The appearance presented by the forests at this season is very beautiful—­the trees are covered with leaves of almost every colour, from bright crimson to nearly snow-white; the admixture of green, brown, yellow, scarlet, &c., such as is almost peculiar to an American forest, produces a very pleasing combination.

We again reached Albion, and retraced our steps from thence to Harmony, where we deposited our friend B——­; and after having remained there for a few days to refresh ourselves and horse, set forward for Ohio.  The weather had now become unfavourable, and the frequent rains and high winds were shaking the leaves down in myriads—­the entire of our journey through Indiana being across forests, we were under one constant shower of leaves from Harmony to Cincinnati.

One day while getting our horse fed at a tavern in Indiana, the following conversation took place between the persons there assembled.  We were sitting at the door, surrounded by captains, lawyers, and squires, when one of the gentlemen demanded of another if there had not been a “gouging scrape” at the “Colonel’s tavern” the evening before.  He replied in the affirmative; and after having related the cause of quarrel, and said that the lie had been given, he continued, “the judge knocked the major right over, and jumped on to him in double quick time—­they had it rough and tumble for about ten minutes—­Lord J—–­s Alm——­y!—­as pretty a scrape as ever you see’d—­the judge is a wonderfully lovely fellow.”  Then followed a description of the divers punishments inflicted by the combatants on each other—­the major had his eye nearly “gouged” out, and the judge his chin almost bitten off.  During the recital, the whole party was convulsed with laughter—­in which we joined most heartily.

We of course returned by a different route through Indiana, passing from Princeton to Portersville, and from thence through Paoli, Salem, and New Lexington, to Madison.  The country about Madison is hilly and broken, which makes travelling tedious in the extreme.  From the mouth of the Big Miami to Blue river, a range of hills runs parallel to the Ohio, alternately approaching to within a few perches of the river, and receding to a distance of one to two miles.  Below Blue river the hills disappear, and the land becomes level and heavily timbered.  There is also another range of hills, extending from the Falls of Ohio to the Wabash in a south-westerly direction, which are called the “knobs:”  to the west of these are the “flats;” and from the Wabash to lake Michigan the country is champaign.

Indianopolis is the capital of Indiana, and is seated on the White river.  This state averages about 270 miles from north to south, and 144 miles from east to west:  area, 37,000 square miles, or 23,680,000 acres.  The population in 1810, was 24,520—­in 1820, 147,178:  white males, 79,919; white females, 69,107; slaves, 190; militia in 1821, 14,990.  The present population is 341,582.