him if he found the observations continuous, and he said that he did
not, but that they seem to be astrological pictures of the configuration
of the planets, and to have been made at the birth of princes.

"He has just been reading the slabs sent from Nineveh by Mr. Marsh;
their date is only about five hundred years B.C.

"Mr. Seyffarth's published works amount to seventy, and he was surprised
to find a whole set of them in the Astor Library in New York.

"March 19. We came on board of the steamer 'Magnolia,' this morning, in
great spirits. We were a little late, and Miss S. rushed on board as if
she had only New Orleans in view. I followed a little more slowly, and
the brigadier-general came after, in a sober and dignified manner.

"We were scarcely on board when the plank was pulled in, and a few
minutes passed and we were afloat on the Mississippi river. Miss S. and
myself were the only lady passengers; we had, therefore, the whole range
of staterooms from which to choose. Each could have a stateroom to
herself, and we talked in admiration of the pleasant times we should
have, watching the scenery from the stateroom windows, or from the
saloon, reading, etc.

"We started off finely. I, who had been used only to the rough waters of
the Atlantic coast, was surprised at the steady gliding of the boat. I
saw nothing of the mingling of the waters of the Missouri and the
Mississippi of which I had been told. Perhaps I needed somebody to point
out the difference.

"The two banks of the river were at first much alike, but after a few