| Humphreys and Abbot's Report on the M ississippi River, 225 
Arkansas, and thus is less favorable to navigation. The raft 
also is a serious obstacle, as it requires the boats to leave the 
channel and pass through lakes and bayous. 
The high-water area of cross-section throughout the desert 
country is probably about 12,000 square feet, and in the culti- 
vated region from 30,000 to 40,000. 
the range of the river is greatly affected by the raft. Thus 
at Fort ‘Towson it is some 46 feet, the. maximum (January 27, 
1843) being 51 feet; at Fulton it is 35 feet; at the head of the 
raft, 10 feet: at Shreveport, 25 feet; at Alexandria, 47 feet; at 
the mouth, 45 feet. ‘These numbers illustrate the effect of lakes 
m moderating floods, 
_ The only important tributary of the Red river is the Black 
Tiver, formed by the junction of the Washita, (the Indian name 
Sammie Little river, and Bayou Tensas. It is only 54 miles. 
D length, 
The following figures exhibit the high water slope of Red river. 
‘eiaemenen Ok ee Sale eaaee 
Distance | blevation | Fall 
Locality, | above jabove guli] per | Authority. 
eye aces ST a sO level. toile, 
8 Miles, | Feet. | Feet. | 
ace - ase be | 1200 2450 | 0:00 Captain Marcy. 
At Preston, bi iad | 820 641 | 480 Captain Pope 
At Fulton, Te ae 242 80 Railroad levels 
At head of raft, - | 405 | 207 | 020 Mr. C.A. Fuller. 
| 330 180 | 0°36 Railroad levels. 
ico 58 | 0°41 |Delta Survey. 
| 00 54 | 0:14 Delta Survey. 
sippi valley. Although diversified in climate and production, 
l 
e. 
_ Lieut. Pike, U.S. A., explored the sources of the Arkansas 
Tver in 1806. They lie among the Mts. west of the South 
Bent’s Fo 104° W. lon ’s Report on Gen. 
g. Maj. Emory’s Repo 
Rearny’s route in 1846 describes the river between Bent’s Fort 
rea t is seldom over 150 yards wide, and gener- 
vel varies from half a mile to two miles and is generally cov- 
with good nutritious grass. Beyond Bent’s Fort to the 
‘st, the ‘big timber’ is found, a thinly scattered growth of large 
Cotton woods, 
