business, intend to travel through the western States. Such
are now the facilities of intercommunication between the eastern and
western States, and to most points in the Valley of the Mississippi,
that thousands are visiting some portions of this interesting region
every month. Some knowledge of the routes that lead to different parts
of this Valley, the lines of steamboats and stages, cities, towns,
public institutions, manners and customs of the people, &c., is
certainly desirable to all who travel. Such persons may expect a
correct, and it is hoped, a pleasant Guide in this book.

3. There is a numerous class of persons in the Atlantic States, who
desire to know more about the Great West and to have a book for
reference, who do not expect to emigrate here. Many are deeply
interested in its moral welfare. They have cheerfully contributed to
establish and build up its literary and religious institutions, and yet
from want of access to those facts which exist amongst us, their
information is but partial and limited. The author in his travels in the
Atlantic states has met with many persons, who, though well informed on
other subjects, are surprisingly ignorant of the actual condition,
resources, society, manners of the people, and even the geography of
these states and territories. The author is aware of the difficulty of
conveying entirely correct ideas of this region to a person who has
never travelled beyond the borders of his native state. The laws and
habits of associating ideas in the human mind forbid it.

The chief source of information for those states that lie on the
Mississippi, has been the personal observation of the author,--having
explored most of the settlements in Missouri and Illinois, and a portion
of Indiana and Ohio,--having spent more than eighteen years here, and
seen the two former states, from an incipient territorial form of
government, and a few scattered and detached settlements, arise to their
present state of improvement, population, wealth and national
importance. His next source of information has been from personal
acquaintance and correspondence with many intelligent citizens of the
states and territories he describes. Reference has also been had to the
works of Hall, Flint, Darby, Breckenridge, Beck, Long, Schoolcraft,
Lewis and Clarke, Mitchell's and Tanner's maps, Farmer's map of
Michigan, Turnbull's map of Ohio, The Ohio Gazetteer, The Indiana
Gazetteer, Dr. Drake's writings, Mr.