On my return, a short time since, to my native land, from the wilds of America, it was not at first my intention to offer to the public the contents of the diary I had kept during my travels, and written out in detail as an employment for my leisure hours, for the exclusive use of my family in Germany. Incited, however, by the interest awakened by the publication of a few extracts in one of our periodicals, and yielding to the wishes expressed by various friends who had read the remainder, I und

FROM BREMEN TO NEW YORK. A Bremen lighter, and its capacity for holding passengers—An unexpected meeting—Scene on board the lighter—The captain—First night on board—A parting dance on shore—Our new passengers and their mishaps—The “Constitution”—Steerage arrangements—Sleeping berths—Scenes between decks—Departure—Sea-sickness—Our Jewish passengers—The French and English Coasts—The Atlantic—Jelly-fish and “Portuguese men-of-war”—Small-pox on board—Dancing—Phosphorescence of the sea—Fricandeau-day

NEW YORK TO BUFFALO. Good advice to emigrants—Examination of the baggage—New York—Schw—z’s boarding-house and its deficiencies—Aspect of the city—Abundance of fruit—An Irishman’s funeral—Fire—Reports from Illinois—The German reformed church—Extraordinary scene—Soldiers—The Scotch and their national costume—Negroes—My tobacco speculation—Unsuccessful shooting excursion—Departure for Albany—Utica—An American breakfast—The canal-boat and its arrangement—Collision—Crowded state of the boat, and cons

OHIO—INDIANA—ILLINOIS—MISSOURI. Lake Erie—Cleveland—Double-beds—March through the forest—Canton—Cincinnati—Lawrencebourg—A burning forest—Deserted farm-house—Wet weather and swollen rivers—A drunken companion—Versailles—Intrepid German Jews—Vincennes—Fording a river—The prairies of Illinois—Shooting deer—Salem—An Illinois settler—Lebanon—Ague—Passage of the Mississippi—St. Louis—German emigrants—A week’s work in the forest—Lead mines of Missouri—Courant river, the boundary of Missouri. About noo

ARKANSAS, AND “DOWN RIVER” TO NEW ORLEANS. Wild turkeys—Spring river—Traces of earlier inhabitants of North America—An eagle—Quack-doctors in Arkansas—My unsuccessful hunting-dog—Little Red river—German and Polish settlers—Hilger and Turoski—Encampment of Indians—Their love for ardent spirits—Little Rock—Engagement as stoker on board the “Fox”—Unhealthiness of the stoker’s avocations—Quarrel with the captain, and conclusion of the engagement—Night in the woods—A panther—Bear hunt—Great Red river

CINCINNATI—A FARMER’S LIFE IN THE WOODS. Scenery around New Orleans—Arrangements of American steamers—Cincinnati and its reputation—Number of German inhabitants—Situation of the town—Religious absurdities; the girl “possessed with a devil”—Dangers of American steam navigation—The “Mississippi”—Rambles in the woods—Crawfish—Mosquitoes—Picnic in the woods—Poisonous plants—Residence with a backwoodsman, and farming operations—Wild honey—Cattle keeping—Turkeys’ eggs—A Methodist meeting—Attack of agu

A FARMER’S LIFE IN THE WOODS. (CONTINUED.) My comrade attacked by ague—Removal to a new locality—Snakes in the woods—Grinding corn—“Lying” Bahrens—Repeated attacks of ague—Sassafras tree—“An epileptic breakfast”—Night in the forest—The panther—Visit to Hilger—Shooting by torchlight—A distillery—A backwoods politician—Clearings—New farm—Illness, and want of medical aid—Negro children—Two American speculators—Bad characters in Arkansas—Removal to a new farm at Oiltrove bottom—White river—A gallant

WOODLAND SPORTS—CANE-BRAKES—MY EXAMINATION BY THE SCHOOL COMMISSION. Turkey hunting with dogs—American aptitude for barter—Hard life in the woods—Ague—Wolves—Unhousing a bear—Number of widows in the swamps—Postal system in the back states—Comfortable quarters—My musical propensities—The Mississippi at Memphis—Cincinnati and its German inhabitants—Our pill-box manufactory—My speculations in reeds—Democrats in America—The candidates for schoolmastership—My examination—Another cane trip—Buffalo sho

FARMING AT FOURCHE LE FAVE—A BACKWOODS “FROLIC”—RESIDENCE AT KELFER’S FARM—SCHOOLS—HUNTING EXCURSION. Now, I had often heard from Americans how the panther darts on his prey, kills it in an instant, and, after eating his fill, buries or covers up the rest for a future meal. I resolved to try and make sure of the panther, and, if possible, to creep up to him unperceived. I did not then know how difficult it was to outwit a panther; but this time fortune favored me. After waiting about half an hou

HUNTING ANECDOTES AND EXPERIENCES—CHRISTMAS—CONWELL AND HIS REMINISCENCES. A backwoods gun—Anecdote of a panther—My dog “Bearsgrease”—Collmar’s house—Hunting a tame bear—Hunting expedition—Hailstorm—Spirit-seller—Route of Eastern Indians; their sufferings—The “Mulberry” river—Christmas-eve—Conwell, the old settler—Hunting with Conwell—His age and robust frame—A bear—Fat turkeys—Anecdotes of the Indians; their cunning—Anecdote of the moccasins—Method of hanging up deer—Dangerous work with a buck—

A PERILOUS BEAR-HUNT—A DEBATING SOCIETY—PANTHER HUNT—DISASTROUS EVENTS—DEATH OF ERSKINE—DEPARTURE. The winter sleep of bears—The she-bear and cubs in the cave—Our perilous hunt—Erskine—Debating society in the woods—Questions discussed—My proposition—Adventure with a panther—Our wounds—Bad sport—Hunting with the Indians—The skeletons in the cave—Erskine’s fatal encounter with the bear—My wounded shoulder—Indian surgery—I decline settling in the woods—sorrowful leave-taking. We had no trifle to ca

A FATAL BRAWL—RETURN TO LITTLE ROCK—SUMMARY JUSTICE—DOWN SOUTH. Drunken brawl at a whiskey-shop, and its lamentable consequences—Little Rock and its vicinity—Shooting at the “salt licks”—Justice in the backwoods—Summary proceedings against horse-stealers—Curing skins—The dreams of dogs—Departure for New Orleans—The 4th of July. The two hunters had finished their game, and were sitting with me over the whiskey, conversing about old times, when six more arrived, dressed like ourselves with legging

LOUISIANA—NEW ORLEANS, AND HOME. Bayou Sara—German settlers—Jews—Pointe Coupée—My engagement at the hotel—Levées, or dams, on the banks of the Mississippi—Slave auction—Treatment of the slaves—Guinea negroes—Alligator shooting—Flesh of the alligator, and prejudices against it—Habits of the alligator—Scenes on the Mississippi—New Orleans; variety of its inhabitants—Coffee-houses—The “Olbers” clears for Bremen—The mouth of the Mississippi—My fellow-passengers—Sharks—Sickness and death on board—The