126 
of gold are faid to have been picked up 
on the furface of the earth, and in the 
bottom of brooks, 
Vhe produttions of the Miifouri at 
Geographical Discoveriesin North America. 
{March 1}, 
this time are recely ed from the Indians 
and the hunters, in exchange for soods 
and merchandizé, and are ay in 
the following table : 
aN Ea a a Tc | 
MISSOURI PRODUCE. 
Beaver - - -© - - = 
Deed Visi: +t; ala ae sueereliS nernie at 
Bear-fkins, black, grey, yellow, and brown 
OS ed 2) an mee TE RE Ce ee ties 
Deer-fkins inthehair - - - - - - 
Bear's greafe | = se eo 
Serer ees I hu Set a eee ee 
Nectoonefkins oo) ea? SS er es 
Bifon-hides - -..- + = 2 <)> 
Drefled deer-fkins - - - ‘© w= % = 
Fablow:and fat <))< -- le 1h im ‘mes 
ee 
doll. 
Ss . 
= 
doll. cent. cent. 
12,281 lb. at |} 4. 20 | 44,737.00 | 
393 Q 50 401 00 
2,541 as 10 5,032 00 
139 1:50 283,50 
6,381 Q 350 5,190 50 
2.510 walls, | id 520 2,572 00 
1,267 lb. 4.. 00 5,068 00 
4,248 Oo as 1,062 00 
1,714 5 00 5,142 00 
96,926 0 40 38,770 40 
8,313 0 20 1,662 60 
77,971 00 
This table, which is made as correct 
as poilible on an average of tifteen years, 
thus gives an amount of 77,971 dollars, 
without mentioning mufqualhes and mar- 
tins. 
value ofthe goods carmed up the Mif- 
fourt and exchavged for this peltry, 
would be 61,250 dollars, reckoning the 
charges to amount to a quarter part of 
the worth of the articles. From this it 
follows, that the trade affords av annual 
profit of 16,721 dollars, or about a profit 
of 27 ver cent. 
If the Mitfourl trade, badly regulated, 
and without encouragement, gives anzu- 
ally fuch a protit, there:can be no dorbt 
of its increafe, if encouraged by govern- 
ment, It rinft be ohbferved, that the 
price fised in the preceding table is that 
current at the Illinois. If the London 
price were taken, deducting freight and 
charges, the profit would appear much 
greater. If the Miffouri, left to the fa- 
wvapes, and having but a tingle branch of 
trade, affords fach great returns i pro- 
gortion to the capital employed in it, 
what nught we not expeét from indivi- 
duals or companies with large funds, aid- 
ed by a numerous popalarey, and de- 
ising © thenfelves to other forts of traffic. 
Some of theie, am bold to fay, may 
be undertaken with a certainty cf fuc- 
eefs, when we confider the riches af 
forded by its banks, and of which 
I have endeavoured to fketch an out- 
line. 
Alzhough it was my intention to lave 
4 
Calculating at the fame rate, the 
written folely about the Miffouri, I think 
T ought, at the fame time, to give an 
account of the mines and licks of falt 
which lie in the fame latitudes on the 
branches of the Arkanfas. 
At about 300 miles from the village of 
the Great Ofages, in a welterly direction, 
after having troffed feveral ftreams of 
the Arkanfas, the traveller comes toa 
low bottom, furrounded by hills of a vaft 
extept, This valley is about 45 miles 
acrofs. The foil 1s a black fand, very 
fine, and fo hard, that horfes fearcely 
leave any tracks on it, During the hot 
and dry feafun, vapours rife from this 
bottom, which ‘coudenfe and fall back 
upon the black fand, covering it with a 
layer of exceedingly white and fine falt, 
about half an inch thick. ‘The rains 
wath away this accumulation. At about 
18 miles from this bottom, he meets with 
mines of fal gem on the very furface of 
the earth. The Indians, who are per- 
fectly acquainted with it, are obliged to 
make ufe of levers to break it up, and 
loofen it. At about 45 imiles diltance 
from the laft mentioned place, to the 
fouth, there is a fecond mine of fal gem, 
of the fame nature with the firft, They 
only differ in colour; the former being 
white. and the other of a reddifh hue, 
Farther fouth, and fill upon the ftreams 
of the Arkanfas, there is a/faline, which 
may be confidered as one of the 'moitt 
interefiing phenomena of nature. 
On the’ declivity of a finall hill, there 
are five holes, about a foot and a half in 
diameter, 
