RELIGIOUS MEETINGS. 279 The Methodists, too, have done great and incalculable good. They are generally of a character, education, and training, that prepare them for the elements upon which they are destined to operate. They speak the dialect, understand the interests, and enter into the feelings of their audience. They exert a prodigious and incalculable bearing upon the rough back-woodsmen; and do good where more polished and trained ministers would preach without effect. No mind but His for whom they labour can know how many profane they have reclaimed, drunkards they have reformed, and wanderers they have brought home to God." I have already noticed that Mr. Flint is no fanatic, and I think I can prove this on his own authority, by quoting the following striking passage from one of his letters to a friend :-"You and I, (he writes), think alike about the monstrous absurdities of the Catholic faith; but we differ about what it would be if these absurdities were laid aside, as I trust they gradually will be. There can be no question about the revolting contradictions of the real presence, the infallibility of the pope or the church, and other additions of the dark ages to their faith and ceremonial. But their reverential attachment to their ministers, their disposition to regard their church, and their doctrine everywhere as one; their unwillingness to dispute about the articles of their faith; their disposition to sacrifice personal interests to the common cause; and the imposing forms of their worship; might not be regarded by Protestants without utility. When I have seen tranquillity settle on the expiring countenance of the Catholic, after his minister has administered extreme unction and said, Depart, Christian soul,' I have regretted the condition of those who have always been perplexing themselves about points that human reason has no concern with, and who have nothing but doubting for this last solemn hour.” Mrs. Trollope's opinions are upon this subject in direct opposition to her friend Mr. Flint's. She sees nothing right, at least if she writes what she really believes, but the doctrines and forms of the National Church. She seems even a more prejudiced person in religious matters than Dr. Johnson, who, when writing of the state of religion in the western islands of Scotland, which he was visiting, admitted that the people "had no reason to complain of insufficient pastors, for I saw not one in the islands whom I had reason to think either deficient in learning or irregular in life, but found several with whom I could not converse without wishing, as my respect increased, that they had not been Presbyterians." Dr. Johnson admitted, that the clergy were able, learned, and of irreproachable lives; but all would not do, unless they were of the Church of England. Mrs. Trollope's views are even more contracted than those of this most illiberal high churchman. She allows no good quality where the individual does not belong either to the Roman Catholic Church, or to the Church of England. About twelve o'clock on the 14th April, we reached RELIGIOUS MEETINGS. 281 the junction of the Mississippi with the Ohio, which Mr. Jefferson, in his Notes on Virginia, describes as "the most beautiful river on earth; its currents gentle; waters clear; and bosom smooth; unbroken by rocks and rapids,-a single instance only excepted,-for nearly 1000 miles. The French who first navigated the Ohio, on their descent of the Mississippi from Canada, uniformly called it " la belle rivière." CHAPTER XXVIII. Junction of the Mississippi with the Ohio-Turbidity of the Mississippi and clearness of the Ohio-Extent of the boatable Waters of the Ohio-Course of the Ohio-Current-Tennessee River-Cumberland River-Shawneetown-New Harmony-Mr. Audubon-Banks of Ohio-Shipping-port-Hacks to Louisville-Passengers in the Constitution-Mr. Ferrall's Description of the Society in a Mississippi Steam-boat-Accidents to Steam-boats on the Mississippi— Rapids of the Ohio-Canal to remove the obstruction they createAllen's Hotel at Louisville-Details of the Town-Mr. Palmer, bookseller-Mr. Cosbie-Churches-Evening Society here-Morals of the People-Mr. Abel, a Catholic Clergyman-700,000 Catholics in the United States-Sunday at Louisville-Houses of doubtful Character in the Neighbourhood of Louisville-Mrs. Trollope's opinion of the Decorum of the American Ladies-Opinions respecting Mr. Owen's Establishment at Harmony, by Mr. Ainslie and others— Theatre at Louisville-Mrs. Drake-Market-Hotel Table-Voyage in the Volunteer Steam-boat from Louisville to St. LouisDouble Steam-boat for removing Snags -Construction of the BoatValue-Commercial Loss annually occasioned by the Sawyers and Planters-Number of Steam-boats on the Western Rivers-Tonnage -Number of Flat-boats-Quantity of Wood used in the largest Steam-boats-Passengers to St. Louis-A married Lady going a Thousand Miles on a Visit-Mr. Garrard, an English Farmer-Mr. Mather, Member of the House of Representatives of Illinois-Details from Mr. Mather as to Mr. Birkbeck, and his appointment as Secretary of State, and Rejection by the Senate-No Grounds for the reported Antipathy of the Americans to the British-Mr. Mather's JUNCTION OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 283 Recommendation of the Sangamon District of Illinois-Four Emigrants from New England to Illinois-A British Officer now settled in America, who was with Mr. Hunt at the Manchester MeetingMr. Keyte, Merchant at St. Louis-His Purchase of Land on the Missouri-Captain Rice-A German carrying Monangahela Whisky for Sale-Mr. Brox's Farm on the Ohio-Appearance of the Mississippi above the Confluence with the Ohio-Cape Girardeau Plantations-Kaskaskia River-St. Geneviève - HerculaneumCliffs of Selma-Village of Carondelet-Approach to St. Louis. April 1830. THE Ohio enters the Mississippi nearly in a southeasterly direction; but the latter turns immediately to the south-west, and thence moves on majestically, with a current more rapid than the Ohio. In ordinary seasons and in ordinary circumstances these rivers are nearly two miles wide, and with a volume of water pretty much alike at the point of junction. They seem to oppose an equal resistance, slacken their course, and appear to sleep together for some leagues in their common bed. When floods take place, and the Ohio is the highest, it was no easy matter, before the introduction of steam-vessels, to accomplish the ascent of the Ohio at the junction. When the Mississippi is the highest, the Ohio is often as it were dammed up for several miles. On the one side you perceive the Mississippi presenting a vast agitated and turbid body of water; and on the other the Ohio comparatively clear, calm, descending slowly from the north. The point where their streams unite, though elevated more than twenty feet above them, is not visible in great inundations, when their united waters form a prodigious lake. The |