104 
They are divided from each other by a perceptible line, disturb¬ 
ed cloudings being visible on each side of this line. 
I took a solemn leave of the majestic father of rivers, the Mis¬ 
sissippi; but, with God’s permission, not an eternal one. 
The banks of the Ohio are at first very low, and exposed to 
inundations. Upon the right bank, eleven miles above the mouth, 
lies a small place, consisting of a few wooden houses, called 
America. It is built upon a bank raised several feet above the 
highest water-mark. It is only three miles hence across to the 
Mississippi. A project, therefore has been agitated, and a com¬ 
pany formed with a capital of ten thousand dollars, to cut through 
this narrow piece of land, to unite the rivers sooner, and gain an 
easier navigation. Since the bank is not exposed to overflow at 
this point, as I have remarked before, a town may be established 
here, in process of time, when this design is carried into effect, 
that will be extremely important and wealthy. 
About six miles from the mouth, stand a tavern and warehouses, 
on the right bank, which is called Trinity. In this vicinity there 
are several rocks concealed under the water, that must be very 
dangerous at a low stage of the river. Some miles higher, thirty- 
seven and a half miles from the mouth, fourteen hundred miles 
from New Orleans, and three hundred and thirty-four and a half 
from Louisville, is Fort Massac, situated on an eminence on 
the right bank. The remains of a stockade, two block-houses, 
and barracks, are what is left of this fort, which gains its name 
from the massacre of the French garrison by the Indians. As 
long as the western military posts of the United States were kept 
up, an infantry company remained here in garrison. This fort 
has been abandoned for a long time. Nine miles higher up on the 
left bank, the Tennessee river flows into the Ohio, upon which 
the Western Navigator makes the following remarks: “ This river 
is the largest branch of the Ohio, and is navigable for large boats 
more than six hundred miles. It rises in the north western part 
of Virginia, and runs through the whole breadth of East Tennes¬ 
see, in a south-westerly direction. Afterwards it enters at the 
north-east corner of Alabama, through the breadth of which it 
runs, then turning in a northern direction, nearly in a direct line 
with the western boundary of that state, it flows through Tennes¬ 
see and a part of Kentucky, in which it discharges itself into the 
Ohio.” The right bank of the river on which we were now 
sailing, belongs to the state of Illinois, and the left to Kentucky. 
Both shores are thickly covered with woods. Although our 
course up the stream did not equal the speed with which we had 
descended the Mississippi, yet we made handsome progress. 
On the second night we went on, in spite of the snags, and 
without accident. On the third day, 12th of April, we were de- 
