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MISSISSIPPI. 



MISSISSIPPI. 



to tlie Muaiasippi however, Mr. EUet says, is now the South-West Pass, 

 which has an actual depth uf 15 feet un its bar, and is the channel 

 used by all the ships of heavy draught which ascend to New Orleans. 

 Occasionally vessels drawing IS feet of water, and in rare instances 

 11) feet, pass to and from the sea by this chanuel. This pass has also 

 much increased in depth, and the channel has shifted considerably, 

 within the last few years. 



Riveii drain ing the Daiin of t!ie Mitsissippi. — The rivers which fall 

 into the Mississippi from the east drain a country which is cultivable 

 to a great extent The most northern on this side is the St. Croix 

 River, which joins the Mississippi between the mouth of the Miu- 

 nesota and Lake Pepin. It rises in Upper St. Croix Lake, near the 

 head-waters of Bois-Brul*; River, which falls into Lake Superior, and 

 there is a portage of two miles between the streams. It flows in a 

 general southern direction, receives numerous tributaries, and about 

 40 miles from its source enters the Lower Lake St. Croii, which is 

 30 miles long, and from one to three miles wide. The river is navi- 

 gable for steam-boats about SO miles, and for row-boats nearly 

 200 miles. 



The Wisconsin or Onisconsin River riaea in Vienx Desert Lake, 

 near the north-eastern boundary of the state of Wisconsin, and flows 

 thence through the mountain region called the Wisconsin Hills, in a 

 general south direction for about 2a0 miles to Portage, where it turns 

 to the south-west and afterwards west, and falls into the Mississippi 

 near the Prairie du Chien, after a further course of 110 miles. Its 

 banks present much very striking scenery ; and when the projected 

 improvements in its navigation are carried out, it appears likely to 

 form an important channel of communication. 



The Rock, Illinois, and Kaskasia, the next in succession of the 

 more important tributaries which join the Mississippi from the east, 

 are noticed under Illinois. 



The Ohio, the largest and most important of the eastern affluents 

 of the Mississippi, is formed by the confluence of two rivers, the 

 Alleghany and Monongahela. The Alleghany rises in several branches 

 on the west side of the Alleghany Mountains, south of the eastern 

 extrsmity of Lake Erie, at an average elevation of 1300 feet above 

 the sea, and 700 feet above the bike. The general direction of its 

 course is first south-west and then south, and after a course of about 

 800 miles (for 250 miles of which it is navigable by boats of 100 tons), 

 it unites with the MonongaheLi, the sources of which river are nearly 

 SOO mHea south of those of the Alleghany. The Monongahela rises 

 in Virginia, in the Laurel ridge of the Appalachian Mountains, and 

 runs northward : its course is about 2S0 miles ; and it is navigable 

 at full water by large boats for 100 miles. These two rivers, uniting 

 at Pittsburg, form the Ohio, whose course from this place to its 

 junction With the Mississippi, in a direct line, U 600 miles, but 

 measured along its windings 959 miles. At Pittsburg its mean level 

 is TOO feet above the tides of the Atlantic Ocean, and at its junction 

 witli the Mississippi about 275 feet. Except in high floods the 

 current of the Ohio is gentle and nearly tmiform. About 300 miles 

 from its mouth, near the town of Louisville in Kentucky, are some 

 npidi^ where the river falls 22 feet in two miles. During high water 

 b<»ta pass over these rapids : but a canal is carried round them which 

 admits the pasrage of the largest steam-boata. About 15 miles from 

 the mouth of the Ohio a limestone bar extends across the river, called 

 the Oiand Chain. This place is impassable for boats of considerable 

 burden in the lowest state of the water. With the exception of these 

 two places, the Ohio has sufficient water during a part of the year to 

 float vessels of 300 tons bunlen as far as Cincinnati, and boats msy 

 ascend it to Pittsburg, and also both of its upper branches for a con- 

 siderable distance above their confluence. The Ohio runs in a valley, 

 inclosed on both sides by ranges of hills, called River Mountains, 

 which vary considerably in height, but are generally between 300 and 

 SOO feet; their ascent is sometimes i-ocky and abrupt, but often 

 sufficiently gradual to admit cultivation to the summit. The hills 

 diminish in altitude as they approach the rapids of Louisville, where 

 they rise again to a height nearly equal to what they attain at the 

 head of the river; and from thence they gradually lower, until they 

 disappear a little above the confluence of the Ohio and Green rivers. 

 At this point a low country commences, which extends to the mouth 

 of the Ohio, a distance of more than 150 miles : the river also increases 

 in width and diminishes in velocity. The low country on its banks is 

 thickly wooded, and its soil is a deep alluvium. The low hills which 

 bound the alluvial district are at some distance from the stream. As 

 the country is higher along the banks of the river than at the ba?e 

 of these hills, the inundations to which this district is subject leave 

 extensive pooU of stagnant water, which during the summer send 

 forth noxious exhalations. The whole vale of the Ohio ii well 

 wooded. 



The riven which fall into the Ohio from the north, as the Uig Beaver, 

 the Muskingum, Sciota, Miami, and Waba»h are navigable in the 

 greatest part of their course. The Muskingum and the Sciota have 

 acquired great imjiortance, owing to the Erie and Ohio Canal, which 

 runs chiefly along their courses, beginning on the Ohio at Portsmouth 

 and lierminating on the aoutbem shores of Lake Erie at Cleveland. 

 The largest of these affluents is the Wabash, which has a course of 

 above 600 miles, and is navigable for more tlian 400 miles, though it 

 is obstructed by some rapids about 70 miles from its junction with 



the White River. It also connects the Ohio with Lake Erie by means 

 of the Wabash and Erie Canal. 



The rivers which join the Ohio from the south, especially the 

 Kenbawa, Big Sandy, Licking, Kentucky, Green, Cumberland, and 

 Tennessee are mostly navigable for steam-boats, to a great distance 

 from their mouth from February to June. During the remainder of 

 the year it is only the lower parts of these rivers that are navigable 

 for boats of moderate burden. Of these rivers the Tennessee is 

 noticed under Tennessee, and all the others under Kentucky. 



South of the mouth of the Ohio no considerable river joins the 

 Mississippi from the east, except the Yazoo, which falls into it five 

 degrees of latitude farther south. Its course is about 160 miles, and 

 it is navigable for boats in the spring season for 50 miles from its 

 mouth. 



The rivers which join the Mississippi from the west have a much 

 longer course, as most of them rise on the declivity or near the base 

 of the Rocky Mouutaius, but the country through which they llow is 

 very thinly iuhabitecL The most northern is the Minnesota, or 

 St. Peter's River, which rises ou the northern border of the basin of 

 the Mississippi, in Big Stone Lake, and runs in a very winding cour.-o 

 about 300 miles south-east and 200 miles north-east, though its wholo 

 course in a straight line does not exceed 275 miles. During the 

 vernal floods it is navigable for boats to Big Stone Lake, there being 

 but two obstructions that are impassable on such occasions, namely, 

 -at Patterson's Fall, nearly 300 miles, and at Great Portage, about 

 400 miles from its mouth ; at both of which places there are portages. 

 The Iowa and the Des Moines are noticed under Iowa. 



The largest of the affluents of the Mississippi is the Missouri ; and 

 as the sources of the Ohio drain the most north-eastern comer of the 

 basin of the Mississippi, so those of the Missouri drain its most north- 

 western angle. It rises in three branches, called the Jefl'erson, Galla- 

 tin, and Madison, in which all the waters descending from the eastern 

 declivity of the Rocky Mountains between 42" and 49° N. lat. unite. 

 From their junction in 45° 10' N. lat 100° W. long., the stream is 

 known as the Missouri. Its course is first north and then east, and 

 after a course of 400 miles it meets the Yellow Stone River, which rises 

 between 43° and 44° N. lat ; but its southern affluents rise as far 

 south as 42° N. lat The course of tho Yellow Stone is first north- 

 north-east and then ea8t,approaching gradually to the Missouri, which 

 it joins after a course of 800 miles. The Yellow Stone joins the 

 Mirsouri about 1200 miles from the source of the latter river, and 

 1880 miles from its mouth : steam-boats ascend to the confluence of 

 these rivers. These two rivers at their junction may each be com- 

 pared with the Rhine in length and volume of water : the Yellow Stone 

 River is 800 yards wide near the junction. But though the numerous 

 affluents which the Missouri receives in its upper course bring down 

 a large body of water from the Rocky Mountains (portions of which 

 are covered with snow, if not all the year round, at least for the 

 greater part of it), the Missouri loses much of this water during its 

 ujng course through a sandy desert ; and though it is joined in the 

 lower part of its course by some large rivers, it is stated that the 

 volume of water which it pours into the Mississippi is not greater 

 than what it contains immediately after its junction with the Yellow 

 Stone. From their junction the Missouri continues its eastern course, 

 declining however a little to the south, until it reaches the Mandau 

 villages, where it is deflected by the Coteau des Prairies to a southern 

 course for above 400 miles, until it unites with the White River. In 

 this ooorse it is joined by several affluents from the west; but though 

 some of them flow from 200 to 300 miles, none of them increases the 

 volume of its water to aay amount, as their course lies through the 

 sandy desert From its junction with the White River the Missouri 

 again flows eastward for 200 miles, and then to the east-south-east for 

 300 miles, to the mouth of the Kansas River, which is its largest 

 tributary, with the exception of the I'latto, or Nebraska, River, which 

 joins it about 180 miles farther up. [Kansas.] After the junction 

 with the Kansas River it runs still 250 miles, turning a little to the 

 south of east, and joins the Mississippi near Belle Fontaine, after a 

 course of about 3096 miles. The Missouri is a very rapid river in 

 the whole of its course, but it contains no falls except about 620 miles 

 from its source, iuthe vicinity of the Roi;ky Moimtains, where it flows 

 over several ledges of rocks for aliove 16 miles, in the course of which 

 distance it descends 357 feet Tho falls, known as the Grand Falls, 

 are said to be next in grandeur of appearance among American 

 cataracts to those of Niagara. The lowest and principal fall has a 

 perpendicular descent of 87 feet In the lower part of the course the 

 vale of the Missouri is wide and very fertile, and it is geuerally 

 covered with a deep and heavy growth of timber and underwoo<l for 

 about 350 miles from its mouth. There are however pi-airios of con- 

 siderable extent, even in this part of its course. Higher up the prai- 

 ries within its vale become more numerous and extensive, till at 

 length all woodlands disappear, except the small tracts at the points 

 formed by the windings of the river. 



The tributaries of the Missouri generally have their mouths blocked 

 up with mud, which arises from the floods of these rivers taking pUce 

 earlier in the season than thosn of the principal river, whoso cours.) 

 is much farther north. Tho flood of the tributaries can-ies off tha 

 mud which is deposited at their mouth ; but on the rising of the 

 Missouri, which is caused by tho molting of the snow, its floods back 



