5 4 4
N O R T H A M E R I C A.
R its us. above lat. 4 7 ? , 'and it enters the Tea in lat. 29°, after a comparative
courfe of-about 1400 B. miles. ■ Nay of late the fources of the Miflbmi
(the chief ftream) have been detefted about 600 B. miles more remote.
The account of this noble river {hall be tranfcribed from a recent fyf-
tem of American geography, as the author nmft have had feveral op-
porUmities.of being well informed. -- Éj $1 _ ■:
« The Miffiffippi receives the waters of the Ohio and Illinois, and
their numerous branches from the eaft ; and of the Miffouri, and- other
.rivers, from the w e ft* Thefe mighty ftreams united are borne down
with increafing majefty, through vaft fbrefts and meadows, and dif-
•charged into the gulf of Mexico. The great length and uncommon
depth of this river, fays Mr. Hutchins, and the exceffive muddinefs and
falubrious quality of its waters after its jumftion with;^v^^ÿurh|are
very Angular. The dkeaion oKthe channej ishd ;crop^4,,thaL frpm
New Orleans to the mouth of the Ohio; a diftânce
eeed 460 mites ip„a ftroight line, is about 8.56 by watej.^
ihortened at leaft 250 miles, by cutting-acrofs e ig h ty ten.n^ek^ of
land, feme of which are not thirty yards wide.. Charlevoix relates
.that in the year 1722, at Point Coupee, cir j^t.P,oipt,'>iie^^»i|e a
great turn; and fome Canadians, by deepening the channgl ,pf g^a ll
brook, divertedfthe waters of the river into it. -The im^^upfity of thel
ftream was fo violent, and the foil of fo rich and loofe Vitality,ghat in
a fhort time rite point was entirely cut through, and ffave|gr'| .faved
fourteen leagues of their voyage. The pld bed has ng .yrat&r i%i^&e
times of the periodical overflowings only excepted.' The new
has been fmce founded with a line-of thirty fathoms, without ^n|ing
bottom. Several other points of great extent, have, in like ifl^nper,
been fmce cut. off, and the river diverted into new channels..
« In the Ip ring floods the Miffiffippi is very high, and the. current fo
ftrong, that it is with difficulty it. can be afcended ; but this difadvan-
tage is remedied in fome meafure by eddies, or counter currents, which
are generally found in the bends clofe to the banks o f the river, and
aflift the afcending boats. The current at this feafon defcends at the
xate of about five miles an hour. In autumn, when the waters are low,
* I t is now known that the Miffouri receives the Miffiffippi.
8 « l£
,¥10 R T H : A M E R I GcA.
it does .not run falter than.t-wp, t«|»u^,atr'is rapiddn-fueh parts of the
ri^er^slha-ve jC^ufterstof iftands, moalsp’a-nftyf^pg hynh«. r The cifftiam-
many of,thefe fli^lsyhs^gjl’eper^l miles* the voyage,4$, logger,
and -in&JPje parts m©E,e' dapgeppus, than iri thie opting|The merchan-
dize neceflary for the commerce of the Upper 'Settlements, On or near
the Miffiffippi, is conveyed in the fpring and autumn- in Ijatteaux,
rowe^by eighteen/ off.twenty .men/m-sd ?c a r r y ing ; r ; tfpr.ty tons..
FseSm^New' GfïéahsTo tbfeTllipg'isT Performed
irieight -or-ten --wééks'. A humbgr ofTflandsfafeme of which;
ar# 4P%r-eat éxfënt, interfj&erfe that mighty driver. Its', waters,?! after
ove^twdhg its -banks bdlow the .rives Ibbebvjllepon the^eaft,^ anfffthe
ofpthe weft; nevef retum.:wkhiri them ;again,;, there, being-
many-êhtlëts or ftreams l y which th%y ar£-x©pdpiled'’dntQ ■ the'-ty&yVof
Mexf<?@;;more e'fpeeially on the weft fide of the MiflSNippij.dividing the’
cóiïi^-iy info numerous' iflands. Thefe; Angularities diftingpilh jitM&om
every'^'ther known river in thé world- Below!Jj^albberivilk the land,
be^msj'tp be1 very-low on both fides of the river s .aEjrsfs jfheicountry; and
graflihlly decliries-as it approaches nearer to: the fea.’.- rTbëy.Pj-nd of
Nqwi|©rleans, and the lands-oppofoe, ;afe to allappearanceyp’f pp
date,- -for in digging evfer-fb little below the TuBfkè,'ybu;rftndv|frafer,
and gfeat quatltities' of trees. The many Beeches and breakers, ,as;well
as inlets, which have-arifen out of the channel, Wkhiitrftbe laft ha,lfj§gn-
tu-^^ft-the feveral mopldis ©f the fiver, are 'convindogypróofs .this
pé|i.fi|Wa was wholly formed inr die fiw^elnjjanaefcf. Afadffi fcj^rfowi.
that^when La Sail© failed down the Mifliflippi to th^jfca, the opening
of^hSSftivfer was -Very difiètent from wh,at it is ht puefeat.
“ Th"£'i$earer you approach the fea'this-trvithHbscamies hiore.ftrikmgf
The ban's that -erofs -moft of thefe fmall chann^ls^ apanyd^by fêhüp gu<rrent,
have'been multipliedhy means- of-the trees-eagided dowMffi’k^utheJ^rpams,; -
°i$§ tp|fwhïch, flopped by its ro^ts. .©r^^smf’he?' in ,a
ficientto obftruft the paffage. of thousands m'ore, aod’lt-otfix gbemv,at the
fame'.'’place. AftomIhing;JSolle;(Stion"s^pf trees are daily'jfe;ep.( ifi fegJTiitg
between-the Balize and the Miffouri.'.' No.human- force^l^fhffiei^hytp-1
rerrtbvè- them, and the 'mud carried dównjby itÉ^eiriver ■Jeryea^to.-hindC
and-cëhSëht -them' togethe'r. 'T h ey are gradpally1» cpfeered, a aft eye’^Ji
v o 'iif n . ' ; 4 A ' inundation