uaresails, sent down all the yards and top-masts, for I feared that
we might have trouble with the "low bridges," and perhaps with the
trees that overhung the stream in some places. We frequently met river
steamers, and I found by comparison, that our lower masts were not
higher above the surface of the water than the smoke-stacks of the
boats.

We continued on our course all night, one of the pilots being on duty
all the time. In the morning the appearance of the country was more
picturesque, and we had a delightful day. In the afternoon we passed
through the lake at Peoria, which was a beautiful sheet of water. We
had a current to contend with, and our progress was not so rapid as it
had been the day before. On the following morning we reached the head
of the natural navigation of the river. I went ashore at Peru, and
chartered a canal-boat, and engaged a number of horses and drivers.

"What now, Captain Alick?" called Colonel Shepard, when I came on board
of the Sylvania, with the Islander made fast to her.

"Lots of work for a few hours," I replied, directing the mate to call
all hands, for I wished to avoid all delays.

I found the two steamers were each drawing seven and a half feet of
water. We were about to enter the Illinois and Michigan Canal,
extending from La Salle to Chicago. I had ascertained that it was six
feet deep; and I did not think it was likely to be below that at the
present high stage of water. We had only about a hundred miles between
the steamers and Lake Michigan.

The government of the United States has already considered the question
of making this canal deep enough to float ordinary lake-craft, so that
gunboats and other war vessels may be sent through from the Mississippi
to the lakes in case of war with our English neighbors. Probably it
will be done some time, but in the interests of commerce rather than
war.

The steamers, drawing seven and a half feet of water, could not pass
through the canal, which was only six feet deep. But I was not
disturbed by this fact, as I was prepared for it. The year before, when
I had put the Sylvania through a thorough course of repairs, I had
removed everything out of her except her engine and boiler. She had a
considerable quantity of ballast in her, composed of pigs of iron. When
everything was taken out of her, she drew a little less than six feet.

The canal-boat I had engaged was drawn in between the two steamers, and
we proceeded to load it