/ 



mi VERS. 



periods of years, in respect to its inundations ? The 

 late period of great inundations, which have fallen 

 chiefly under my observations, (says Mr. Dunbar), 

 has been about 2!r years, not much short of a cycle 

 of the sun ; but whether the inundations of this 

 great river are subject to the influence of any regu- 

 lar cause, must be left to the investigation of future 

 philosophers. 



The extreme turbidness of the water is to be at- 

 tributed principally to the falhng in of the mud 

 banks, either newly formed beneath the influence of 

 the current of the river ; or undermined by its rapi* 

 dity, perpetually changing its bed, by enlarging the 

 concavity of its bends, and projecting its points or 

 Jiead lands: this operation has a natural tendency 

 to lengthen the circuitous course of the river ; but 

 the effect is amply compensated by its own progress ; 

 for the enlargement of the bends frequently brings 

 them so near each other, that the weight of the 

 waters burst at once through the solid soil, forming 

 in a few days a new bed capable of conveying the 

 whole waters of this mighty river, and shortening 

 thereby its course many leagues. The disruption 

 which took place at Point Coupee, cut off ten 

 leagues, and within this territory the cut-off at the 

 Homichito has thrown to the east of the Mississippi 

 an island of seven leagues in circuit, and at the 

 Yazooz a similar effect has been produced on the 

 west side by the formation of an island of five leagues 

 in circumference. 



Those islands are now both converted into penin- 

 sulas, by the formation of new land across one of 

 the months of the old channel, while the other is 



