crn than eastern side, covering tlie lands in somo pla- 

 ces foi 'O miles from its banks. Above the mouth of 

 the Missoiiri it heromes tniicli such a river as the Ohio, 

 like it clear, and ^fenlleiii its current, not qiiiie so wide, 

 the j)eriod of its floods nearly the same, hut not rising 

 to so great a height. The streets of the viMage at Co- 

 hoes are Jiot more than 10 (eet above the ordinary level 

 of the water, and yet wcr." .lever overflowed. Its bed 

 deepens every year. Coif es, in the memory of many 

 people now living, was insulated by every flood of the 

 river. What was the eastern channel has now l)ecome 

 a lake, [) miles in length and one m width, into which 

 the river at this day never flows. This river yields tur- 

 tle of a i)eculiar kind, perch, trout, gar, pike, mullets, 

 herrings, carps, spatula-fisli of 501i). weight, cat-fish of 

 ]001b. weight, buffalo fish aud sturfreon. Alligators or 

 crocodiles have been seen as high up as the Acansas. 

 It also a!)ounds in herons, cranes, ducks, brant, geese 

 ami swans. Its passage is commanded by a fort estab- 

 Jished by this state, five miles below the mouth of Ohio, 

 and ten miles al)ove the Carolina boundary. 



The iMissouri, sinc^ the treaty of Paris, the Illinois 

 and Northern branches of the Ohio, since the cession 

 to Congress, are no longer within our limits. Yet hav- 

 ing been so heretofore, and still ojiening to us channels 

 of extensive comnmnication with the western and 

 northwestern country, they shall be noted in their or- 

 der. 



The Missouri is, in fact, the principal river, contribut- 

 ing more to the common stream than does the Missis- 

 sippi, even after its junction with the Illinois. It is 

 remarkably cold, muddy and rapid. Its overflowings 

 are considerable. They happen during the months of 

 June and July. Tlieir commencement being so much 

 later than those of the Mississippi, would induce a be- 

 lief that the som-ces of tlie "dissouri, are northward of 

 those of the .Mississippi, unless we su[)pose that the 

 cold increases again with the ascent of tlie land from 

 the Mississippi westwardly. That this ascent is great, 

 is proved by the rapidity of the river. Six miles above 



