
A curious traveler sets out from Cincinnati, eager to see the Ohio River’s towns and landscapes that have lived on the pages of history. Boarding the grand steamboat Pittsburg on a bright March morning, he plans a three‑day voyage toward Pittsburgh, hoping to arrive before the weekend. The narrative opens with his anticipation and vivid sense of adventure, inviting listeners to join him on the water’s winding path.
The description then turns to the riverboat itself, a floating world of layered decks, bustling freight holds, and comfortable state‑rooms that rival a hotel’s parlors. Listeners hear the clatter of cattle on the lower deck, the chatter of emigrants in the forecastle, and the quiet elegance of carpeted cabins where narrow, feather‑soft beds sway with the current. Through careful detail, the story paints a lively portrait of mid‑19th‑century travel, offering a window into the sights, sounds, and customs that defined life on the Ohio River.
Language
en
Duration
~44 minutes (42K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2017-03-06
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1798–1859
A 19th-century reformer who wrote tirelessly about health, education, and everyday living, he helped shape popular ideas about school life, exercise, and diet in the United States. His books brought big social questions into plain, practical language for ordinary readers.
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