228 - Geographical Notices. 
Boundaries and areas.—The St. Francis bottom is bounded as fol- 
lows: Starting at wore Girardeau, on the Mississippi river, the line runs 
a little south ‘of west to the northwest corner of - 29, R. 11, east; 
thence southwest to the St. Francis river, near the ortheast corner of 
Be 20, ihe. oy east ; thence south aon the St. Fixit ¥ river® to the south- 
by corner of T, 22, R. 8, eas - thence southwest to the northeast cor- 
ner of T. 14, R. 4, east ; hints nearly south to the middle of T, 3, &. 3, 
east ; thence to Helena, and thence, following the Mississippi river, to 
Cape Girardeau. Within these limits there are many isolated ridges en- 
tirely above overflow. 
The limits of the watershed of the St. Francis basin can be readily 
and pe traced upon Hutawa’s sectional map of Missouri, by following 
the divide which separates small streams running to and from the bot- 
tom lands. The Ozark slope constitutes fully two-thirds of the peed 
regi 
he following table has been carefully computed in accordance with 
the above boundary, and is believed to be quite accurate :— 
Square miles. 
_ Watershed of St. Francis poorer lands, .-. 8,600 
Ridges known to be above overflow in St. Francis bottom lands, cenee 600 
Lands liable to be dideesed th dine 6,300 
—_—_—_ 
Total area of St. Francis basin, wee + 10,500 
Topography.—The northern watershed is a pea hilly country, 
viet ate abruptly to the bottom lands. Its mean descent sou outhward 
1200 feet in 70 miles, or at a mean rate “of about 17 feet pet 
mile. 
wamp region is, in general character, a great plain weap from 
north if south at a mean rate of about 0°7 of a foot per mile, ju aging 
by the fall of the Mississippi between Cape Girardeau and Helens; 
from east to west at a mean rate of about 0°5 of a foot per mile, judging 
by the levels of the Memphis and Little Rock railroad, which crossed sed the 
bottom aoa the middle line. This ¢ country is separated fro from the rolling 
praries west of it, which drain into White river, by a single pea 
averaging 300 feet in height.” 
4, Missouri Basin.—[The account of this basin having already 
been given in these pages, [2], xxxili, p. 185, we omit it in 4 
place. 
Upper Mississippi Basin Although the Upper Mississippi 
is neither the longest tributary, nor the greatest contributor 
rainage, nor the branch most like in character to the f a 
Mississippi, it bears its name and has thus always been an 0D) 
of especial interest to geographers. : 
“The distinguishing characteristic of this portion of the Mississipp 
basin is the entire absence of mountains. Near the source of the weigh 
the country is only some 1600 feet above the level of the sea, and is ag 
with swamps and lakes, divided by hills of sands and boulders 
sa The St rani river when noo, lous some of its water in this vieinity DY 
, a tributary of White river of Arkansas. 
