109 



Admitting this statement to have been perfectly cor- 

 rect, let us examine it with a view to ascertain the pro- 

 bability of the conclusions which are drawn. 



In the height of about forty feet, there are nine hun- 

 dred layers, each of which is supposed to be the re- 

 sult of an inundation, or overflowing of the banks. 

 Now forty feet divided by nine hundred gives four 

 eighths and |J of an inch, in each layer or deposite. 

 Then let us suppose that the upper half only of the 

 bank, or twenty feet, has been overflowed but once 

 in twenty years, (which he says has been the case in 

 their present state, "since the discovery of the coun- 

 try/') it follows, since about half an inch is the amount 

 of each deposite, that it would require the space of 

 nine thousand six hundred years to have formed the 

 upper half of the bank. 



But lest this should be considered too great a pro- 

 portion, that has been so seldom overflowed, I will 

 take only one fourth of the height (viz.) ten feet; and 

 even this would require, at that rate, about four thou- 

 sand two or three hundred years to have formed it, in- 

 stead of nine hundred, the ^ime allotted for the forma- 

 tion of the whole height, according to Mr. Stoddard's 

 calculation. 



If we were to admit that these entire banks were \ 

 formed by the overflowing of the Mississippi river, and 

 that each layer was the result of an annual inundation, 

 the whole of which requiring nine hundred, or even 

 eighteen hundred years for their completion, the ques- 

 tion very naturally presents itself, since Mr. Stoddard 



