MISSISSIPPI

Distances on the Mississippi.

If the Missouri be considered as a continuation of the Mississippi, the length of the entire river will be 4350 miles.

The following table, prepared for his Geographical Dictionary by Mr. Darby, gives the area of the Mississippi valley, or the region drained by that river and its tributaries:—

The valley of the Mississippi comprises nearly one-half of the territory of the American states.

Professor Riddell of Louisiana estimates the true superficial area of the delta of the Mississippi, or that portion of its basin below Baton Rouge, where the last bluffs show themselves, at 15,000 square miles,—the alluvial mass being 200 miles in length, 75 miles in width, and $\backslash frac\{1\}\{4\}$th of a mile in depth. The rise of the basin of the river is only 9 feet before reaching New Orleans, and beyond that not more than an average of 6 inches in the mile. The delta gains upon the sea not more than a mile in 100 years; and Professor Lyell estimates that 100,000 years were required in its formation.

Large sums are continually appropriated by the government for deepening the channels, but hitherto without permanent effect. In the early part of 1857 a fleet of

vessels were aground in these passes at the same time. Old channels are continually being filled up, and new ones formed.

As indicative of the vast growth of the Mississippi valley, it may be stated, that in 1790 the whole population of the valley amounted to 205,250; in 1800 to 582,619; in 1810, 1,337,946; in 1820, 2,419,369; in 1830, 3,794,477; in 1840, 5,983,707; in 1850, 8,641,754; and in 1857, may be safely set down at between 10 and 11 millions. Even this is but a density of about 7 persons to the square mile, while the average density of the Atlantic states is 1998 to the square mile, and of the middle states 5779: that of England is 332 to the square mile. With this last density, the valley of the Mississippi could accommodate more than 400,000,000 persons, or about one-half of the present population of the earth.

The inauguration of steam on the western waters in 1811 was the first step in the enormous progress of this valley, and without which it must have remained a wilderness, notwithstanding the great lines of communication that have been opened to the Atlantic coast. In 1815, 14 steamers were employed; in 1829, 230; in 1843, 600; and in 1856, 1500. The total commerce afloat in 1852 was estimated by the secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Corwin, at L.70,729,738, or, with the great lakes, L.136,245,042, nearly equal to double the foreign imports and exports together of the entire Union at that time.

Steamers of magnificent size and accommodation ply on this river, and make the trip from New Orleans to St. Louis in five days, to Louisville in about the same time, to Cincinnati in six or seven days, and to Pittsburgh (2175 miles) in ten days, at a charge for passengers of the first class ranging from L.3 to L.5. In no part of the world can such economy in travelling be found.

Below the mouth of the Ohio the depth of the Mississippi varies from 90 to 120 feet, and its breadth from 600 to 1200 yards. At New Orleans the width is $\backslash frac\{1\}\{4\}$d of a mile, and the depth 100 feet. The lower river is restrained within its channel by embankments thrown up with great labour and expense. The average height of the flood of the river below the Missouri is 15 feet; at the mouth of that river, 25 feet. Below the Ohio the rise is often 50 feet; at Natchez it seldom exceeds 30 feet; and at New Orleans 12 feet. Large ships have seldom ascended the river higher than Natchez.

The Mississippi had been casually visited in 1542 by De Soto, but not in any proper sense discovered. He saw but a few leagues of its course, from which no idea was obtained of its rise, direction, extent, or relations with the continent. It is mentioned in Coxe's Carolina, that in 1678 a number of persons went from New England to Mexico, in which expedition they crossed the Mississippi, and on their return gave an account of their discovery to the governor at Boston. During the missionary labours of the Jesuits in Canada, two fathers, Joliet and Marquette, having heard vague rumours of the existence of the "Great River" left Mackinac in 1673, ascended the Fox River from Green Bay in canoes, passed to the Wisconsin, and down that river to the vast waters of the Mississippi, which they navigated for 1100 miles. Some years afterwards La Salle reached the Mississippi from Canada, and, returning to France, fitted out an expedition to explore the river from the gulf. The expedition made land on the 1st January 1685, 100 miles westward of the mouth of the river, which but a small portion of the party succeeded in reaching, and returned thence to Canada. In 1700 M. Iherville colonized the country; in 1769 it was ceded to Spain; in 1800 was retroceded to France; and in 1803 passed into the possession of the United States. (J. D. B. DE B.)

¹ Schoolcraft makes the distance 3160 miles.