n 



remarkably cold and muddy. At the common 

 stage of the waters, in these two streams, the 

 Missouri is supposed to be the largest river. 

 This junction is formed twenty- five miles below 

 the Illinois, and two hundred and thirty miles 

 above the Ohio. 



The land on the banks of the Missouri are 

 rich, and where they are well cultivated, exceed- 

 ngly productive. There are two settlements, 

 I Saint Charles and Saint Andrew, principally in- 

 habited by emigrants from Kentucky. Other 

 5m all settlements have commenced further up the 

 river. The most distant settlement of white peo- 

 ple is Saint John's, which is one hundred miles 

 from its mouth. The great extent of this river 

 was unknown until it was explored by Captain 

 Lewis, and Captain Clark. Traders had before 

 ascended two thousand miles, but Captain Lewis 

 computes the distance from the mouth to the 

 great falls, to be two thousand five hundred and 

 seventy-five miles. About one hundred miles 

 above Saint John's, the river becomes broad,being 

 eight hundred and seventy-five yards wide, where 

 the Osage river enters ; but about fifty miles fur- 

 ther up it narrows again to about three hundred 

 yards. The Osage comes in from the south, and 

 is one hundred and ninety-seven yards wide at 

 its mouth. The Osage Indians reside on this 

 river, from whom it takes its name, about two 

 hundred miles from its mouth. Here the exten- 

 sive prairies commence, wholly destitute of trees, 



