424&amp;gt; IRON COAL. 



Iron ore is said to exist in the southern part of the state ; 

 and copper ore in the lead region around Galena. But I 

 believe neither of them have been manufactured. 



Coal, of bituminous quality, has been found on the banks 

 of the principal rivers, in different parts of the state, and, 

 from having been seen on the banks of the river Missouri, it 

 is supposed to extend over the whole of the upper part of the 

 Mississippi valley. But, in the present state of the country, 

 no particular examination of the field has been made. Coal 

 has, however, been wrought in many places on the banks of 

 rivers by quarrying ; and is found above the level of the 

 waters. Several steam-mills, at St Louis, use coal for fuel. 



Iron is manufactured in Wabash county, and lime-stone is 

 found over the whole State. I observed abundance of sand 

 stone in the channel of the Illinois ; and perhaps almost every 

 mineral which is useful to man will be found on examination. 



Illinois is favourably situated for water communication, the 

 interior of the state being intersected by the Kaskaskia, Rock, 

 and Illinois rivers, which are navigable at all seasons of the 

 year. The State is said to contain between three and four 

 thousand miles of boatable waters, a description of navigation 

 which cannot be well defined, as every rill, in so level a coun 

 try, will float a boat of small size, on melting of the snow in 

 spring. There is no doubt, however, of the water communi 

 cation being extensive, which will be farther improved by 

 connecting the navigable point of the Illinois with lake Michi 

 gan. To the formation of a canal for this purpose, Congress 

 granted the State 480,000 acres of land. The undertaking 

 has not been commenced ; and the extent of rock disco 

 vered in the intended line, may render a railroad necessary. 

 The navigable rivers Wabash, Ohio, and Mississippi form the 

 boundaries of three sides, and lake Michigan is on the fourth. 

 The external communication is as remarkable as the internal. 



The Mississippi connects the State of Illinois with New 

 Orleans to the south ; the Ohio opens a communication with 

 Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York to the west. To the 

 north, lake Michigan communicates with lake Superior and 

 the world of waters which flow into the gulf of St Lawrence. 

 The western communication, by the Missouri, is only limited 



