; and without any
serious accident we arrived at the shot-tower, where we remained for the
night. Finding a shot-tower in such a lone wilderness as this, gives
you some idea of the enterprise of the Americans; but the Galena, or
lead district, commences here, on the south bank of the Wisconsin. The
smelting is carried on about twelve miles inland, and the lead is
brought here, made into shot, and then sent down the river to the
Mississippi, by which, and its tributary streams, it is supplied to all
America, west of the Alleghanies. The people were all at work when we
arrived. The general distress had even affected the demand for shot,
which was now considerably reduced.

On the third day we had the good fortune to have no wind, and
consequently made rapid progress, without much further damage. We
passed a small settlement called the English prairie--for the prairies
were now occasionally mixed up with the mountain scenery. Here there
was a smelting-house and a steam saw-mill.

The _diggings_, as they term the places where the lead is found (for
they do not mine, but dig down from the surface,) were about sixteen
miles distant. We continued our course for about twenty miles lower
down, when we wound up our day's work by getting into a more serious
_fix_ among the trees, and eventually losing our only _axe_, which fell
overboard into deep water. All Noah's Ark was in dismay, for we did not
know what might happen, or what the next day might bring forth.
Fortunately, it was not necessary to cut wood for firing. During the
whole of this trip I was much amused with our pilot, who, fully aware of
the dangers of the river, was also equally conscious that there were not
sufficient means on board to avoid them; when, therefore, we were set
upon a sand-bank, or pressed by the wind on the sunken trees, he always
whistled; that was all he could do, and in proportion as the danger
became more imminent, so did he whistle the louder, until the affair was
decided by a bump or a crash, and then he was silent.

On the ensuing day we had nothing but misfortunes. We were continually
twisted and twirled about, sometimes with our bows, sometimes with our
stern foremost, and as often with our broadside to the stream. We were
whirled against one bank, and, as soon as we were clear of that we were
thrown upon the other. Having no axe to cut away, we were obliged to
use our hands. Again our rudder was unshipped, and with great
dif