r. Flatboats bearing traders, immigrants, and travelers were
frequently waylaid by the savages, who exhausted a fertile ingenuity
in luring their victims to an ambuscade ashore; and, when not
successful in this, would in narrow channels, or when the current
swept the craft near land, subject the voyagers to a fierce fusilade
of bullets, against which even stout plank barricades proved of small
avail.

Vanceburgh, Ky. (375 miles), is a little town at the bottom of a
pretty amphitheatre of hills. There was a floating photographer there,
as we passed, with a gang-plank run out to the shore, and framed
specimens of his work hung along the town side of his ample barge.
Men with teams were getting wagon-loads of sand from the beach,
for building purposes. And, a mile or two down, a floating saw and
planing-mill--the "Clipper," which we had seen before, up river--was
busied upon logs which were being rolled down the beach from the bank
above. There are several such mills upon the river, all seemingly
occupied with "tramp work," for there is a deal of logging carried on,
in a small and careful way, by farmers living on these wooded hills.

Vanceburgh was for the time bathed in sunlight; but, as we continued
on our way, a heavy rain-cloud came creeping up over the dark Ohio
hills, and, descending, cut off our view, at last lustily pelting us
as we sat encased in rubber. We had been in our ponchos most of the
day, as much for warmth as for shelter; for there was an all-pervading
chill, which the fickle sun, breaking its early promise, had failed to
dissipate. Thus, amid showers alternating with sunbeams, we proceeded
unto Rome (381 miles). An Ohio village, this Rome, and so fallen from
its once proud estate that its postoffice no longer bears the name--it
is simply "Stout's," if, in these degenerate days, you would send a
letter hither.

It was smartly raining, when we put in on the stony beach above Rome.
The tent went up in a hurry, and under it the cargo; but by the time
all was housed the sun gushed out again, and, stretching a line, we
soon had our bedding hung to dry. It is a charming situation; in
this melting atmosphere, we have perhaps the most striking effects of
cloud, hill, bottom, islands, and glancing river, which have yet been
vouchsafed us.

The Romans, like most rural folk along the river below Wheeling,
chiefly drink cistern water. Earlier in our pilgrimage, we stoutly
declined to patronize these rain-water