the gig. After
undergoing a questioning and cross-questioning that would have done
honour to an experienced diplomatist, we had succeeded in striking up a
sort of alliance with Mr Isaac Shifty, and were on our way to one of the
hundred famous cities of Alabama--cities which have decidedly not their
match in the whole of the United States.

I do not know how it happens, but I am constantly finding myself
disappointed in my expectations. I had hoped that the distance between
the infernal maple swamp and the place to which we were going, would
have borne some sort of relative proportion to the agreeableness of our
situation--that is to say, that it would not be very great. It
nevertheless appeared to me enormous, and Horace's impatience during his
celebrated walk was trifling compared to mine. Our Yankee, like the
Roman babbler, had abundance of time to discourse on fifty different
subjects. The first which he brought before our notice was naturally his
own worthy person. From the interesting piece of biography with which he
favoured us, we learned that he was originally from Connecticut, and
that his first occupation had been that of usher in a school; which
employment he had, after a short trial, exchanged for the less
honourable but more independent one of a pedlar. From that he had risen
to be a trader and shop-keeper, and was now, as he modestly informed us,
a highly respectable and well-to-do man. He next gave us an account of
all the varieties of merchandise in which he dealt, or ever had dealt;
intermixing the details with an occasional side-blow at a certain Mr
Bursicut, who had dared to set up an opposition store, and whom
Providence had punished for his presumption by the loss of sundry dozen
knives and forks, and pairs of shoes, upon the Mussel shoals. He then
found occasion to talk of the thousand and one mishaps that had occurred
upon the aforesaid Mussel shoals; and thence branched off into the
various modes of water-carriage which the enlightened inhabitants of
Alabama were accustomed to employ. After amusing us for some time with
long histories concerning steam-boats and keel-boats, barks and
flat-boats, broad-horns, dug-outs, and canoes, he glided into some
canal-making scheme, which was to connect the waters of the Tennessee
with Heaven knows what others. It was a most monstrous plan--that I
remember; but whether the junction was to be made with Raritan bay or
Connecticut river, I have clean forgotten.