Hocky Mountains. 329 



had risen several inches, Lieutenant Swift determined to 

 leave Cape Girardeau with the steam-boat on the following 

 day. Dr. James had so far recovered as to be able to tra- 

 vel on horseback, and immediately set forward on the jour- 

 ney to the Falls of Ohio, intending to proceed, by the nearest 

 route across the interior of Illinois. 



The immediate valley of the Mississippi, opposite the 

 little village of Bainbridge, ten miles above Cape Girardeau, 

 is four miles wide, exclusive of the river, which washes 

 the bluffs along the western side. Upwards it expands into 

 the broad, fertile, and anciently populous valley, called the 

 American bottom. On the east it is bounded by abrupt 

 hills of a deep argillaceous loam, disclosing no rocks, and 

 rather infertile, bearing forests of oak, sweet gum, tupelo, &c. 

 The road crossing the hilly country between the Mississippi 

 and the village of Golconda on the Ohio passes several pre- 

 cocious little towns, which apppear, as is often the case in a 

 recently settled country, to have outgrown their permanent 

 resources. The lands, however, are not entirely worthless, 

 and on some of the upper branches of the Cache, a river of 

 the Ohio, we passed some fertile bottoms, though they are 

 not entirely exempt from inundation at the periodical floods. 

 The compact limestone about Golconda contains beautiful 

 crystals of fluate of lime. Sulphuret of lead also occurs in 

 that vicinity, as we have been informed, in vt:ins accompa- 

 nying the fluate of lime. 



On arriving at Golconda, Dr. James had become so much 

 indisposed, by a recurrence of fever and ague, as to be un- 

 able to proceed. This circumstance, with others, induced 

 Lieutenant Swift to leave the steam-boat for the winter at 

 the mouth of Cumberland river, twenty miles below. After 

 a delay of a few days, the latter continued his journey to- 

 wards Philadelphia on horseback. 



Having thus traced the progress of the Exploring -party to 

 the place of their final separation, we shall here add some 



VOL. II. 42 



