the paths of inland commerce-第13部分

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　a　hilly　country　a　little　more　range　of　view　may　occasionally　be　obtained；　and　a　river　is　a　stream　of　light　as　well　as　of　water；　which　feasts　the　eye　with　a　delight　inconceivable　to　the　inhabitants　of　open　countries。〃

In　direct　contradiction　to　this　longing　for　society　was　the　passion　which　the　first　generation　of　pioneers　had　for　the　wilderness。　When　the　population　of　one　settlement　became　too　thick；　they　were　seized　by　an　irresistible　impulse　to　〃follow　the　migration；〃　as　the　expression　went。　The　easy　independence　of　the　first　hunter…agriculturalist　was　upset　by　the　advance　of　immigration。　His　range　was　curtailed；　his　freedom　limited。　His　very　breath　seems　to　have　become　difficult。　So　he　sold　out　at　a　phenomenal　profit；　put　out　his　fire；　shouldered　his　gun；　called　his　dog；　and　set　off　again　in　search　of　the　solitude　he　craved。

Severe　winter　weather　overtook　Baily　as　he　descended　the　Ohio　River；　until　below　Grave　Creek　floating　ice　wrecked　his　boat　and　drove　him　ashore。　Here　in　the　primeval　forest；　far　from　〃Merrie　England；〃　Baily　spent　the　Christmas　of　1796　in　building　a　new　flatboat。　This　task　completed；　he　resumed　his　journey。　Passing　Marietta；　where　the　bad　condition　of　the　winter　roads　prevented　a　visit　to　a　famous　Indian　mound；　he　reached　Limestone。　In　due　time　he　sighted　Columbia；　the　metropolis　of　the　Miami　country。　According　to　Baily；　the　sale　of　European　goods　in　this　part　of　the　Ohio　Valley　netted　the　importers　a　hundred　per　cent。　Prices　varied　with　the　ease　of　navigation。　When　ice　blocked　the　Ohio　the　price　of　flour　went　up　until　it　was　eight　dollars　a　barrel；　whiskey　was　a　dollar　a　gallon；　potatoes；　a　dollar　a　bushel；　and　bacon；　twelve　cents　a　pound。　At　these　prices；　the　total　produce　which　went　by　Fort　Massac　in　the　early　months　of　1800　would　have　been　worth　on　the　Ohio　River　upwards　of　two　hundred　thousand　dollars！　In　the　preceding　summer　Baily　quoted　flour　at　Norfolk　as　selling　at　sixty…three　shillings　a　barrel　of　196　pounds；　or　double　the　price　it　was　bringing　on　the　ice…gorged　Ohio。　It　is　by　such　comparisons　that　we　get　some　inkling　of　the　value　of　western　produce　and　of　the　rates　in　western　trade。

After　a　short　stay　at　Cincinnati；　Baily　set　out　for　the　South　on　an　〃Orleans　boat〃　loaded　with　four　hundred　barrels　of　flour。　At　the　mouth　of　Pigeon　Creek　he　noted　the　famous　path　to　〃Post　St。　Vincent's〃　（Vincennes）；　over　which　he　saw　emigrants　driving　cattle　to　that　ancient　town　on　the　Wabash。　At　Fort　Massac　he　met　Captain　Zebulon　M。　Pike；　whose　tact　in　dealing　with　intoxicated　Indians　he　commended。　At　New　Madrid　Baily　made　a　stay　of　some　days。　This　settlement；　consisting　of　some　two　hundred　and　fifty　houses；　was　in　the　possession　of　Spain。　It　was　within　the　province　of　Louisiana；　soon　to　be　ceded　to　Napoleon。　New　Orleans　supplied　this　district　with　merchandise；　but　smuggling　from　the　United　States　was　connived　at　by　the　Spanish　officials。

》From　New　Madrid　Baily　proceeded　to　Natchez；　which　then　contained　about　eighty…five　houses。　The　town　did　not　boast　a　tavern；　but；　as　was　true　of　other　places　in　the　interior；　this　lack　was　made　up　for　by　the　hospitality　of　its　inhabitants。　Rice　and　tobacco　were　being　grown；　Baily　notes；　and　Georgian　cotton　was　being　raised　in　the　neighborhood。　Several　jennies　were　already　at　work；　and　their　owners　received　a　royalty　of　one…eighth　of　the　product。　The　cotton　was　sent　to　New　Orleans；　where　it　usually　sold　for　twenty　dollars　a　hundred　weight。　From　Natchez　to　New　Orleans　the　charge　for　transportation　by　flatboat　was　a　dollar　and　a　half　a　bag。　The　bags　contained　from　one　hundred　and　fifty　to　two　hundred　and　fifty　pounds；　and　each　flatboat　carried　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　bags。　Baily　adds　two　items　to　the　story　of　the　development　of　the　mechanical　operation　of　watercraft。　He　tells　us　that　in　the　fall　of　1796　a　party　of　〃Dutchmen；〃　in　the　Pittsburgh　region；　fashioned　a　boat　with　side　paddle　wheels　which　were　turned　by　a　treadmill　worked　by　eight　horses　under　the　deck。　This　strange　boat；　which　passed　Baily　when　he　was　wrecked　on　the　Ohio　near　Grave　Creek；　appeared　〃to　go　with　prodigious　swiftness。〃　Baily　does　not　state　how　much　business　the　boat　did　on　its　downward　trip　to　New　Orleans　but　contents；　himself　with　remarking　that　the　owners　expected　the　return　trip　to　prove　very　profitable。　When　he　met　the　boat　on　its　upward　voyage　at　Natchez；　it　had　covered　three　hundred　miles　in　six　days。　It　was；　however；　not　loaded；　〃so　little　occasion　was　there　for　a　vessel　of　this　kind。〃　As　this　run　between　New　Orleans　and　Natchez　came　to　be　one　of　the　most　profitable　in　the　United　States　in　the　early　days　of　steamboating；　less　than　fifteen　years　later；　the　experience　of　these　〃Flying　Dutchmen〃　affords　a　very　pretty　proof　that　something　more　than　a　means　of　transportation　is　needed　to　create　commerce。　The　owners　abandoned　their　craft　at　Natchez　in　disgust　and　returned　home　across　country；　wiser　and　poorer。

Baily　also　noted　that　a　Dr。　Waters　of　New　Madrid　built　a　schooner　〃some　few　years　since〃　at　the　head　of　the　Ohio　and　navigated　it　down　the　Ohio　and　Mississippi　and　around　to　Philadelphia；　〃where　it　is　now　employed　in　the　commerce　of　the　United　States。〃　It　is　thus　apparent；　solely　from　this　traveler's　record；　that　an　ocean…going　vessel　and　a　side…paddle…wheel　boat　had　been　seen　on　the　Western　Waters　of　the　United　States　at　least　four　years　before　the　nineteenth　century　arrived。

Baily　finally　reached　New　Orleans。　The　city　then　contained　about　a　thousand　houses　and　was　not　only　the　market　for　the　produce　of　the　river　plantations　but　also　the　center　of　an　extensive　Indian　trade。　The　goods　for　this　trade　were　packed　in　little　barrels　which　were　carried　into　the　interior　on　pack…horses；　three　barrels　to　a　horse。　The　traders　traveled　for　hundreds　of　miles　through　the　woods；　bartering　with　the　Indians　on　the　way　and　receiving；　in　exchange　for　their　goods；　bear　and　deer　skins；　beaver　furs；　and　wild　ponies　which　had　been　caught　by　lariat　in　the　neighboring　Apalousa　country。

Baily　had　intended　to　return　to　New　York　by　sea；　but　on　his　arrival　at　New　Orleans　he　was　unable　to　find　a　ship　sailing　to　New　York。　He　therefore　decided　to　proceed　northward　by　way　of　the　long　and　dangerous　Natchez　Trace　and　the　Tennessee　Path。　Though　few　Europeans　had　made　this　laborious　journey　before　1800；　the　Natchez　Trace　had　been　for　many　years　the　land　route　of　thousands　of　returning　rivermen　who　had　descended　the　Mississippi　in　flatboat　and　barge。　In　practically　all　cases　these　men　carried　with　them　the　proceeds　of　their　investment；　and；　as　on　every　thoroughfare　in　the　world　traveled　by　those　returning　from　market；　so　here；　too；　highwaymen　and　desperadoes；　red　and　white；　built　their　lairs　and　lay　in　wait。　Some　of　the　most　revolting　crimes　of　the　American　frontier　were　committed　on　these　northward　pathways　and　their　branches。

Joining　a　party　bound　for　Natchez；　a　hundred　and　fifty　miles　distant　overland；　Baily　proceeded　to　Lake　Pontchartrain　and　thence　〃north　by　west　through　the　woods；〃　by　way　of　the　ford　of　the　Tangipahoa；　Cooper's　Plantation；　Tickfaw　River；　Amite　River；　and　the　〃Hurricane〃　（the　path　of　a　tornado）　to　the　beginning　of　the　Apalousa　country。　This　tangled　region　of　stunted　growth　was　reputed　to　be　seven　miles　in　width　from　〃shore　to　shore〃　and　three　hundred　miles　in　length。　It　took　the　party　half　a　day　to　reach　the　opposite　〃shore；〃　and　they　had　to　quench　their　thirst　on　the　way　with　dew。

At　Natchez；　Baily　organized　a　party　which　included　the　five　〃Dutchmen〃　whose　horse　boat　had　proved　a　failure。　For　their　twenty…one　days'　journey　to　Nashville　the　party　laid　in　the　following　provisions：　15　pounds　of　biscuit；　6　pounds　of　flour；　12　pounds　of　bacon；　10　pounds　of　dried　beef；　8　pounds　of　rice；　1　1/2　pounds　of　coffee；　4　pounds　of　sugar；　and　a　quantity　of　pounded　corn；　such　as　the　Indians　used　on　all　their　journeys。　After　celebrating　the　Fourth　of　July；　1797；　with　〃all　the　inhabitants　who　were　hostile　to　the　Spanish　Government；〃　and　bribing　the　baker　at　the　Spanish　fort　to　bake　them　a　quarter　of　a　hundredweight　of　bread；　the　party　started　on　their　northward　journey。

They　reached　without　incident　the　famous　Grindstone　Ford　of　Bayou　Pierre；　where　crayfishes　had　destroyed　a　pioneer　dam。　Beyond；　at　the　forks　of　the　path　where　the　Choctaw　Trail　bore　off　to　the　cast　the　party　pursued　the　alternate　Chickasaw　Trail　by　Indian　guidance；　and　soon　noted　the　change　in　the　character　of　the　soil　from　black　loam　to　sandy　gravel；　which　indicated　that　they　had　reached　the　Piedmont　region。　Indian　marauders　stole　one　horse　from　the　camp；　and　three　of　the　party　fell　ill。　The　others；　pressed　for　food；　were　compelled　to　leave　the　sick　men　in　an　improvised　camp　and　to　hasten　on；　promising　to　send　to　their　aid　the　first　Indian　they　should　meet　〃who　understood　herbs。〃　After　appalling　hardships；　they　crossed　the　Tennessee　and　entered　the　Nashville　country；　where　the　roads　were　good　enough　for　coaches；　for　they　met　two　on　the　way。　Thence　Baily　proceeded　to　Knoxville；　seeing；　as　he　went；　droves　of　cattle　bound　for　the　settlements　of　west　Tennessee。　With　his　arrival　at　Knoxville；　his　journal　ends　abruptly；　but　from　other　sources　we　learn　that　he　sailed　from　New　York　on　his　return　to　England　in　January；　1798。　His　interesting　record；　how