midnight
Our passengers were really in no haste to reach their point of destination , yet they were impatient to be on the move , as is always the case with the average American traveller . I concluded to start at once , as the nights were now cheered by a full moon , and I intended to keep the boats going until they arrived at Chicago . There was nothing for the engineers and firemen to do on board , and I sent Moses Brickland and Ben Bowman forward by railroad to several designated places to engage fresh horses for us . Our passengers sat up till midnight on the hurricane-deck , for the weather was very warm for the season in this latitude , while Washburn and the deck-hands steered . In the morning our canal drivers said we had averaged three miles an hour , with two changes of horses . This was getting along faster than I had expected . I had written to Mr. Brickland , at Montomercy , informing him when we should arrive at Chicago , and inviting him and his wife to join us there , and make the trip home in the steamer .