on as she had got in a fresh
supply of wood we went merrily down the Ohio again, putting off by a day
our arrival at the Father of Waters. So we went, talking on morals and
politics, reading the "Wandering Jew," and playing poker, until dinner
came; and just after dinner we came to another bar, on which we ran as
before, giving our crew a second night of hardship and toil, and us a
more thorough disgust of low-water navigation. We got off by morning as
before, by great exertion and the steady use of effective machinery, the
boat being hoisted over the bar inch by inch by the aid of great spars,
blocks, and windlass.

There was still, but a short distance below this spot, the worst bar of
all to pass.... Having been twice aground and lost nearly two days, our
captain determined to take every precaution. He hired a flat-boat, into
which were discharged many tons of whiskey and butter, and which was
lashed alongside. A boat was sent down to sound the channel and lay
buoys. This done, just as breakfast was ready, all the male passengers
were summoned to go on board the flat-boat, fastened alongside, with the
butter and whiskey, so as to lighten the steamer as much as possible,
and when we were all aboard we started down. As luck would have it, the
current carried the boat a few feet out of her proper course, and she
stuck fast again. The wheels could not move her, and we jumped on board
again to eat our breakfast, now grown cold from waiting.

This despatched, we went out on the promenade deck, and to our chagrin
saw the "Louis Philippe," which left Louisville one day behind us,
coming down, looking light and lofty, with a flat-boat alongside. She
came down rapidly, and passed close by us, her passengers laughing in
triumph at our predicament. The "Louis Philippe" had not got her length
below us before she too stuck fast and swung round into a more difficult
position, lying broadside upon the bar, with the strong current full
against her. The laugh was now on our side, and the "Louis Philippe"
gave rise to the more jokes, because her hurricane-deck was entirely
covered with cabbages, with their stumps sticking up, giving her a droll
appearance, while our hurricane-deck was filled with chicken-coops. It
was time now to go to work in earnest. More freight was discharged into
our lighter, and all the passengers, except the women and children, were
sent on board her. We thickly covered the barrels of whiskey and kegs of
butter