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MISSOURI. 
TOPOGRAPHY, 
By Carr. J. P. CADMAN, A. M. 
The State of Mis- 
souri lies between the parallels of 36° 30’ and 40° 30’ north latitude, 
BouUNDARY AND GEOGRAPHICAL PosITION. 
and between 12° 2’and 18° 51’ longitude west from Washington. It 
is bounded om the north by the State of Iowa, from which it is separ- 
ated for about 30 miles on the north-east by the DesMoines River ; 
on the east by the Mississippi River, that separates it from the States 
of Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee ; on the south by the State of 
Arkansas ; and om the west by the Indian Territory and the States 
of Kansas and Nebraska. The length of Missouri north and south 
is about 277 miles; its average breadth is about 244 miles, varying 
from 200 miles in the north to 312 miles in the south, and a narrow 
strip between the St. Francois and Mississippi Rivers extending 
south from the main body of the State about thirty-five miles into 
Arkansas. 
AreEA.—The area of Missouri is 67,380 square miles or 43,123,- 
200 acres, being about 2.29 per cent. of the total territory of the 
United States exclusive of Alaska. It is larger than any State east 
of, or bordering on, the Mississippi River except Minnesota. In size, 
Missouri is the eighth State in the Urion, the States that exceed it 
in area being as follows: Texas, 237,321 square miles; Cali- 
fornia, 159,000; Nevada, 112,000; Oregon, 95,274; Minnesota, 
83,500; Kansas, 81,000; and Nebraska, 76,000. Missouri is 
nearly equal in area to the three States of Illinois, Massachusetts 
and Connecticut, whose areas are respectively as follows: 55,405 ; 
7,800; and 4,674 square miles. Missouri is a third larger than 
England and is equal in size to the combined areas of Denmark, 
Holland, Belgium and Switzerland. 
FacE oF THE Country.—This State is divided by the Missouri 
River into two distinct parts, each marked by different physical char- 
acteristics. In the southern portion as far west as the Osage River, 
the surface is rolling and gradually rises into a hilly and somewhat 
mountainous country forming the Ozark range. West of the 
Osage river commences an expanse of very high prairie land. In 
the extreme southeast of the State is an extensive bottom land 
along the Mississippi River, beginning on the north at Cape Girar- 
deau, and extending south to the Arkansas river. Many swamps 
are found here that are almost impenetrable, owing to the dense 
growth of trees, mostly Cypress. The most extensive of these is the 
Great Swamp, which commmences a few miles south of Cape Girar- 
deau and continues southward to the mouth of the St. Frangois, 
penetrating far into the State of Arkansas. There are more than 
one hundred miles of this swamp in Missouri. 
The Great Swamp has four natural sub-divisions, which are 
known locally as follows: the St. Francois, the St. John’s, the 
James, and the White Water or Little River Swamps. Within this 
bottom are also many lakes and lagoons; but it likewise con- 
tains many islands elevated above the reach of the highest floods. 
Much of this section of the State has been inundated and unculti- 
vated since the earthquakes of 1811 and 1812; but it is probably 
all capable of being reclaimed, and possesses a very rich soil. 
A general idea of the surface of the southern part of the State 
may be obtained from the elevations of the following places, as 
compared with St. Louis, which is 372 feet above the sea level : 
Place. Feet above St. Louis. 
Base of Pilot Knob, Iron County 537 
Top of Pilot Knob 1118 
Marshfield, Webster County, (217 miles southwest of St. Louis) rogo 
Granby, Newton County, (extreme southwestern part of the 
SOON Weng s ox wala abs aneiegCun een <ivataa ruben apie micas ope bale ene! 6638 
SPT MICU, SEROUS TORED fins -vicecotslewondeusavard suslecuens 1080 
Feet below St. Louis, 
Ohio City, Mississippi County, (just opposite Cairo, Ill.,).... 100 
That part of the State lying north of the Missouri river is less 
broken and hilly than most of the southern portion, and exhibits a 
desirable medium between a mountainous and level country. There 
is an excellent diversity of prairie and timber land, well watered by 
numerous streams whose uniform course is south or southeast, emp- 
tying into the Missouri or Mississippi Rivers. 
Rivers.—Two of the largest rivers in the United States, if not 
in the world, give Missouri the benefits of their navigation. The 
Mississippi River flows along the eastern border of the State for a 
distance (including its windings) of nearly 500 miles. The Mis- 
souri River courses along nearly one-half of the western border of 
the State separating it from Nebraska and Kansas for a distance of 
about 250 miles, and then bears off in a direction a little south of 
east for 436 miles farther, until it reaches its confluence with the 
Mississippi River. Both of these rivers are navigable by large steam- 
ers far beyond the limits of the State. 
The principal tributaries which the Missouri river receives within 
the State are the following: Platte, Chariton and Grand Rivers from 
the north, and the La Mine, Osage and Gasconade from the south. 
The principal tributaries that the Mississippi river receives within 
the State are: Salt River from the northwest, and Maramec River 
south of the Missouri river. The St. Francois and White Rivers 
drain the southern part of the State and flow into Arkansas. 
For more detailed topography and description, see the next 
article. 
