The new land
The first indication of their approach to land was “the appearance of mighty river pouring forth its muddy mass of waters,” and “mingling with the deep blue of the Mexican Gulf.” The shores were “so utterly flat, that no object upon them is perceptible at sea.” The travelers gazed “with pleasure on the muddy ocean” that met them, for it told them that they were “arrived.” Though “seven weeks of sailing” wearied them, it was “not without a feeling of regret” that they passed “from the bright blue waves,” whose “varying aspect had so long furnished” their chief amusement, “into the murky stream” which now received them. This imagery evokes a light feeling of sadness.
The ocean’s charm
To those “who have pleasure in contemplating the phenomena of nature,” a sea voyage may “endure many weeks without wearing.” Some might think that “the first glance of ocean and of sky shew all they have to offer,” but it is not so. To the author, “their variety appeared endless, and their beauty unfailing.” Even the attempt to describe the scenery is “very rarely successful.” The impression is “perhaps deeper than any other,” for it is next to impossible to forget “the sensations” with which one watches “the long course of the gigantic Mississippi.” This imagery evokes a feeling of sheer fascination.
The eternal forests
It was their first walk in “the eternal forests of the western world,” and the travelers felt “rather sublime and poetical.”According to the protagonist, “the chief beauty of the forest in this region” is from “the luxuriant undergrowth of palmetos,” which is “decidedly the loveliest coloured and most graceful plant” the author knows. “The pawpaw” is “a splendid shrub” too. Notwithstanding it was “mid-winter” when they were in New Orleans, the heat was “much more than agreeable,” and “the attacks of the mosquitoes incessant.” However, the family “would rather have endured it, that not have seen oranges, green peas, and red pepper.” This imagery evokes a feeling of admiration.
