produced-and none, or but few of the obstacles yet removed, which prevent the waters on the land from passing off.—Are these not causes of disease? It would be very unfair at this time, to compare the western with the atlantic states in respect to health. But compare them, if you will, at corresponding periods of their settlement, and I believe the western country will have the advantage. For, although there is more level and rich land, yet there is a less surface occupied by swamps and marshes, which requires much time and labour to reclaim, and render dry. Besides, there is a great portion of the surface that is already clear, as relates to the circulation of air-I allude to the prairies.-At this moment it is very sickly here. Fevers are as prevalent, I think, as I have ever witnessed them on the sea-board of Carolina and Georgia. But they are by no means so malignant, or fatal. It is known that nearly every family in the "American bottom" is sick, or has been so; and it is said of some, that all the individuals composing them are ill: yet, very few die; and those cases which have come under my own observation were remarkably mild.-Some time since I stopped at the hut of a Frenchman to get breakfast; a man lay stretched upon the floor with a fever. There were several others, whom I thought but little better off. I inquired what they had done for the sick man.-"Rien." What, has he no physician to attend on him?" Non pas." And do you mean to let him die for want of help.-" Oh, ça se passe; personne ne meurt du fièvre." His declaration was not proof of the fact: but where the people of a country look upon the prevailing diseases of it thus lightly, it gives a strong presumption that they are not very destructive. Besides the fevers, there is another disease, not so common, but more frightful; if the accounts of it are true which I have received. It is called the "milk sickness," and makes its appearance late in the fall, first among the cattle. They are taken,when apparently in good health, and even fat-with a trembling all over; they lie down, and in the space of a few minutes die, without having discovered any symptoms of their previous ailment whatever. Those who have eaten of the flesh or butter, or drank the milk of an animal affected with the complaint, sicken, and frequently die. I am convinced, that the "sick stomach," of which I heard so much in the state of Ohio, is the same, or a modification of the same disease. They both prevail most in the richest districts, where the vegetation is most various and luxuriant, and the water scarce and bad. These circumstances seem to point out both the cause and the remedy.

Other maladies, although not peculiar, are common to the cattle of this country. Little or no care is bestowed upon them. Turned out, and left during the winter to procure a sustenance, limited in kind and quantity to what they can get by browsing; exposed to

all the inclemencies of that season of the year,-they crawl forth in the beginning of spring, poor and emaciated, and some perishing with the complaints incident to them under the privation and exposure they have suffered.-But all in good time. Every thing here bears the character of the confusion, hurry and forgetfulness of settling.-Like an army going into winter quarters, and hutting itself after the vicissitudes of a long and doubtful campaign, a great deal that should be done is postponed to a more convenient time,-much is forgot,-and a great deal of what is done is done badly, because precipitately, and designed only for a limited or temporary purpose.-You see that the floor of Congress is not the only place where the system of expedients and makeshifts prevails; although I do not think that it is applied by them so judiciously as by the western emigrants. Man's first object, is to feed and clothe and shelter himself. These are primary considerations, to which all others are but secondary, and when they interfere, should be sacrificed, of whatever apparent value and importance.

The present is a most propitious period for settling in this country; particularly in this immediate neighbourhood. The demand for money is beyond what has ever been known. The speculator is compelled to let go,-and sell for what he can get. Improved lands can now be obtained, within a convenient distance of the town, for from ten to thirty dollars the acre, (according to the amount of improvement,) and will be still lower: while the market is the dearest and worst supplied in the United States, where I have any knowledge. A capital of three thousand dollars would put any man above want for the remainder of his days: by purchasing an improved place, and not wild land; for it would cost from ten to fifteen dollars per acre to clear and fence: and further, here are the advantages of good society.

NATCHEZ, Miss. April, 1820.

I returned a few days since, from the Arkansaw country. *** I have travelled a great deal, since I wrote to you last; and have become quite a connoisseur in the different qualities of land, &c. I have been in no western state or territory, which has not its peculiar advantages and disadvantages, so nearly counterbalanced, as to make any preference which may be given to one over the rest, depend upon the object and character of the individual who chooses: with this general distinction, however;-those states which have acquired a tolerably dense population, no longer afford the means of accumulating fortunes by agriculture; while those in which settlements are commencing, afford immense returns to the emigrant, for the capital and labour which he may VOL. I.

5

apply to cultivation. In the first case, production greatly exceeds the home demand; its price is therefore regulated by the NewOrleans market. In the second, the home demand as greatly exceeds the production; but new comers must have provision, at any price and he knows it, who has a supply for sale. In Arkansaw, corn is from 75 cents to 1 doll. the bushel; from bottom lands, which seldom or never overflow, producing from 50 to 60 bushels to the acre, with their culture. This is the case wherever settlements are forming: a man has only to seat himself near the outer limits of the population, to enjoy these prices as long as he shall have any need of them. Would you wish for a more rapid mode of multiplying a small capital into a fortune?

The picture is of a different colour in the populous states of Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The best lands are indeed fine, beyond any thing you, probably, have ever seen, (rice lands excepted ;) but they are high priced-20, 30, and up to 60 dollars an acre; while their produce (provision) is not worth half as much -frequently, not a fourth. The early settlers of these states, however, enjoyed the same advantages in their day. Those who possessed nothing but their industry, have become independent; and such as had a little capital, are wealthy, or have left fortunes to their children. * * * *

I am rather pleased with my trip to the west of the Mississippi. The Arkansaw River differs in many respects from any which I have yet seen. By the map, it rises in the same mountains with some of the sources of the Missouri, and discharges itself in the Mississippi, after traversing but little more than a third of the distance taken by the Missouri. Hence its current is more rapid in its general course-and therefore, seldom or never overflows its banks; but it is also more uniform, and is, therefore, more easily navigated for the Missouri has but very little current in some places, which is compensated by its great rapidity in others. Thus the Arkansaw bottoms, although narrow, (after you ascend beyond its delta,) are in general, more favourably circumstanced for cultivation, than those of any stream with which I am acquainted. The uplands, between the principal water courses, are poor, until you arrive near the Poteau; and thence to the Verdegris, Canadien, and Six-bull, the country is allowed by all to be equal to that around Lexington. This district will probably form the first State of the second tier of states, west of the Mississippi. It is only necessary to remove the Indians, to effect this object in a very few years. A line N. E. from the hot springs on the Wachita, (as laid down in Melish's map,) will intersect the Arkansaw river at about the apex of its delta; which will embrace, I believe, the greatest quantity of arable bottom land, to be found in one body, of all the western country. The claim of Winters, for a million

of arpents, and in a square form, lays chiefly within it; and from the best information, three fourths of this claim must be bottom, with but little which is overflowed.

The general impression among you eastern people, is, that the entire region west of the Mississippi, from New-Madrid to the Gulf, is inundated for 40 or 50 miles back, and is but little better than a continued swamp: the fact is otherwise. Besides several exceptions in favour of high bottoms, there is a remarkably fine tract of upland, between the St. Francis and White river, which, at one point, approaches within 400 yards of the Mississippi; (I should never have supposed it, from the indications on the maps:) this place must become of considerable importance. The only great road which can be made from the eastward into the Arkansaw country, must pass through it; and the country back of it, for 40 or 50 miles, is said to be excellent upland. This fact spoils my hypothesis relative to the mode of peopling the country by emigrations from the Missouri and Red river. But as yet, the greater portion of the settlers had actually come by these two routes.These are the principal tracts of good land in the Arkansaw territory. There are also said to be some fine lands where it corners on the Red river and Kiamichi. They lay too far apart, however; and for the generality of the intermediate country, I cannot say much: what I saw of it was very poor. I travelled 80 miles, through a continued prairie, which I do not believe would at this time repay the expense of cultivating it.

I visited the town of America,* on my way from St, Louis hither; its site is fine, and I think the position an important one. It is about 4 miles above the mouth of Cash river; but unfortunately, not below all the obstructions of the Ohio. I was informed when there, that a steam boat was then lying about 3 or 4 miles below, and could get no higher, on account of a sand bar: but the river was hardly ever known to be so low. The great and real causes which will require and must create a large town at that place, appear to me to be more remote than are generally supposed. They must grow out of such an increase of population and wealth, and consequently of trade in the countries watered by the Ohio, as shall render advantageous a radical change in the present mode of conducting its commerce with New-Orleans. When that period arrives, no doubt the town of America will become the place of deposit, or point where the great steam-boat transportation will terminate; and the transportation in smaller craft, capable of running at all seasons, commence. As it is, the town will very soon rise into all the importance it can derive, from being the seat of

* On the north bank of the Ohio, a few miles above its junction with the Mississippi.

justice for the county, and from supplying the steam boats. In the course of a very few years, I have no doubt it will also have the advantage of a road through it to this place, communicating with the upper Mississippi country. But there is no large extent of fertile or populous country in its neighbourhood; which always constitutes the surest guarantee of the growth and permanence of an inland town. To give you an idea of its immediate vicinity;-the high lands opposite Kaskaskia, extend along the Mississippi, (sometimes touching it,) to within a few miles of its junction with the Ohio. Near Kaskaskia, these uplands may be esteemed secondrate-diminishing in quality as you recede from the river: I infer this to be their general character. The bottoms are of course excellent where not overflowed; but they are rather too much cut up with ponds, &c. Now, from a point on the Mississippi, 6 miles below Cape Girardeau, a strait line drawn to the Ohio, 3 or 4 miles above the mouth of Cash river, will indicate, very nearly, my route across the peninsula to the town of America. Near to the Mississippi, for 4 miles, the country is broken-otherwise pretty good thence to Cash, it is undulating, but so very gently, as to pass for level, and approaches to second-rate, with an uncommon growth of large timber; (oak, hickory, poplar, &c. :) from Cash, or within a mile of it, to the town, (8 or 10 miles,) the land is high, beautifully rolling, and, although not deemed first-rate, yet of an excellent quality, and very heavily timbered. This is also the case (I am told) with the adjoining lands to the north, but it diminishes in quality on leaving the town, in the direction of fort Massac, and terminates in thin third-rate. The nominal price of land adjoining the town, is high; I believe from 10 to 20 dolls. an acre: within 5 miles, from 4 to 10 dolls. I heard of no real sales. You may well suppose it high time for me to be satisfied with looking at good and bad lands: but, without wishing to appear particular in my appeal, let any lady who may be present, declare, whether curiosity is ever extinguished by the partial gratification of it?

Yours.