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James river about the Blue Ridge, and may perhaps in future be opened.

The Miffifippi will be one of the principal channels of future commerce for the country weftward of the Alleghaney. From the mouth of this river to where it receives the Ohio, is 1000 miles by water, but only 500 by land, paffing through the Chickafaw country, From the mouth of the Ohio to that of the Missouri, is 230 miles by water, and 140 by land. From thence to the mouth of the Illinois river, is about 25 miles. The Miffifippi, below the mouth of the Miffouri, is always muddy, and abounding with fand bars, which frequently change their places. However, it carries 15 feet water to the mouth of the Ohio, to which place it is from one and a half to two miles wide, and thence to Kafkafkia from one mile to a mile and a quarter wide. Its current is fo rapid, that it never can be stemmed by the force of the wind alone, acting on fails. Any veffel, however, navigated with oars, may come up at any time, and receive much aid from the wind. A batteau paffes from the mouth of Ohio to the mouth of Miffifippi in three weeks, and is from two to three months getting up again. During its foods, which are periodical as those of the Nile, the largest vessels may pafs down it, if their steerage can be infured. These floods begin in April, and the river returns into its banks early in Auguft. The inundation extends further on the western than eastern fide, covering the lands in fome places for 50 miles from its

banks,

banks. Above the mouth of the Miffouri, it becomes much fuch a river as the Ohio, like it clear, and gen tle in its current, not quite fo wide, the period of its floods nearly the fame, but not rifing to fo great a height. The streets of the village at Cohoes are not more than 10 feet above the ordinary level of the wa ter, and yet were never overflowed. Its bed deepens memory every year. Cohoes, in the of many people now living, was infulated by every flood of the river. What was the eastern channel has now become a lake, 9 miles in length and one in width, into which the river at this day never flows. This river yields turtle of a peculiar kind, perch, trout, gar, pike, mullets, herrings, carp, spatula-fish of 50lb. weight, cat-fish, of 100lb. weight, buffalo-fifh, and fturgeon. Aligators or crocodiles have been feen as high up as the Acanfas. It alfo abounds in herons, cranes, ducks, brant, geefe, and fwans. Its paffage is commanded by a fort established by this ftate, five miles below the mouth of the Ohio, and ten miles above the Carolina boundary.

The Miffouri, fince the treaty of Paris, the Illinois and northern branches of the Ohio, fince the ceffion to Congrefs, are no longer within our limits. Yet having been fo heretofore, and ftill opening to us channels of extenfive communication with the weftern and north-western country, they shall be noted in their order.

The Missouri is, in fact, the principal river, contrib、

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uting more to the common ftream than does the Miffifippi, even after its junction with the Illinois. It is remarkably cold, muddy, and rapid. Its overflowings are confiderable. They happen during the months of June and July. Their commencement being so much later than thofe of the Miffifippi, would induce a belief that the fources of the Missouri are northward of thofe of the Miffifippi, unless we fuppose that the cold increases again with the afcent of the land from the Miffifippi weftwardly. That this afcent is great, is proved by the rapidity of the river. Six miles above the mouth it is brought within the compass of a quarter of a mile's width: yet the Spanish merchants at Pancore, or St. Louis, fay they go two thousand miles up it. It heads far weftward of the Rio Norte, or North River. There is, in the villages of Kafkafkia, Cohoes and St. Vicennes, no inconfiderable quantity of plate, faid to have been plundered during the laft war by the Indians from the churches and private houses of Santa Fé, on the North River, and brought to thefe villages for fale. From the mouth of Ohio to Santa Fé, are forty days journey, or about 1000 miles. What is the shortest distance between the navigable waters of the Missouri, and those of the North River, or how far this is navigable above Santa Fé, I could never learn. From Santa Fé to its mouth in the Gulph of Mexico is about 1200 miles. The road from New Orleans to Mexico croffes this river at the poft of Rio Norte,

800 miles below Santa Fé : and from this poft to New Orleans is about 1200 miles: thus making 2000 miles between Santa Fé and New Orleans, paffing down the North River, Red River and Miffifippi; whereas it is 2230 through the Miffouri and Miffifippi. From the fame poft of Rio Norte, paffing near the mines of La Sierra and Laiguana, which are between the North River and the river Salina to Sartilla, is 375 miles; and from thence paffing the mines of Charcas, Zaccatecas and Potofi, to the city of Mexico is 375 miles; in all, 1550 miles from Santa Fé to the city of Mexico. From New Orleans to the city of Mexico is about 1950 miles: the roads, after setting out from the Red River, near Natichitoches, keeping generally parallel with the coaft, and about two hundred miles from it, till it enters the city of Mexico.

The Illinois is a fine river, clear, gentle, and without rapids; infomuch that it is navigable for batteaux to its fource. From thence is a portage of two miles only to the Chickago, which affords a batteau navigation of 16 miles to its entrance into lake Michigan. The Illinois, about ten miles above its mouth, is 300 yards wide.

The Kafkafkia is 100 yards wide at its entrance into the Miffifippi, and preferves that breadth to the Buffalo plains, 70 miles above. So far alfo it is navigable for loaded batteaux, and perhaps much further. It is not rapid. TheOhio is the most beautiful river on earth. Its current gentle, waters clear, andbofom fmooth and unbroken by rocks and rapids, a single instance only excepted.

It

It is a of a mile wide at Fort Pitt :

500

Yards at the mouth of the Great Kanhaway: 1 Mile and 25 poles at Louisville :

Of a mile on the rapids, three or four miles below Louisville :

A mile where the low country begins, which is 20 miles above Green River :

14 At the receipt of the Taniffee :

And a mile wide at the mouth.

Its length, as measured according to its meanders by Capt. Hutchins, is as follows:

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In common winter and spring tides it affords 15 feet water to Louifville, 10 feet to Le Tarte's rapids, 40 miles above the mouth of the Great Kanhaway, and a fufficiency at all times for light batteaux and canoes to Fort Pitt. The rapids are in latitude 38° 8'.

The

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