FACE OF THE COUNTRY, &C.—BOOK II. 103 
over three different ledges of rocks, and falling to the bottom, is 
collected into a beautiful basin, from whence, it flows into this 
river, a considerable stream* A few miles below this place there 
is a great abundance of iron ore. 
CHAPTER II. 
S'OIL—FACE OF THE COUNTRY, &C. FROM NEW MADRID TO 
THE MISSOURI-THE FORKS OF THE MISSOURI. 
ABOUT twenty miles below Cape Girardeau, and thirty- 
five from the mouth of the Ohio, the limestone rock terminates 
abruptly, and there commences an immense plain, stretching 
with scarcely any interruption, to the Balize. There is but one 
place in which the hilly country, on that side, can be seen from 
the Mississippi.* It is successively traversed by the St Francis, 
White river, Arkansas, Washita, and Ked river. This flat may 
be considered, on an average, about thirty miles wide, and with 
hardly an exception, is without a hill, or a stone The soil, is 
generally rich, and has the appearance of being alluvial, though 
there is a greater proportion of sand, than is usual, in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of the rivers. It is a common idea, but very erroneous, 
that thi§ is a continued swamp, or rather low land, subject to in¬ 
undation. There are doubtless a great many swamps, and lakes, 
interspersed with the plains; but there are also extensive bodies 
of land fit for cultivation. The swamps, and wet lands, I think, 
might be drained without any great difficulty. At some future 
day, this will be the Flanders of America. 
It is worthy of observation, that from the Maramek, to the 
piouth of the St. Francis, upwards of five hundred miles, no ri¬ 
ver of any consequence, empties into the Mississippi; the con¬ 
siderable rivers, as the St. Francis, Black river, and Osage, fall 
to the S. W. or to the Missouri. It is therefore probable, that 
* A few miles below the St. Francis, the hills approach within a 
quarter of a mile of the river. The S. W side of the Arkansas, the high¬ 
land comes within eight or ten miles of the Mississippi, 
