848 



MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 



There were few white inhabitants before the end of 

 the last century. In 1798, the country was erected 

 into a territorial government, and into a state govern- 

 inrnt in 1817. For the constitution, see Constitutions 

 of the I' nited States. 



.MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. This name is applied 

 to the vast country which is watered by the Missis- 

 sippi river and its numerous tributary streams, and 

 which is included between the Allegheny and the 

 Rocky mountains. Mr Flint considers that it pro- 

 perly includes the tracts watered by the compara- 

 tively small rivers, as the Mobile, Pearl, and other 

 rivers of west Florida, on the east side, and the Sabine, 

 Brassas, and Colorada of Texas on the west side, 

 which enter the gulf of Mexico without uniting 

 with the Mississippi. Including the valleys of these 

 separate streams, the great Valley of the Mississippi 

 is bounded south by the gulf of Mexico, and extends 

 on the south-east to cape Florida. Running along 

 that cape in a northern direction, the boundary on 

 the east passes those table elevations which separate 

 the waters of the Mobile and Tombigbee from those 

 of the rivers of East Florida. Thence running 

 through the country of what are called the Indian 

 nations, and touching the north-western extremity 

 of Georgia, the eastern boundary becomes plainly 

 defined by the Allegheny mountains. There are no 

 mountains or ridges on the north, to mark a general 

 boundary between this Valley and the basins of the 

 lakes, or between the waters of the Mississippi and 

 those which flow northward into lake Winnipeck, 

 Hudson's bay, and the Arctic ocean ; but the Valley 

 is to be considered as terminating on the north, 

 where it begins to receive its waters. The western 

 boundary is, for the most part, distinctly marked by 

 the Rocky mountains. One of the southern ridges 

 of these mountains divides the waters of Arkansas 

 and Red rivers from those of the Rio del Norte, and 

 traverses the Mexican states of Texas and Coahuila 

 to the low marshes and prairies on the gulf of 

 Mexico. Thus the Valley of the Mississippi extends 

 twenty degrees in latitude, without including cape 

 Florida, and about thirty degrees in longitude. From 

 Oleanne point on the Allegheny, to the highest point 

 of boat navigation on the Missouri, is 5000 miles. 

 Between the extreme points of navigation on the 

 Tennessee, and on the Arkansas and the Red river, 

 the distance is at least 3000 miles. Unlike most 

 other long and large rivers, the Mississippi rises in 

 very cold regions, and flows towards the equator. It 

 thus waters an immense valley, possessing almost 

 every variety of climate, and furnishes the means of 

 easy and most profitable intercourse between the 

 various sections of so vast a region. If we except 

 the Amazon, probably no other valley on the globe 



will compare in size with that of the Mississippi ; 

 and it probably surpasses all others in the richness 

 and variety of its soil, and its general adaptation to 

 the support and comfort of civilized men. In extent, 

 it is like a continent; in beauty and fertility, it is the 

 most perfect garden of nature. (For the leading 

 features of the various sections of this Valley, the 

 rivers, climates, and productions, see the separate 

 articles. The history has been given under Louisi- 

 ana territory, but some further details respecting the 

 earlier periods may be interesting.) Sebastian Cabot 

 is supposed to have sailed along the coast of Florida 

 but a few years after America was discovered by 

 Columbus. The Spaniards contend that Florida was 

 discovered in lat. 30, in the year 1512, by Juan 

 Ponce de Leon. Some say that he discovered it on 

 Easter day, and gave it the name of Florida, from 

 the Spanish name of that festival pasqua deflores 

 the festival of flowers. Others say that he named it 

 Florida, the country of flowers, from the great profu- 

 sion of flowers with which the trees, shrubs, and 

 plants abounded. Between 1518 and 1524, Grijalva 

 and Vasquez, both Spaniards, landed in Florida. 

 From mismanagement with the natives, their expedi- 

 tion failed in its purposes. In 1528, Pamphilo de 

 Narvaer obtained a grant of Florida. He penetrated 

 the country as far as the Indian village Appalacha. 

 The natives there defeated his party. He was suc- 

 ceeded by Ferdinand de Soto, governor of Cuba, who 

 sailed from Havana with nine ships, about a thousand 

 men, two or three hundred horses, and other live 

 stock. He was attacked by the Indians immedi- 

 ately after he landed; but he coveted rather than 

 feared opposition, and marched far into the interior, 

 even to the country of the Chickasaws. He was 

 probably the first white man who saw the Missis- 

 sippi. He crossed it near the entrance of Red river; 

 but soon after sickened and died. The number of 

 his followers had been much reduced, and those who 

 remained were glad to abandon the project of colo- 

 nizing Florida. In 1564, the French built fort 

 Charles, near the present site of St Augustine, and a 

 number of families were established there ; but this 

 was not a permanent establishment. About fifty 

 years afterwards, in 1608, a fleet arrived in the St 

 Lawrence, commanded by admiral Champlaine, and 

 founded the important city of Quebec. Thus the 

 first permanent settlement of the French in America 

 was in the inclement climate of Canada: the Span- 

 iards made their first colonial experiments in Florida, 

 and on Biloxi, at places which are remarkable for 

 their sterility: the English made their first settle- 

 ments at Jamestown and Plymouth, neither of which 

 places then offered much encouragement of fruitfuL 

 ness or of peace. 





END OF VOLUME FOURTH. 



GLASGOW: 



PRINTED BY W- O. BLACKIE, fc CO., 

 TILLAFIELO. 



