fume, it excels, in our judgment, all other trees. The tree which approaches nearest to it, in this respect, is one common to the north and the south, to the Atlantic as well as the Mississippi country, though obtaining a much fuller developement in the latter region. We mean the flowering locust. Who of us can not recall the remembrances of the spring-time of life, and of the year, when inhaling the delicious fragrance of these flowers? The leaves of the Catalpa are much larger than those of the grandiflora, and for fragrance, gracefulness of form and foliage, and for the curious appearance of its long, dagger shaped, pendent seed capsules, two feet in length, we have seen no ornamental tree, which in our view equalled the Catalpa. Some have undertaken to say, that this is not a tree indigenous to the country. For our part, we have no question on the subject. On the waters near Cape Girardeau, we have seen Catalpas of great size, and evidently much older than the white settlements. We have seen them near the Chalk Banks, on the eastern shore of the Mississippi, bearing the marks of trees decaying with age. We perceived these trees, last year, growing, as ornamental trees, in the latitude of Boston. They will, probably, flower and mature there, in sheltered situations; but give little promise of the verdure and luxuriance, with which they flourish in the lower country of the Mississippi.

BOIS D'ARC: Maclura Aurantica. Bow-wood is a striking and beautiful tree, found on the upper courses of the Washita, the middle regions of Arkansas, and occasionally on the northern limits of Louisiana. It inhabits a very limited region, and we do not know, that it is native elsewhere. It has large and beautiful leaves, in form and appearance between those of the orange tree and Catalpa, and, taken all together, is a tree of extraordinary beauty. It bears a large fruit, of most inviting appearance, and resembling a very large orange. Tempting as it is in aspect, it is the apple of Sodom to the taste. Most people consider it the most splendid of all forest trees. We never saw it in the flowering season. There is a solitary tree, growing in a garden in St. Louis. It was there sheltered by a wall, and we do not know, if it would flourish in a situation so northern, without protection of that kind. We remember to have seen one beautiful tree growing near Natchitoches, apparently native there. It is said, there is no other within a distance of many miles. The wood is as yellow, as that of fustic, and yields a similar dye. It is hard, heavy, durable, and so elastic, as to receive its French name from the circumstance, that all the south western savages use it for bows. It is thought to be a wood more incorruptible than live oak, mulberry, or even cedar. We were

invited to visit the hulk of a steam boat, built above the raft on Red river, whose timbers were entirely of this wood.

CHINA TREE. This is a tree more cultivated in the southern regions of this valley, as an ornamental shade tree, than any other. It has fine, long, spiked leaves, eight or ten inches in length, set in corresponding pairs on each side of a stem two feet long. The verdure is of the most brilliant and deep in nature. In the flowering season, the top is one tuft of blossoms, in color and fragrance resembling the lilac, except that the tufts are larger. It holds in flower for a long time. It is a tree of the most rapid growth of any known in our country. These trees, planted out in a village, in a few years completely embower it, and from the intenseness of their verdure, they impart a delightful freshness to the landscape, in that sultry climate. After the leaves have fallen in autumn, the tree is still covered with a profusion of reddish berries of the size of haws, that give it the appearance, at a little distance, of remaining in flower. Robbins immigrate to this region in the latter part of winter, settle on these trees in great numbers, and feed on the berries. They possess an intoxicating, or narcotic quality; and the robbins, sitting on the trees in a state of stupefaction, may be killed with a stick. The bark is said to be a powerful vermifuge.

DOGWOOD: Cornus Florida. REDBUD: Cercis Canadensis.

These

are both of an intermediate size, between shrubs and trees. The former has a beautiful, heart-shaped and crimped leaf, and an umbrella shaped top. It covers itself in spring with a profusion of brilliant white flowers, and in autumn with berries of a fine scarlet. The latter is the first shrub that is seen in blossom on the Ohio. The shrub is then a complete surface of blossoms, resembling those of the peach tree, and a stranger would take it, at that time, to be that tree. The shrubs are dispersed every where in the woods; and in descending the Ohio early in the spring, these masses of brilliant flowers contrast delightfully with the general brown of the forest. The first time that the voyager descends this river, the redbud imparts a charm to the landscape, that he will never forget. These two are at once the most common and the most beautiful shrubs in the Mississippi valley. The dog wood, especially, is found every where from Pittsburg to the Gulf of Mexico; and, seen through the forests, in blossom, is far more conspicuous, for its flowers, than the magnolia. It has been asserted that the dog wood belonged to the family of the quinquinas. Its bark is certainly a powerful restorative, in cases of the águe.

PAWPAW: Annona triloba, Ficus Indicus. This, in our view, is the

prince of wild fruit-bearing shrubs. The leaves are long, of a rich appearance, and green, considerably resembling the smaller leaves of tobacco. The stem is straight, white, and of unrivalled beauty. In fact, we have seen no cultivated shrub, so ornamental and graceful, as the pawpaw. The fruit closely resembles a cucumber, having, however, a more smooth and regular appearance. When ripe, it is of a rich yellow. There are generally from two to five in a cluster. A pawpaw shrub, hanging full of fruits, of a size and weight so disproportioned to the stem, and from under long and rich looking leaves of the same yellow with the ripened fruit, and of an African luxuriance of growth, is to us one of the richest spectacles, that we have ever contemplated, in the array of the woods. The fruit contains from two to six seeds, like those of the tamarind, except that they are double the size. The pulp of the fruit resembles egg custard, in consistence and appearance. It has the same creamy feeling in the mouth, and unites the taste of eggs, cream, sugar and spice. It is a natural cus tard, too luscious for the relish of most people. The fruit is nutricious, and a great resource to the savages. So many whimsical and unexpected tastes are compounded in it, that, it is said, a person of the most hypocondriac temperament, relaxes to a smile, when he tastes pawpaw for the first time.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

NOVA PROGENIES ET AUREA SEC LA REDEUNT. Extracts from the Gazette of Oregon, mouth of Columbia, July 5, 1900.

Yesterday was the return of the proud era of our national independence, 'at the close of another century of glory and freedom. It was celebrated in this great city, with every demonstration of joy. We had orations, bonfires, ringing of bells, pealing of cannon, and by night, illuminations, fire works, songs, dances, high and yet temperate festivity, and on every side the aspect of cheerfulness and gaiety. We have yet heard of no disastrous accident to mar the remembrance of this spectacle. Our journal, for some days, will occupy some of its columns in recording the different celebrations of this jubilee, from the mouth of the St. Lawrence to this city. Among the most pleasant parts of our fete, we noticed the united celebration by the Chinese

and Japanese of our city and vicinity. Under a bower of prodigious

length, some thousands of them sat down together to a dinner, prepared after their own fashion, and eaten sitting, and with chop sticks, in remembrance of father-land. They seem domesticated, and exceedingly happy under our temperate sky, and on our fertile plains. In the present improved modes of crossing the calm sea between us and their populous native shores, it is scarcely seven days passage from the tyranny, ignorance and starvation of their crowded country, to the freedom and range of our great republic. Here the immigrants become freemen at once; and their children will become educated and intelligent freemen, fearing God, believers in the gospel, and as happy as it is fit, man should be in this state of discipline. Our great silk manufactories, our splendid porcelane establishments, the source of so much wealth and prosperity to this section of the country, owe their origin to these welcome strangers. To us it was a most delightful contemplation, considering them Columbians, to contrast their cheerful and yet strangely foreign countenance and air with that of our fresh and florid native citizens. Our heart swelled with satisfaction, in imagining the return of the rural portion of them to their neat habitations among the mulberry groves, that they have raised on the grass plains of the country.

We can not, perhaps, introduce in this place any remarks, more in accordance with the spirit and feelings excited in us by this occasion, than by giving a passing sketch, in a contrast of the present state of our country and the world, at the close of the nineteenth century, compared with the order of things at the commencement of it.

To begin with our city. At that time, the Oregon, then called the Colombia, was just discovered. It rolled its broad flood through the beautiful terrace plains on its upper waters, and the dark evergreen groves on its lower, without seeing a white inhabitant on its whole course. It was a river, charming as was the country, through which it moved, unknown to humanity and to song, and was the Ultima Thule of our globe. A few wretched, wandering, half starved savages, in intellect and enjoyment but a step beyond the brutes, roamed along the shores of the river, and knew no subsistence, but its salmon, and the wild roots of the plains. We now number the inhabitants west of our Rocky mountains by millions, the half being immigrants fromChina, Japan, and the islands of the sea. We have towns, villages, colleges, libraries, hospitals, charities, churches, legislative halls, orators, poets, and men of science. We have orchards, vineyards, and manufactories in the country. We see on every side abundance, peace, contentment, In short every thing that can cheer, sustain, and elevate the human

condition; every thing for improvement and enjoyment in this, our brief sojourn, and every thing that can gladden the heart, in better hopes beyond the grave.

This our brave city of palaces, dating back scarcely half a century, how contains a hundred thousand inhabitants, a hundred churches, and twice as many schools; and in intellect, literature, science and religion, in comforts and improvements, does not fear to institute a proud comparison with any other. In short, we look back to the interminable and snow-clad hills behind us, and the wide ocean before us, and the happy belt between constitutes our country, and we envy no other.

Our adjacent sister Spanish republics are keeping pace with us in many, respects. At the commencement of the century, they were a couple of feeble, straggling missionary establishments, denominated St. Peter and St. Paul. They occupied, it is true, the lovliest country and climate in the world. But the wretched inhabitants were the slaves of slaves, the trammelled vassals of Spanish tyranny and superstition. It is now a great, populous and happy republic. All worships are tolerated alike. The arts and sciences, all that can enlighten and adorn the human condition, is as sedulously patronized with them, as with us; and the generous emulation between the two republics, in these respects, is equally honorable to both.

At that

But to be a little more minute in these details of contrast. time, the hardy adventurers, Lewis and Clark, with incredible toil, endurance and intrepidity, brought a few hunters over the Rocky mountains, to the shores of our ocean. On foot, carrying nothing, but themselves, practised backwood's men, and subsisting on fare that would hardly sustain savages, they were twenty four months from the mouth of the Missouri to the time of their return. How different is the case now! Arrivals from that place by that river, the mountain canal, and our river, are often short of twenty days. We recently noticed the arrival of a lady in this city from New-York. It was an inland water excursion, not much exceeding six thousand miles. She came by the Hudson, the New-York canal, the lake, the Ohio canal, the Ohio, the Mississippi, the Missouri, the mountain canal, and the Columbia. She was opulent, whimsical, nervous, fancied herself sick, and took the whim of this trip for change of scenery and air. She had her stateroom and her servants to herself, all the way; and did not rise from her couch during the passage. We are happy to learn, that the effect of the excursion has been favorable to her spirits. She strengtheus VOL. I.-No. 5.

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