ he said, ’just what I feared; we’ve got to one of those bad places, and we are rubbing the bottom.’

“I asked very innocently if we must wait for the tide, and was informed that there was no tide felt on this part of the river.  Miss S. turned a little pale, and showed a loss of appetite.  I was a little bit moved, but kept it to myself and ate on.

“As soon as dinner was over, we went out to look at the prospect of affairs.  We were close into the land, and could be put on shore any minute; the captain had sent round a little boat to sound the waters, and the report brought back was of shallow water just ahead of us, but more on the right and left.