A LAUNCH AND CLEARANCE.

17

and at 2 P. M., 22d Feb., gave the word, "let go," run up our sail, and as it was blowing a stiff breeze from the ocean, glided rapidly along up the river, our worthy captain, Dennison, and his accomplished mate, Wm. Bliss, of the "Marietta," calling all hands on deck, and giving us three times three as we parted, to which adios we responded with feeling hearts. Now, as there is a straight run of three miles, a fair wind, and nothing to do but attend to our sail and tiller, we will take a survey of craft and crew. We are freighted with trunks, shovels, pick-axes, India-rubber bags, smoked ham, rifles, camp-kettles, hard-bread, swords and cheese. Our crew, commencing at the tallest, (we had no first officer,) consisted of two brothers, Dodge, young men of intelligence and enterprise; the eldest a man of the most indomitable perseverance, the younger of the most unbounded good humor, both calculated to make friends wherever they go, and to ride over difficulties without a murmur. They had associated with them three Germans, Shultz, Eiswald, and Hush. Shultz was a young man of energy, fond of music, a good singer, gentlemanly and companionable; Eiswald, full of humor and mirth, extracting pleasure from every incident, always at his post, a fine companion and good navigator; Hush, was a small man, with exceedingly large feet; he appeared to be entirely out of his element; he was disposed to do all he could, but his limbs would not obey him; his arms appeared to be mismated; his legs, when set in motion, would each take an opposite direction, and his feet were everywhere, except where he wanted to have them. We were quite safe when he was still, but when set in motion we found him a dangerous companion. Mr. Russ, a young lawyer of New York, Mr. Cooper, an artist, also of New York, a man of energy, perseverance and genius, and one of the most efficient men of the party. Mr. Beaty, an elderly man, extremely tall and slender, and very moral and exemplary in his habits; being in feeble health, he was to act as cook for the voyage. Ninthly and lastly, myself, an extremely choleric young man, of whom delicacy forbids me to say more.

We have now arrived at the bend of the river, and as here is a spring of excellent water, we make fast and fill our water-keg. Water is obtained here for the vessels in port, by sending up