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hour ; and when the water is high is somewhat 

 increased. The river is exceedingly serpentine, 

 and the islands numerous. Some of the bends 

 in its course down to the line of demarkation, are 

 sudden and large ; but between that line and 

 Pointe Coupee, there are several of prodigious 

 magnitude. 



In navigating the Mississippi, there is at all 

 times a sufficient depth of water, but many sand 

 bars make off into the river. Frequent strong 

 eddies, and many large currents of water, sitting 

 out of the river, when the water is high, with 5 

 great rapidity, require the constant and careful 

 attention of the navigator. The navigation is 

 also impeded and endangered, by what are called 

 planters. These are large bodies of trees, with 

 their roots fast at the bottom of the river, and 

 stumps but just above the surface of the water. < 

 Another impediment is called sawyers, which are 

 bodies of trees standing in a sloping manner, andi 

 moving up and down by the force of the current.: 

 A third inconvenience is small wooden islands, ; 

 composed of drift wood, which, by some means,; 

 has been arrested, and immoveably fixed to the 

 bottom; not rising much above the water, are to 

 be seen only at a -hort distance. 



Soon after entering the Mississippi from the. 

 Ohio, the whole prospect is so much changed, as 

 to exhibit the appearance of a different country ; 

 the climate becomes mild and soft ; and the cold 

 of winter seems to have produced very little effect 



