62 



deer, may be seen grazing nearly the whole of the 

 year. 



Cahokia is another small village, sixty miles 

 further up the Mississippi, and inhabited by 

 French people. It is situated on a small stream, 

 about a mile from the river, and contains about 

 eighty houses. The land fhere is rich, mostly 

 level, and covered with large timber. 



The Illinois, a noble river, enters the Missis- 

 sippi forty-five miles further up, and twenty-five 

 miles above the mouth of the Missouri. It is 

 four hundred yards wide at its mouth, and is 

 navigable four hundred and fifty miles. Numer- 

 ous tributary streams fall into it on both sides, 

 some of which are also navigable a considerable 

 distance. The Little Michilimackinac enters 

 the river, from the southward, one hundred and 

 ninety miles from the mouth, and is navigable 

 ninety miles. One of the principal branches of 

 the Illinois takes its rise near the head waters of 

 the Chichago river, which enters into lake Mich- 

 igan. Between these two rivers, there is a short 

 portage of only two miles, making an easy com- 

 munication between the Mississippi and the lakes. 

 The navigation is uninterrupted,for vessels of con- 

 siderable burden, from Lake Michigan to Niagara 

 falls. From Lake Erie, to the Mohawk river, 

 which empties into the Hudson, it is said, all the 

 portages do not exceed twenty-six miles. Thus, 

 by portages of about twenty-eight miles, an inland 

 navigation is opened between New Orleans and 



