Richmond Enquirer

THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE Richmond Enquirer.

SIR,

The writer. who attempts to bring forward new facts, in the discussion of the geographical history of any portion of the globe, is entitled to the attention of the public, and more especially to the attention of the American public. when the subject of his essays is a part of the United States : and of that section of it too, of which but little is known ; a country, which from its situation, must in a few years become of immense importance to the Union, and which now, according to the dictates of sound policy, demands the most serious attention and patronage of government.-The country I mean, is that bordering on the shores of the Mississippi River.

In the few desultory remarks which follow, I do not intend (nor indeed would it be possible for me.) to give a minute history of the country. I shall merely give some general ideas of the river and its borders, and attempt to solve some of the enigmatical appearances, with which the eye of the traveller is saluted, on visiting its shores. For more particular and remote descriptions, I refer the reader to the works of Stoddard, Breckenridge, and to the "hand-book" of the Mississippi boatman ; a work entitled "The Navigation"

From the present notoriety of the Mississippi river, arising from the numerous descriptions which have been given, it may be deemed impertinent in me. to venture any thing on a subject already so much hackneyed ; but, I deem it absolutely necessary to the due appreciation of the hints and arguments which I shall proceed to throw out, to state the following facts:

In ascending the Mississippi from its mouth, we meet with an extensive, low, flat country, on both its sides : we find the soil bearing strong symptoms of having been lately formed : such as extreme looseness of texture, the existence of numerous strata, and the mixture of vegetable matter with the soil at various depths.

We find the banks of the river. the highest points of land in the bottom, and we find the whole low country, presenting an immense number of lakes and bayous, which do not now constitute the bed of the river, but which evidently once did. In fine, it is evident to the most superficial observer. that the whole low country of the Mississippi, as it is called, was once much lower than it is now ; and that it has risen. and is now annually rising, by successive depositions of mud, and drift wood, in consequence of the overflowing of the river.

These appearances continue with but little variation, until we arrive in the vicinity of Cape Girardeau, which. according to Mr. Stoddard, is 1200 miles from the Gulph of Mexico.

At Cape Girardeau, a very astonishing change begins to take place in the appearance of the country. Instead of the low, swampy ground, which we have been describing. the hills in majestic grandeur appear to make an essay at approaching each other, from the opposite sides of the river; and tracing the river about 60 miles up, it is almost credible to the senses of the beholder, that they did effect a junction at a place called the Grand Tower.

At this place, situated between Cape Girardeau and St. Genevieve, and about 40 miles below the last mentioned place, the hills on the opposite sides of the river approach in a perpendicular manner to the water's edge. They present, on each side, evident marks of having had fragments torn away by acts of violence ; and on the western side of the river, a column of rock of considerable height, rises abruptly out of the bed of the river.

At low water, a ledge of rock is discovered extending across the bed of the river ; and for some distance below, large fragments of rock in an unconnected situation are found in the stream. At this point, also, the natural impetuosity of the river is much increased.

I would call the attention of the reader to these appearances, and then request him to follow me in taking a cursory view of the country above the Grand Tower.

Immediately above these immense abutments of rock, which we have been describing, the country widens into a bottom of various breadths, and is almost universally skirted by perpendicular walls of lime-stone rock. which, at the height of more than 200 feet above the present bed! of the river, bear evident and incontestable proofs of having been at some former time washed by currents of water.- This fact can be ascertained not only by impressions made on the rock itself, but by the discovery of the shells of water animals, at that height, in the crevices of the rock. These rocky banks, bearing the abovementioned appearances, are found (with some intervals,) as high up the Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois rivers as they have been yet explored!.

I know not, Sir, what effect the consideration of these facts will have upon the mind of yourself and the public ; but upon my own, they have produced the firm conviction that, at some former period, all the low country, from the Gulph of Mexico to Cape Girardeau, was a Bay, or arm of the sea; that this bay has been converted into dry land, by the depositions of alluvious matter from the rivers above, aided probably by the reflux of the ocean; that, at the Grand Tower, as it is called, a cataract existed over which the waters of the Mississippi tumbled with majestic grandeur : and that all the low country, which border the great rivers above it, were inundated, and formed an extensive, irregular lake.

When I state the fact, that even now, at seasons of high water, boats can pass with ease from the headwaters of Ouachita, and Illinois rivers, into streams communicating with Lake Michigan-will you not, with myself, be disposed to think, that at some period, there did exist a permanent communication between this "cidevant" lake of which I have been writing, and the Canadian lakes?

It strikes me, that the construction which I have put on the above stated facts, is not an improbable or unnatural one ; and I believe the present state of things may be accounted for, by referring to the operation of ordinary causes, and the occasional shock of an earthquake, to which this country is known to be subject.

In urging these crude and disjointed hints before the public, I fear that I shall provoke the charge of being a speculative theorist : but, if my ideas should be pronounced theoretical, I am conscious that they will prove innocent ; and that they may have the effect of exciting enquiry, and discovering truth, is the only wish of the

MISSOURIAN.