fires go down again.

Among the peddlers there were two of cheap "literature," and among their
yellow covers each had two or three copies of the cheap edition
(pamphlet) of "Uncle Tom's Cabin." They did not cry it out as they did
the other books they had, but held it forth among others, so that its
title could be seen. One of them told me he carried it because gentlemen
often inquired for it, and he sold a good many; at least three copies
were sold to passengers on the boat....

It was twenty minutes after seven when the captain observed,--scanning
the levee in every direction to see if there was another cart or
carriage coming towards us,--"No use waiting any longer, I reckon: throw
off, Mr. Heady." (The "Swamp Fox" did not leave, I afterwards heard,
till the following Saturday.)

We backed out, winded round head up, and as we began to breast the
current, a dozen of the negro boat-hands, standing on the freight piled
up on the low forecastle, began to sing, waving hats and handkerchiefs,
and shirts lashed to poles, towards the people who stood on the sterns
of the steamboats at the levee.

After losing a few lines, I copied literally into my note-book:

"Ye see dem boat way dah ahead.
Chorus.--Oahoiohieu.
De San Charles is arter 'em, dey mus' go behine.
Oahoiohieu.
So stir up dah, my livelies, stir her up.
Oahoiohieu.
Dey's burnin' not'n but fat and rosum.
Oahoiohieu.
Oh, we is gwine up de Red River, oh!
Oahoiohieu.
Oh, we mus' part from you dah asho'.
Oahoiohieu.
Gib my lub to Dinah, oh!
Oahoiohieu."...

The wit introduced into these songs has, I suspect, been rather
over-estimated.

As soon as the song was ended, I went into the cabin to remind the clerk
to obtain a berth for me. I found two brilliant supper-tables reaching
the whole length of the long cabin, and a file of men standing on each
side of both of them, ready to take seats as soon as the signal was
given.

The clerk was in his room, with two other men, and appeared to be more
occupied than ever. His manner was, I thought, now rather cool, not to
say rude; and he very distinctly informed me that every berth was
occupied, and he didn't know where I was to sleep. He judged I was ab