Rocky Mountains. 345 



vided into a multiplicity of knobs and peaks, having rounded 

 summits, and presenting perpendicular cliffs and abrupt preci- 

 pices of transition sandstone. Thtir surfaces generally are 

 covered with rocks of this description, or flinty fragments 

 strewed in profusion upon them. The growth upon them is 

 almost exclusively pitch pine, cedar, scrubby oaks, hickory, 

 haw, and bramble; the poverty of the soil in some instances, 

 and the scarcity of it in others, excluding the more luxuriant 

 vegetable productions common to the more level country in 

 their vicinity. 



The groupe of mountains situated between the Arkansa 

 and Red rivers, gives rise to the following streams, all of 

 which are sufficiently copious for mill-seats, and abound in 

 cascades and falls, well adapted to such purposes, viz. the 

 Blue-water, Kiamisha, and Little rivers, the Mountain, Roll- 

 ing, Cossetot, and Saline forks of Little river, all of which 

 are tributary to Red river; the Little Missouri, Cadeau, 

 Washita, and the Saline, all confluent; the Mamelle, Le Fe- 

 vre, Petit jean, and Poteau, tributary to the Arkansa, be- 

 sides numerous creeks of less note. 



The hills and mountains between the Arkansa and Mis- 

 souri are equally prolific in water courses. The most con- 

 siderable of these are the Verdigris, Neosho or Grand ri- 

 ver, Illinois, together with the Frog, Mulberry, White-oak, 

 Spadra, Pine, Illinois, Point remove, and Cadron creeks tri- 

 butary to the Arkansa, the Little Red, and White rivers 

 confluent streams; the Strawberry, Spring, Eleven Point, 

 Currant, Little, and Big Black, all confluent and tributary to 

 White river, which enters the Mississippi about thirty miles 

 above the mouth of the Arkansa. The St. Francis and the 

 Merameg have their sources in this broken region also, and 

 discharge themselves into the Mississippi. Of the vallies of 

 the rivers last enumerated, viz. those north of the Arkansa 

 and tributary to the Mississippi, it is observable, that they 

 are uniformly possessed of a rich soil, but owing to the ex- 

 cessive floods occasionally brought down through them from 

 the hills and mountains, their cultivation is very precarious. 

 The valley of White river, and those of some few others, are 

 in many places elevated above the reach of the highest fresh- 

 ets, and are not altogether subject to this inconvenience, but 

 for the most part, they are liable to be annually swept by over- 

 whelming freshets, which prostrate fences, buildings, andevery 

 artificial structure that opposes their march. Even a fall fresh- 

 et has been known to inundate plantations situated within the 

 VOL. II. 44 



