40 SPRINGS, RIVERS, CANALS, LAKES, 



river being constantly encumbered with floating tree?, which the 

 winds tear from its banks, and precipitate into the water. The 

 ascent is still more difficult and tedious. Proceeding northward 

 from its mouth, the adjacent country is one continued level spot, 

 covered with vast forests of trees, which so entirely intercept the 

 winds, as to cause a dead calm constantly to prevail, so that in this 

 part it commonly takes a month to sail only twenty leagues. When 

 these forests cease, the remainder of the navigation is obstructed by 

 strong currents, so that boats seldom advance farther than rive or 

 six leagues in a whole day. This river bounds Louisiana to the 

 eastward. 



The OHIO, or Fair River, which Mr. Jefferson calls " the most 

 beautiful river upon earth," rises in several branches, some of which 

 spring near lake Erie, and others within a few miles of lake Ontario. 

 It is called the Alleghauy, until it is joined by the Monongahela, 

 which rises from the west side of the Alleghauy mountains, in a 

 great number of small streams, that unite, and, together with the 

 Alleghany, form this river, about 40 35' north latitude, when it 

 takes the name of Ohio. Its general course afterward inclines to 

 the south-west, and takes a remarkably winding serpentine form. 

 At Fort Pitt, where the junction is made, it is a mile wide, but 

 grows much wider before it joins the ississippi, which is in lati- 

 tude 36 8' north, receiving several streams in its course thither. 



The country between the lakes and the junction of the Ohio and 

 Mississippi, for several hundred miles, is level, and has an excellent 

 soil ; the climate is healthy and agreeable, and the winters short and 

 moderate : its natural productions are numerous and valuable : it is 

 well stocked, but not encumbered with timber trees, so that no 

 country in the world is capable of nobler improvements. 



Great part of this country is now settled, and new states are form* 

 ing ; of these Kentuckey has for many years sent representatives and 

 senators to congress. 



None of these American rivers are acted upon by tides, the copious 

 efflux causing the waters constantly to proceed with rapidity toward 

 the mouth, so that no ships, without great difficulty, can proceed 

 upward in any of these rivers, and the commercial benefits which 

 they yield are chiefly internal, furnishing a ready conveyance for 

 the productions of the country, but incapable of bringing back 

 any foreign articles. In the rising state of Kentuckey many ships 

 are built, which floating down the Ohio, proceed to the gulf of 



