est I have seen in any
country. The river is marked by ample groves of superb cottonwoods and
by immense thickets of the wild prairie-rose and moss-rose, while the
shores are endlessly interesting and curious, especially the left bank,
on account of the singular forms of the mud and sandstone hills, along
which, in places, lie for miles black level strata of lignite. At Fort
Keogh we took a steamer to Bismarck, whence we travelled by rail on the
Northern Pacific road, reaching home September 9th. We had journeyed
sixty-five hundred miles--on horses, six hundred; by ambulances, four
hundred; by boat, six hundred and seventy-five.

S. WEIR MITCHELL, M. D.

FOOTNOTES:

[A] Nicholas Biddle.

[B] A little valley--probably from the French _coulisse_, a narrow
channel.

ADAM AND EVE.

CHAPTER XIX.

Aunt Hepzibah's house stood well up the hill, far enough away from the
village to escape the hubbub and confusion which during the removal of
any considerable store of spirit were most certain to prevail.

Hidden away in the recesses of a tortuous valley, amid hills whose steep
sides bristled with tier after tier of bare, broken rocks, to reach or
to leave Polperro by any other mode than on foot was a task of
considerable difficulty. Wagons were unknown, carts not available, and
it was only at the risk of his rider's life and limbs that any horse
ventured along the perilous descents and ascents of the old Talland
road. Out of these obstacles, therefore, arose the necessity for a
number of men who could manage the drays, dorsals and crooks which were
the more common and favored modes of conveyance. With the natural love
of a little excitement, combined with the desire to do as you would be
done by, it was only thought neighborly to lend a hand at whatever might
be going on; and the general result of this sociability was that half
the place might be found congregated about the house, assisting to the
best of their ability to impede all progress and successfully turn any
attempt at work into confusion and disorder.

To add to this tumult, a keg of spirits was kept on tap, to which all
comers were made free, so that the crowd grew first noisy and
good-tempered, then riotously merry and quarrelsomely drunk, until
occasions had been known when a general fight had ensued, the kegs had
got burst open and upset, the men who were hired to deliver them lay
maddened or helpless in the street, while the spirit for which lib