Landing was now close at hand and
the eager crowd marked time until the bank should be reached.

Soon the boat headed in toward what was left of the once fine landing,
its slowly growing ruin being responsible for the rising importance of
the little hamlet of Westport not far above, and for the later and
pretentious Kansas City which was to arise on the bluff behind the
little frontier village. Independence was losing its importance as a
starting point for the overland traffic in the same way that she had
gained it. First it had been Franklin, then Fort Osage, then Blue Mills,
and then Independence; but now, despite its commanding position on one
of the highest bluffs along the river and its prestige from being the
county seat, the latter was slowly settling in the background and giving
way to Westport; but it was not to give up at once, nor entirely, for
the newer terminals had to share their prominence with it, and until the
end of the overland traffic Independence played its part.

The landing was a busy place. Piles of cordwood and freight, the latter
in boxes, barrels, and crates, flanked the landing on three sides;
several kinds of new wagons in various stages of assembling were scenes
of great activity. Most of these were from Pittsburg and had come all
the way by water. A few were of the size first used on the great trail,
with a capacity of about a ton and a half; but most were much larger and
could carry nearly twice as much as the others. Great bales of Osnaburg
sheets, or wagon covers, were in a pile by themselves, glistening white
in their newness. It appeared that the cargo of the _John Auld_ had not
yet been transported up the bluff to the village on the summit.

The landing became very much alive as the fur company's boat swung in
toward it, the workers who hourly expected the _Missouri Belle_ crowding
to the water's edge to welcome the rounding boat, whose whistle early
had apprised them that she was stopping. Free negroes romped and sang,
awaiting their hurried tasks under exacting masters, the bosses of the
gangs; but this time there was to be no work for them. Vehicles of all
kinds, drawn by oxen, mules, and horses, made a solid phalanx around the
freight piles, among them the wagons of Aull and Company, general
outfitters for all kinds of overland journeys. The narrow, winding road
from the water front up to and onto the great bluff well back from the
river was sticky with mud and lined with strug