136 NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. 



the capital town. Elk Lick is medicinal. Clarksville and 

 Louisiana are villages on the Missisippi within this county. 



Ralls county, on the river, next north of Pike, has some 

 branches of Salt River passing through it, and Spencer's 

 Creek. It is said also to have good springs. Iron, sulphur, 

 and coal are found within it. New London is the county- 

 seat. 



Marion county has a portion of its lands drained by Salt 

 River, North and South Creeks, and North and South Fabius. 

 It has coal of a good qualit}^, and it is said to possess nitre 

 in great abundance. There are several salt springs. As 

 nitre is an element of fertility, the county should be pro- 

 ductive, and it is considered to be so. There are many 

 mills on the streams within the county. Palmyra is the 

 capital, a very handsome flourishing town. Here is the land 

 office for the northern district of this state. A town is laid 

 out on the river, called ]\Iarion City. Hannibal, also on the 

 river, is a flourishing town, and a place of some trade. Salt 

 River, which has been mentioned as passing through 

 portions of this county and Pike, is the largest stream be- 

 tween the Missouri and Des Moines, flowing into the ]\Iissi- 

 sippi. 



Lewis county is north of Marion. It is advantageously 

 situated on the Missisippi, being favored with two or more 

 good landings. The site of La Grange is high and dry. 

 The county is w^atered by Wyaconda, North, and Soutli 

 Fabius, and Fox creeks. Monticello, in the centre, is the 

 county seat. 



North of Lewis, and the most northerly river county in 

 the State, is Clarke. The land of this, as of the last 

 county, is good, the soil becoming better toward the northern 

 part of the State, than in the counties lower down, near the 



