CHAPTEE XV. 



EFFINGHAM COUNTY. 



This county is bounded on the north by Shelby and Cumberland, on 

 the east by Cumberland and Jasper, on the south by Clay and Fayette, 

 and on the west by Fayette. It has an area of 486 square miles, prob- 

 ably more than one-half of which consists of timbered land. 



Streams. — The Little Wabash river passiug southwardly nearly equally 

 bisects the county. Its tributaries are : on the east, Lucas, Big Bishop 

 with its forks, Little Bishop and Eamsey creeks, Big and Little Salt 

 creeks and Brush creek, Green creek and Sugar Fork ; on the west are 

 Fulfers and Limestone, Big and Brocket's creeks, Second creek, Fuuk- 

 houser, Blue Point and Shoal creeks. 



Topography. — The higher surface land is either flat prairie or flat 

 wood land, some post oak, some white oak, some hickory and oak, and 

 some pin oak flats, changing mostly to white oak on the breaks and 

 slopes. Above the flats there are a few low mounds, uot so abundant 

 nor so elevated as in the counties west ; one or two in the eastern 

 part, Blue Mound in the north-west, and the low ridge at Mason. The 

 mound or ridge at Masou is probably two miles across its base and but 

 little over fifty feet high, descending very gently for over a mile to 

 prairie fiats which are soon merged into post oak flats. 



Near the south county line the Wabash bluffs are sometimes SO feet 

 high, near the railroad bridge they are 30 to 40 feet, near Ewingtou 

 about the same, and 50 to 80 feet near the north county line. 



The bottoms of Little Wabash are an eighth to a quarter of a mile 

 wide. 



The hills near Salt creek are often quite abrupt, sometimes 75 feet 

 high ; its bottoms are low and narrow, and its channel full of quick- 

 sands. Near Sugar creek, Shoal creek, and Green creek, the hills are 

 somewhat steep, bottoms very narrow and beds of the streams very 

 sandy. Near the other streams the hills are generally low and of easy 

 ascent and the bottoms rather wide. 



Timber and Prairie. — The prairie in the western part of the county 

 is very flat with occasional ponds, on the margin of which may be found 



