present cargo of the Henry Bry was by no means a choir of Psalm-singers, nor quakers. They ate, drank, talked, sang, played cards and smoked cigars when they pleased and as much as they pleased. When the boat stopped at a wood yard, every one of them must needs go ashore and shoot at a spot. When they had no balls, they must go ashore anyhow to jump and run foot races; and when they did not feel in humor of jumping or racing, they must go ashore, by all means, for the sake only of being ashore. This conduct on the part of the American engages might, perhaps, have pleased the captain, who was on board with us, but no doubt, he frequently shook his head and muttered to himself: "These chaps are green and nimble enough now, but by the time they are a month's travel on the prairie, I'll lay a wager, there be not much desire to run foot races." There were also on board the Henry Bry, besides the captain and hands, several officers, lieutenants of the Army, gay young fellows, who run about to accompany the expedition apparently more for the purpose of killing dull time than any thing else.

The voyage from St. Louis to Kanzas was soon made, for the days slipped by most pleasantly to all hands, occupied in the manner I have stated, in doing everything but anything.

Finally, after passing numerous towns and pseudo-cities in embryo, which spotted the banks of the Missouri on each side, on the morning of the ninth, being Monday, the little port of Kansas, the Westport landing came in sight, and now all was hurry and confusion.

Each man grasped his possible sack, which by the way is a provincial name for clothes sack, in one hand, and his blankets and rifle in the other, and stood ready to leap ashore.

As the boat touched the shore, there ensued no tremendous rush of draymen, friends, relations and porters, such as welcome the arrival of a steamer in some great port; but there did ensue a rush of Americans, Canadians, officers, &c., to land,

It was raining in one of those dull moods in which a hazy morning in Missouri is so frequently opened, and by the time we had carried our guns and baggage to a place of security, the wharf or landing was a complete mudhole. The horses had been taken out some three or four miles below us, and we next proceeded to take forth the barrels of flour, of sugar, of coffee, the boxes of rice, or this and that, the bales of one thing and another, the bundles of iron pickets, the long and short boxes of rifles and of instruments of this and that, and lastly seve ral hogsheads of bacon.

I wish not to weary the reader with too many trifling particulars and shall therefore omit many things which might be included in what is denominated a journal. Those, however, which I shall omit, have no relation with the main important subject, and I shall not consider anything as lost by their omission.

Suffice it, therefore, to say, that we and our share of the boat's cargo were unshipped. The boat proceeded on her way up the river, and we endeavored to make ourselves as comfortable as circumstances would permit, by eating a hearty breakfast, taking a hearty dram and strutting along the little landing.

Waggons arrived from Westport about eleven o'clock, to transport baggage and plunder to the camp which some said was near Westport. But as we were all green and did not happen to know very well the situation of Westport and consequently of the camp either-the conclusion was that none of us knew or could be expected to know where the camp was,

However, as soon as the wagons were laden, we started out, one and all, in parties of ten and six for the first camp near Westport.

The first group was composed of ten or twelve, whereof one among the rest was Francois des Montaignes, who with his rifle on his shoulder, trudged along ahead of his companions with much sprightliness and gaieté du coeur. Mile after mile was passed, the day was fast drawing to a close, and the voyagers now hoped soon to see the camp. Yet on they went, the road had no end, and they were fast becoming tired. A wagon passed at a swift pace, a few words passed, and when we arrived at Westport, a wagon stood waiting at the tavern door to transport us to Boone's Fork, six miles farther.

Finally, an hour by sun we reached the edge of that great plain or prairie which stretches out far and wide from the western boundary of Missouri to

the foot of the Stony or Rocky Mountains, and in its extent from north to south it has no confines. The rolls of the prairie before seemed heaved into beautifully rounding waves or surges by some great power, and when we reached the pinnacle of a lofty eminence and beheld the American camp on the prairie below us, it seemed like some distant fleet of vessels at anchor on a heaving sea.

Indeed, we were all in an admirable condition to speculate on matters and things, for at the tavern of Westport all hands made a simultaneous rush at the bar, and the whole crew, one and all, by the time we left the town, which we did with extraordinary eclat-yelling and shouting-wer in a most pitiable condition of gloriousness and well adapted in every way to appreciate the beauty of landscapes and to poetize thereon.

"Old Dan Tucker," that well patronized air, and "Lucy Neal" were sung with rapture; and with a strain of most mournful music, proceeding from our throats in the shape of some five or six different songs at once, our little wagon whirled into the camp.

Our Captain was already there; a couple of old and temporary tents were up, and whilst several large rawboned fellows were cooking a meal, the whole place was a crowd of hangers-on or spectators who, as was supposed, had been lying in wait there for a week or more, in order to make arrangements with Captain Fremont to accompany his expedition.

The herds of mules and horses which belonged to the expedition, were feeding in the distance, whilst every now and then a figure on horseback would flit across the darkening horizon, marking the presence of the horse guards.

The drove of animals were driven up to the camp at dark, and confined in an enclosure made by felling trees in such a manner as by the r fall to form a circle, called in Spanish a "caral." Such was the appearance of the camp when our advanced guard took possession of it.

The first night of our sojourn at this camp on the prairie was rather inauspicious, for the clouds grew black as ebony, and the thunder rolled overhead in threatening murmurs. About eleven o'clock at night the heavy rain drops began to descend; they increased to astonishing violence, and about twelve, the storm was at its height.

The heavy tent cloths flapped about like thread under the violent power of the wind; the water ran down from the hills in streams, passing through the blankets, robes, baggage, &c., which impeded its progress. The tents afforded

no security against the water, though they warded off the descending rain and the poor voyagers who lay crouched like a flock of partridges beneath them, felt their bed cloths and their apparel become wet and heavy. They, however, were not to be pitied when we say that many, unable to find a place within the tents, had been compelled to spread their blankets in the open air and in the empty nncovered wagons. These were of course forced to bear patiently the pitiless pelting of the storm, and to be kept awake by the continual glare of the sheet of lightning which lighted up the prairie equal to a noon-day sun. Amongst this latter class was the unfortunate Francois. He lay crouched in the corner of an uncovered wagon; his gun lay by him and his baggage was strewed around. Another individual there was at the other end of the wagon, but he-fortunate fellowslept and snored away in the rain as if on a bed of warm feathers. He, no doubt, was used to such fare, and had been in a thousand storms like this, for he was a Canadian voyageur. Some were kept on foot, and one poor fellow stalking about in the mud and rain without shoes and asking in a pitiful voice for information, concerning the whereabouts of his hat which the wind no doubt had borne away, looked not unlike some unfortunate ghost among the ruins of Babylon or Colma, on the hill of storms.

Thus passed the first night at Boone's Fork.

"It is night. I am alone, forlorn on the hill of storms. The wind is heard on the mountain. The torrent pours down the rock. No hut receives me from the rain; forlorn on the hill of winds!"

THE SONGS OF SELMA.

From the German of Krummacher.

SELECT PARABLES.

THE APPLE.

There was a rich man at the court of king Herod, who was his high chamberlain, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, and every day lived lordly and in pleasure. A friend of his youth, from a distant land, came there to see him. He had not seen him for many years. And the chamberlain, to honor him, prepared a great banquet, and invited all his friends. On the table were sumptuous viands in gold and silver, and many costly vessels with oil and wine of every kind. And the rich man sat at the head of the table, and on his right hand sat his friend who had come from distant lands. And they ate and drank, and were satisfied.Then spoke the man from distant lands to the chamberlain of king Herod : "Such splendor and magnificence as I find in this house, I never beheld in the length and breadth of my land!” And he extolled all the splendor, and boasted that he was the happiest of all men on earth.

But the rich man, the king's chamberlain. took an apple from a golden vessel. The apple was large and beautiful, and on the outside ruddy as purple. And he took the apple, and s id: 'Behold, this apple was resting on gold, and its appearance is very beautiful. And he gave it to the stranger and friend of his youth. The stranger cut the apple, and, lo, in its heart there was a worm!

The stranger looked side-wise toward, then away from the chamberlain—but the High Chamberlain cast down his eyes and sighed.

THE JEWEL.

A rough jewel was lying in the dust concealed for years among many common worthless stones. Various people walked over it, or trod it under foot, and never picked it up. It also concealed its brilliancy before the eyes of travellers. For its beauty did not disclose itself, but shone in simplicity.

A friend of nature, at last, came in the borders. He sought after flowers and insects, and found the jewel. Smiling he gazed at the stone, and said: Thou art yet ever kind toward thy adorer, lovely mother nature! finds he not, what he with love and stirring sense of truth seeks after, yet finds he surely something, which also was well worthy of the search.'

He took the stone home with him. But, said he, thou rough child of nature-how shall I now begin to polish thee? How shall I take off the gross cover which conceals thy brilliancy?—— -Yet how can what is noble, otherwise than by the noble, become properly fashioned ?—He polished the diamond with the dust of diamonds. Incomparably beamed its ray, and its fame filled the land.

Then the wise friend of nature took the precious stone, and brought it to the good, beloved ruler of the country, and spoke: 'I found this finest production of nature; I polished it to its lustre; I consecrate it to the First of the land, that the jewel may adorn his crown, for it is considered the brightest amount of a princely crown.

But the prince asked: What is the brightest ornament of a princely throne?" -The wise man answered: "What the jewel is to his crown, a circle of the noblest men is to his throne, which it surrounds, and to the prince whom it honors.

INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES &c. OF THE SOUTHERN AND WESTERN STATES. By J. D. B. De Bow. We would call particular attention to the advertisement of this work. Mr. De Bow has rendered valuable service to the interests of the South and West. May he be amply rewarded.

GUIDE TO THE SCENERIES OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY,

With an engraving of seven scenes and a MAP drawn from nature by Egloffstein & Zwanziger, Topographical Engineers on stone by E. & C. Robyn. The book is small. containing only 8 pages; the scenes and map in generalare interesting and must be valuable to the owners of real estate represented. The map embraces 30 square miles, and includes Manchester and the Sulphur Springs on the Maramac. May we not hope for a geological survey and topographical map of the whole county?

In no period of a nation's existence is a greater degree of vigilance required, on the part of its constituents, than in times of peace and commercial prosperity; for while occupied in the pursuit and enjoyment of wealth, individuals, in general, are prone to neglect their social duties, and become indifferent to public policy. Hence, there is no season of repose for the patriot, philanthropist or statesman, and in no period of our history have their active services been more necessary than now. The people of the United States have entered upon a career of civilization which will, as they imagine and hope, develop a higher degree of human excellence, and lead to a more exalted state of individual and social happiness than has been attained since the expulsion of the progenitors of our race from the garden of Eden. And when we contemplate the nature of the fundamental principles upon which our institutions, political and religious, are based, we feel persuaded that the only thing required to preserve a state of continual progression, and ensure the attainment of all that is imagined and hoped for by the American people, is a vigilant and zealous exertion on their part to enlighten the minds, and improve the morals of the ignorant and vicious.

But failing in that, we must, sooner or later, attain the zenith of our national glory, and like the nations who have preceded us, thence decline, and, finally, sink into a state of barbarism.

Then let us not be disappointed in our hopes by placing too much reliance upon the influence of just principles; for although calculated to protect us in the pursuit of happiness, they possess no inherent, active qualities to make men wise, virtuous or great with

out their own exertions. As citizens of a republic we should continually bear in mind that individual happiness is involved in the common welfare; private interest, therefore, as well as duty demands, that we appropriate a reasonable share of our time and means to the amelioration and improvement of the social condition. It is not our purpose in the present paper to investigate the sources of human passions or to examine the causes which give them predominance over reason. We have a more practical object in view, and to that we invite the attention of our readers. The great increase of population and development of the vast resources of the United States, have given an impetus to the growth of American cities which has no parallel in history. Civic communnities, as distinguished from rural, already constitute an important feature of American civilization; and it is our duty to look to the effects which they are likely to produce upon our social and political institutions. Controlled chiefly by laws emanating immediately from the local authorities, the inhabitants of cities feel little interest in the legislation of the State or national government, and their social sympathies rarely extending beyond the limits of the corporationwithin which they reside, it is not to be expected that they will cherish that deep interest in the general welfare of the nation, which animates the inhabitants of rural districts. Besides, from the nature of civic pursuits a considerable portion of the population of all great cities must be employed as menial servants and day laborers-conditions calculated to degrade men in their own estimation, and render them an easy prey to the temptations of vice. Ignorant, destitute of property and uninfluenced by public opinion, there is but one step from useful employment to the alms-house or to the commission of crime; whilst their offspring, growing up in the midst of vice, without precept or examples of virtue, become knaves and vagabonds by profession. Who can contemplate the fact, that in one year in a single city of the United States 21,299 individuals have been committed to prison for crimes and misdemeanors, without being startled at the thought that a large portion of the number were voters, whose suffrages could be bought for a trifle or influenced by the prospect of plunder to be obtained by war?

In monarchical governments this class of population can exercise no influence over the policy of the nation; but not so under republican institutions, where every freeman has a voice, either directly or indirectly in making the laws, and in giving direction to State