north america-1-第52章

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ng　standing　at　the　confluence　of　the　Minnesota　and　Mississippi　Rivers；　built　there　to　repress　the　Indians。　　It　is；　I　take　it；　very　necessary；　especially　at　the　present　moment；　as　the　Indians　seem　to　require　repressing。　　They　have　learned　that　the　attention　of　the　Federal　government　has　been　called　to　the　war；　and　have　become　bold　in　consequence。　　When　I　was　at　St。　Paul　I　heard　of　a　party　of　Englishmen　who　had　been　robbed　of　everything　they　possessed；　and　was　informed　that　the　farmers　in　the　distant　parts　of　the　State　were　by　no　means　secure。　　The　Indians　are　more　to　be　pitied　than　the　farmers。　　They　are　turning　against　enemies　who　will　neither　forgive　nor　forget　any　injuries　done。　When　the　war　is　over　they　will　be　improved；　and　polished；　and　annexed；　till　no　Indian　will　hold　an　acre　of　land　in　Minnesota。　　At　present　Fort　Snelling　is　the　nucleus　of　a　recruiting　camp。　　On　the　point　between　the　bluffs　of　the　two　rivers　there　is　a　plain；　immediately　in　front　of　the　fort；　and　there　we　saw　the　newly…joined　Minnesota　recruits　going　through　their　first　military　exercises。　They　were　in　detachments　of　twenties；　and　were　rude　enough　at　their　goose　step。　　The　matter　which　struck　me　most　in　looking　at　them　was　the　difference　of　condition　which　I　observed　in　the　men。　　There　were　the　country　lads；　fresh　from　the　farms；　such　as　we　see　following　the　recruiting　sergeant　through　English　towns；　but　there　were　also　men　in　black　coats　and　black　trowsers；　with　thin　boots；　and　trimmed　beardsbeards　which　had　been　trimmed　till　very　lately；　and　some　of　them　with　beards　which　showed　that　they　were　no　longer　young。　　It　was　inexpressibly　melancholy　to　see　such　men　as　these　twisting　and　turning　about　at　the　corporal's　word；　each　handling　some　stick　in　his　hand　in　lieu　of　weapon。　　Of　course；　they　were　more　awkward　than　the　boys；　even　though　they　were　twice　more　assiduous　in　their　efforts。　　Of　course；　they　were　sad　and　wretched。　I　saw　men　there　that　were　very　wretchedall　but　heart…broken；　if　one　might　judge　from　their　faces。　　They　should　not　have　been　there　handling　sticks；　and　moving　their　unaccustomed　legs　in　cramped　paces。　　They　were　as　razors；　for　which　no　better　purpose　could　be　found　than　the　cutting　of　blocks。　　When　such　attempts　are　made　the　block　is　not　cut；　but　the　razor　is　spoiled。　　Most　unfit　for　the　commencement　of　a　soldier's　life　were　some　that　I　saw　there；　but　I　do　not　doubt　that　they　had　been　attracted　to　the　work　by　the　one　idea　of　doing　something　for　their　country　in　its　trouble。　From　Fort　Snelling　we　went　on　to　the　Falls　of　Minnehaha。　Minnehaha；　laughing　water。　　Such；　I　believe；　is　the　interpretation。　The　name　in　this　case　is　more　imposing　than　the　fall。　　It　is　a　pretty　little　cascade；　and　might　do　for　a　picnic　in　fine　weather；　but　it　is　not　a　waterfall　of　which　a　man　can　make　much　when　found　so　far　away　from　home。　　Going　on　from　Minnehaha　we　came　to　Minneapolis；　at　which　place　there　is　a　fine　suspension　bridge　across　the　river；　just　above　the　falls　of　St。　Anthony　and　leading　to　the　town　of　that　name。　　Till　I　got　there　I　could　hardly　believe　that　in　these　days　there　should　be　a　living　village　called　Minneapolis　by　living　men。　　I　presume　I　should　describe　it　as　a　town；　for　it　has　a　municipality；　and　a　post…office；　and；　of　course；　a　large　hotel。　　The　interest　of　the　place；　however；　is　in　the　saw…　mills。　　On　the　opposite　side　of　the　water；　at　St。　Anthony；　is　another　very　large　hoteland　also　a　smaller　one。　　The　smaller　one　may　be　about　the　size　of　the　first…class　hotels　at　Cheltenham　or　Leamington。　　They　were　both　closed；　and　there　seemed　to　be　but　little　prospect　that　either　would　be　opened　till　the　war　should　be　over。　　The　saw…mills；　however；　were　at　full　work；　and　to　my　eyes　were　extremely　picturesque。　　I　had　been　told　that　the　beauty　of　the　falls　had　been　destroyed　by　the　mills。　　Indeed；　all　who　had　spoken　to　me　about　St。　Anthony　had　said　so。　　But　I　did　not　agree　with　them。　　Here；　as　at　Ottawa；　the　charm　in　fact　consists；　not　in　an　uninterrupted　shoot　of　water；　but　in　a　succession　of　rapids　over　a　bed　of　broken　rocks。　　Among　these　rocks　logs　of　loose　timber　are　caught；　which　have　escaped　from　their　proper　courses；　and　here　they　lie；　heaped　up　in　some　places；　and　constructing　themselves　into　bridges　in　others；　till　the　freshets　of　the　spring　carry　them　off。　The　timber　is　generally　brought　down　in　logs　to　St。　Anthony；　is　sawn　there；　and　then　sent　down　the　Mississippi　in　large　rafts。　These　rafts　on　other　rivers　are；　I　think；　generally　made　of　unsawn　timber。　　Such　logs　as　have　escaped　in　the　manner　above　described　are　recognized　on　their　passage　down　the　river　by　their　marks；　and　are　made　up　separately；　the　original　owners　receiving　the　valueor　not　receiving　it　as　the　case　may　be。　　〃There　is　quite　a　trade　going　on　with　the　loose　lumber；〃　my　informant　told　me。　　And　from　his　tone　I　was　led　to　suppose　that　he　regarded　the　trade　as　sufficiently　lucrative；　if　not　peculiarly　honest。　There　is　very　much　in　the　mode　of　life　adopted　by　the　settlers　in　these　regions　which　creates　admiration。　　The　people　are　all　intelligent。　　They　are　energetic　and　speculative；　conceiving　grand　ideas；　and　carrying　them　out　almost　with　the　rapidity　of　magic。　　A　suspension　bridge　half　a　mile　long　is　erected；　while　in　England　we　should　be　fastening　together　a　few　planks　for　a　foot　passage。　Progress；　mental　as　well　as　material；　is　the　demand　of　the　people　generally。　　Everybody　understands　everything；　and　everybody　intends　sooner　or　later　to　do　everything。　　All　this　is　very　grand；　but　then　there　is　a　terrible　drawback。　　One　hears　on　every　side　of　intelligence；　but　one　hears　also　on　every　side　of　dishonesty。　　Talk　to　whom　you　will；　of　whom　you　will；　and　you　will　hear　some　tale　of　successful　or　unsuccessful　swindling。　　It　seems　to　be　the　recognized　rule　of　commerce　in　the　far　West　that　men　shall　go　into　the　world's　markets　prepared　to　cheat　and　to　be　cheated。　　It　may　be　said　that　as　long　as　this　is　acknowledged　and　understood　on　all　sides；　no　harm　will　be　done。　　It　is　equally　fair　for　all。　　When　I　was　a　child　there　used　to　be　certain　games　at　which　it　was　agreed　in　beginning　either　that　there　should　be　cheating　or　that　there　should　not。　　It　may　be　said　that　out　there　in　the　Western　States；　men　agree　to　play　the　cheating　game；　and　that　the　cheating　game　has　more　of　interest　in　it　than　the　other。　　Unfortunately；　however；　they　who　agree　to　play　this　game　on　a　large　scale　do　not　keep　outsiders　altogether　out　of　the　playground。　　Indeed；　outsiders　become　very　welcome　to　them；　and　then　it　is　not　pleasant　to　hear　the　tone　in　which　such　outsiders　speak　of　the　peculiarities　of　the　sport　to　which　they　have　been　introduced。　　When　a　beginner　in　trade　finds　himself　furnished　with　a　barrel　of　wooden　nutmegs；　the　joke　is　not　so　good　to　him　as　to　the　experienced　merchant　who　supplies　him。　　This　dealing　in　wooden　nutmegs；　this　selling　of　things　which　do　not　exist；　and　buying　of　goods　for　which　no　price　is　ever　to　be　given；　is　an　institution　which　is　much　honored　in　the　West。　　We　call　it　swindlingand　so　do　they。　　But　it　seemed　to　me　that　in　the　Western　States　the　word　hardly　seemed　to　leave　the　same　impress　on　the　mind　that　it　does　elsewhere。　On　our　return　down　the　river　we　passed　La　Crosse；　at　which