OF THE

Knickerbocker Magazine.

THE Twenty-Ninth Volume of the KNICKERBOCKER MAGAZINE commenced on the first of January, 1847. The work has been so long before the public, that it is not deemed necessary to enlarge upon its claims to general favor. The annexed List of Contributors to the Magazine, and a few notices of the work, (up to and including the last number) will sufficiently attest its character and its popularity:

WASHINGTON IRVING,
WILLIAM C. BRYANT,
J. FENIMORE COOPER,
FITZ-GREENE HALLECK,
PROF. H. W. LONGFELLOW,
J. K. PAULDING,

Miss C. M. SEDGWICK,
REV. WM. WARE,
HON. LEWIS CASS,
CAPT. F. MARRYAT,
J. H. STEPHENS,
SIR E. L. BULWER,
REV. ORVILLE DEWEY,
J. H. PRESCOTT, Esq.,
HON. R. M. CHARLTON,
JAMES G. PERCIVAL,
Gov. W. H. SEWARD,
HON. R. H. WILDE,
JARED SPARKS,
HARRY FRANCO,'
NATH. HAWTHORNE,
MRS. L. H. SIGOURNEY,
REV. DR. BETHUNE,
MRS.KIRKLAND, (Mary Clavers)
MISS LESLIE,

W. D. GALLAGHER,
HON. JUDGE CONRAD,
DR. O. W. HOLMES,
JOSEPH C. NEAL,
THOS. W. PARSONS,
PROF. HITCHCOCK,
MRS. E. C. EMBURY,
HON. D. D. BARNARD,

F. W. EDMONDS,

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH,
CHARLES ASTOR BRISTED.
MRS. GILMAN, (S. C.)
E. T. T. MARTIN,
H. W. ELLSWORTH,
H. J. RAYMOND, Esq.
H. R. SCHOOLCRAFT,
REV. J. PIERPONT,
COL. T. S. MCKENNY,
PHILIP HONE, Esq.
JOHN T. IRVING,
ALBERT PIKE, Esq.
REV. HENRY BASCOM,
CHARLES SPRAGUE,

HENRY BREVOORT,
CHARLES M. LEUPP,
HON. G. C. VERPLANCK,
J. N. BELLOWS,

REV. MR. GANNETT, (MASS.)
PROFESSOR FELTON,
STACY G. POTTS,

J. G. WHITTIER,
H.W.ROCKWELL,

WILLIAM PITT PALMER,
HON. CHARLES MINER,
DR. A. BRIGHAM,

FREDERICK W. SHELTON,
EDWARD S. GOULD,

CHARLES F. HOFFMAN,

RICHARD B. KIMBALL, Esq. MRS. E. F. ELLET.

PARK BENJAMIN,

THEODORE S. FAY,

MRS. FANNY K. BUTLER,

MISS CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN
HON. JAS. KENT,
REV. WALTER COLTON,
PRESIDENT DUER,
JOSEPH BARBER,
MISS H. F. GOULD,
HON. JUDGE HALL, (ILL.)
ALEXANDER WATSON, ESQ.
REV. W. B. O. PEABODY,
PROF. CHARLES ANTHON,
ALFRED B. STREET,
JOHN WATERS,
CONSUL G. W. GREENE,
JAMES BROOKS,

J. P. BROWN, Constantinople. REV. DR. SPRING,

ANSON H. CENTER, Esq.
J. H. GOURLIE, Esq.
HORACE GREELEY,
REV. DR. PISE,

THOMAS W.STORROW Esq.
R. H. BACON, CAMBRIDGE, MASS
GEORGE LUNT,

H.T. TUCKERMAN,
MRS. M. E. HEWITT,
PROF. JAMES J. MAPES,
REV. MR. BACON,

J. H. SHELDON, JR.,

J. G. SAXE, Esq.,

JOHN HENRY HOPKINS,(VT.)
J. KENNARD, JR.,

MR. F. PARKMAN, (BOSTON,)
JAS. RUSSELL LOWELL, Esq.

| PETER SCHEMIL.'

THE foregoing list included also ROBERT SOUTHEY, Rev. TIMOTHY FLINT, Miss LANDON, CH. JUSTICE MELLEN, TYRONE POWER, Robert C. SanDS, WILLIS GAYLORD CLARK, B. B. THATCHER, Dr. CALEB TICKNOR, WM. H. SIMMONS, JOHN SANDERSON, the American in Paris, NICHOLAS BIDDLE, Miss MARY-ANNE BROWNE, (Mrs. GRAY,) Eng'and, Rev. Dr. BRANTLEY, South-Carolina, WILLIAM L. STONE, Rev. Dr. BEASLEY, New-Jersey, J. H. HILLHOUSE, and other distinguished writers who have paid the debt of nature.' The following notices of the KNICKERBOCKER are from the American and English press, and from American and British writers of distinction.

THE first number of the Twenty-Seventh Volume of this venerable and widely-popular periodical appears upon entirely new and beautiful type, in all its departments; and in its rich and diversified contents, continues to vindicate its reputation as the most agreeable and entertaining Magazine published in the United States. When we first started the old 'New-Yorker,' our friend CLARK had preceded us as Editor of the KNICKERBOCKER about a twelvemonth; it has now reached an age greatly beyond that of any American Monthly; a fact which literally speaks volumes' in praise of the manner in which the work has been conducted. No number of the K. has ever been issued under CLARK's supervision that did not bear indubitable evidence of editorial care, and anxious thought and well-directed labor enstamped upon its pages. We have known no monthly, of this country or Europe, so thoroughly edited, in the strictest sense of the term. With a corps of contributors embracing the most eminent writers of the country, with not a few from the other side of the water, it has been able to present articles of a high order of merit, and in rich variety; while, as if emulous of the contributed portions, the editorial department has regularly increased in variety and abundance.'-New-York Daily Tribune.

'NOTHING is more remarkable than the unfailing promptitude of this old Monthly, except perhaps its constant and constantly increasing excellence. Mathematicians tell us of certain curves called asymptotes, whose peculiarity is always to approach each other, and yet, even when infinitely extended, never to intersect. The KNICKERBOCKER, which has reached an age for a Magazine much greater than a hundred years for a man, and only to be attained by a more marvellous mirac e,has perpetually approached the highest possible point of interest and excellence; and yet it seems to have an excelsior, for each number seems better than that which went before. How it is done our friend CLARK may understand—but it is a sealed mystery to us. There is no publication in the United States that has so attractive or popular a feature as the Editor's Table of the KNICKERBOCKER.'-New-York Courier and Enquirer.

See third page of Cover.

ART. I. THE OREGON TRAIL. BY FRANCIS PARKMAN, .

II. A HEALTH. By F. W. THOMAS, ALABAMA,
III ANGEL-LOVE. BY J. A. SWAN, Esq., .

IV. JACK HILTON'S NUPTIALS. By P. HAMILTON MYERS,

V. LINES TO NIAGARA. BY HORACE DRESSER, Esq.,

VI. STANZAS: REMINISCENCES OF MY GRANDMOTHER,
VII. THE EGYPTIAN LETTERS. NUMBER SIX,

VIII. LINES TO THE AURORA BOREALIS,

IX. WORDS OF CHEER. BY J. CLEMENT,

X. INGLE-SIDE CHIT-CHAT. By 'THE SQUIRE,'

XI. ODE TO JAVA COFFEE,

389

398

399

401

412

413

414

425

426

426

431

XII. LETTERS FROM THE GULF-STATES. BY A NORTHERN TRAVELLER,

3. NORTH-AMERICAN REVIEW FOR THE APRIL QUARTER,

461

4. DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT OF MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, 5. MESMER AND SWEDENBORG CONSIDERED,

462

463

EDITOR'S TABLE:

1. ROLLING BACK THE TIDE OF TIME: EASTERN ANTIQUITIES, .

2. BILLVANSNORT, OR 'MAZEPPA TRAVESTIE.' BY THE LATE R. C. SANDS, 3. MORE TALK WITH MR. MOTH,

4. GOSSIP WITH READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS,

1. THE ARISTOCRAT, THE RADICAL, AND THE INDEFINITE.' 2. BEAUTIFUL PASSAGE
FROM FORD'S LOVER'S MELANCHOLY.' 3. THE NORTH-AMERICAN' REVIEW OF
THE NEW TIMON: LAMENT OF UNSALEABLE AMERICAN AUTHORDOM;'A LITE-
RARY DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: THE 'STOP-THIEF!' 'LAGIARISTS OF THE
TIME. 4. ANACREON MOORE' ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH AN AMERICAN
CORRESPONDENT OF THE KNICKERPOCKER: LINES INSCRIBED IN A VOLUME OF 'ME-
MORIALS OF WASHINGTON.' 5. THE NEW DEPOT OF THE CARCEL MECHANICAL
LAMP. 6. THE DROWNING HONOR OF AMERICA PLUCKED UP BY THE LOCKS.
7. HEADLEY'S WASHINGTON AND HIS GENERALS.' 8. COMPLAINING AUTHOR-
LINGS MR. GRISWOLD'S PROSE WRITERS OF AMERICA. 9. THE METROPOLITAN
SUNDAY PRESS. 10. EXHIBITION OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN. 11. AN
APOLOGY FOR EDITORIAL SHORT-COMINGS: MONSTROUS MUSS' OF MAY-DAY.'
12. ANOTHER ANECDOTE OF BURCHARD.

5. LITERARY RECORD: BRIEF NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS,

NOTICE.

COUNTRY SUBSCRIBERS who are in arrears should recollect to make returns for what we send them. Remittances to be made

to

JOHN ALLEN,

139 Nassau-street, New-York.

MR. T. P. WILLIAMS is our Agent to receive the names of Subscribers in the West and South. terested in the circulation of this facilitating his designs.

Editors and others kindly inMagazine, will oblige us by

O. D. DAVIS and JOHN STOUGHTON, Jr., are canvassing for subscribers to this work in the state of New-York.

Entered, according to the act of Congress, in the year 1847,
BY JOHN ALLEN.

In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the Southern District of New-York.

THOUGH sluggards deem it but a foolish chase,
And marvel men should quit their easy-chair,
The toilsome way and long, long league to trace,
Oh! there is sweetness in the prairie air,

And life, that bloated ease can never hope to share.'- CHILDE HArold.

On the next morning we rode to Fort Leavenworth. Colonel, now General Kearney, to whom I had had the honor of an introduction when at St. Louis, was just arrived, and received us at his quarters with the high-bred courtesy habitual to him. Fort Leavenworth is in fact no fort, being without defensive works, except. two block-houses. No rumors of war had as yet disturbed its tranquillity. In the square grassy area, surrounded by barracks and the quarters of the officers, the men were passing and repassing, or lounging among the trees; although not many weeks afterward it presented a different scene; for here the very offscourings of the frontier were congregated, to be marshalled for the expedition against Santa Fe.

Passing through the garrison, we rode toward the Kickapoo village, five or six miles beyond. The path, a rather dubious and uncertain one, led us along the ridge of the high bluffs that border on the Missouri; and by looking to the right or to the left, we could enjoy a strange contrast of opposite scenery. On the left stretched the prairie, rising into swells and undulations, thickly sprinkled with groves, or gracefully expanding into wide grassy basins, of miles in extent; while its curvatures, swelling against the horizon, were often surmounted by lines of sunny woods; a scene to which the freshness of the season and the peculiar mellowness of the atmosphere gave additional softness. Below us, on the right, was a tract of rag