IirPROYEMEXT OF MOUTH OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER. bi 



any river in the old world, has formed a deta which extends over a 

 space of over 90,000 square miles, and constitutes one of the most 

 important provinces of China. It is estimated that the alluvion of 

 this river would in the course of sixty days, form an island a mile 

 square and over 100 feet in depth. According to Rennell, the 

 Ganges conveys from five to six cubic yards per second, or from 

 forty to fifty thousand cubic yards per day. The Nile, scarcel}" 

 comparing with rivers of an inferior class, advances but slowlj", yet 

 its Delta measures nearly 200 miles on its front and increases over 

 seventy acres in a year. 



The " Po " is considered one of the most remarkable working- 

 rivers in the world, although a constant subsidence is taking place; 

 the river is nevertheless continuall}^ encroaching upon the Adriatic, 

 its deposits being estimated at over 15 million cubic j^ards every 

 year. 



The Rhone deposits an estimated mass of 22 million cubic yards 

 every year. 



I have here given a fair idea of the enormous amount of work 

 done by rivers, in order to show what we have to deal with. 



Considering the enormous masses which form the obstructions 

 which we wish to remedy, it may be well to examine the manner in 

 which they are disposed of by nature, and how these obstructions, 

 are formed. I will here return directly to the river in question — 

 the Mississippi. 



It will be observed that two parallel banks, confining the river, 

 stretch out into the gulf over 60 miles ; these finally become irreg- 

 ular, and the stream is divided into numerous branches and out- 

 lets. It is asserted that the Delta proper commences only at the 

 head of the ^«ss(?s. I would, however, consider the entire projec- 

 tion as belonging to the same. The first formation was on the 

 shallow coast of the gulf, removed from the destructive force of the 

 ocean waves; the river here asserted its rights and pushed boldly 

 on, every freshet increasing and fortifying the narrow causeways 

 forming its banks, which the waves would, in my estimation, only 

 tend to solidify by impact and by incorporating denser substances 

 eroded from the gulf-shores. 



The west side of these advancing banks is by some considered 

 part of the gulf shore, whereas it appears to me to be an accretion, 

 formed by the littoral current, such as would occur in the case of a 



