Miscellany: Visit To Nauvoo And The Mormon Prophet

After a ride of two hours from Fort Madison, in Iowa, we arrived at the corporation line of the "Holy Cily which is tliree miles from the river on which the most densely built part of the city is situated. The limits of the corporation are, I was told, four miles square, and the population froni fifteen to twenty thousand, and daily increasing, which I could readily believe from what I saw. On entering the limits of the corporation, we drove a mile without seeingany indication of a city, except a house here and there, at one of which on stoppingto enquire how and where we could find entertainment, we received avery surly reply, and were closely scanned by the man to whom we spoke; presently, however, we got into a more friendly región, and meeting several pedestrians coming out of the city, whom we should have recognized , longing to the fraternity of sainls, only from their style of dress, were on accosting them kindly directed to the best of their knowledge.After a very circuitous drive wearrived in front of the Tempte, which when completed will be an immense and beautiful as well as very novel edince. The workmanship is of the first character, and the material the most bcautifully polished stone. Although a grcat numberof workmen are constantly employed in building, the progress is hardly perceptible; so immense are its dimensions. The basement appeared to be more finished than anv other part. It contains the baptismal font. the appearance of which is quite imposing. Around the font are twelve brazen oxen as large as life, and so natural that but fov their color I should have taken them for living animáis. In front of the temple at about two hundred yards distance is the vault or cementery of the Prophet and his family. It is large and Well constructed; the front neatly finished offwith polished stone. The remains of some members of his family are deposited there I was told. I did not go into it. The buildings more recently erected in Nauvoo are generally good, and rriahy of them exhibit ataste and style far surpassing our anticipation. A great number of buildings go up every year, and wc were told that seven hundred were in progress at that time.the truth of which I rather doubt, but I should suppose there were from three to four hundred being built when we were there. After refreshing ourselves at an excellent hotel, kept by the way by a Peonan, who had recently löcated there.we sallied forth to pay our réspects fo the self-made Prophet. On arriving at his house which is large and neat though quite unpretending, we were invited into a small room by an aged lady, whom ve soon discovered was the mother of the celebrated Joe. She received us with much kindness,which with all my prejudice against Mormonism prepossessed me in her favor. After a kv minutes the. great imposter entered the room; and I must confessl feit amused at the diflerence of his appearance from what I had anticipated. His address was rcmarkably fine, his personal appearance very gentecl. and his whole manner that of a gentleman. Ho entered at once with ease and politeness into conversatjon onxue ainerent topics of interest of the present day. From his cdnversation when unexcited. I should not have supposed him an uneducated man. He spoke with fluency and'great propriety.exhibiting much humor and playfulness in his manner,but in speaking upon doctrina] points he became excited, and was rough. coarse and vulgar. When calm, his eye is soft and pleasing, but to me there was something unplcasant about bis mouth, a voluptuousness I can scarcely endure. With the little skill in phrenology whibh I possess, I should think his propensities were licentious and wicked. I carne away wondering that Joe Smith should obtain such an infiuence over the minds of intellectual