FACE OF COUNTRY, Sec.—BOOK I. 
m 
astonishing quantity of earth which it does at the present day.— 
It is probable, that other causes, as in Tartary, might have ope¬ 
rated in preventing the growth of woods, in a great proportion 
of this western region ; but something of a different kind, must 
have effected a change in this country, which apparently was 
once covered with trees. What immense quantities of the earth 
must have been carried off to form the great alluvions of the 
Mississippi, by means of the Arkansas, Red river, and chiefly* 
from the Missouri! not to mention the vast quantities lost in 
the gulph of Mexico. The result of a calculation would be cu¬ 
rious. The marks of this loss, are very evident in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of nearly all the rivers which discharge themselves in¬ 
to the Missouri above the Platte. Some of the appearances* 
may rank amongst the greatest natural curiosities in the world; 
The traveller on entering a plain, is deceived at the first glance 
by what appears to be the ruins of some great city; rows of 
houses for several miles, in length, and regular streets. At the 
first view, there appears to be all the precision of design, with 
the usual deviations in single buildings, representing palaces, 
temples, &c.; which appearances, are caused by the washing 
away of the hills as before described. These remains, being com¬ 
posed of more durable substance continue undecayed while the 
rest is carried off. The strata, have the appearance of different 
stories: the isolated, and detached hills, constitute the remain¬ 
der. I had this description from hunters, and from persons of 
intelligence who have met with them, and I have myself, seen 
places near the Missouri, very similar. 
There is but a small portion of this extensive region, which 
is not calcarious; in this respect, resembling the section of the 
valley which lies east of the Mississippi. A fact which is singu¬ 
lar enough, on the summits of many of the river hills, about one 
thousand miles up, large blocks of granite are found, of several 
tons weight; these continue to be seen until we reach the first 
range of primitive mountains. It is possible, there may have 
been a lower range, which from the change produced by the 
wearing away of the earth has gradually disappeared. 
Some of the peculiarities of climate may be noted in this 
place. The height o.f this western region, and the open plain's 
