Of the rivers we have enumerated as flowing from the interior table land, only those upon whose banks civilized settlements have been made, arc adequately known, or deserve notice in a brief review. Maumee river rises in the states of Ohio and Indiana, has only its discharge in the territory of Michigan ; it is of im portance in the topography of the latter. as forming its S. E. commercial entrance. Rivierc Raisin (Grape ?I VO') rises in the interior uncultivated wilds ; is about 150 miles in length, including windings, and for fifty miles above its mouth about 90 yards wide. Six miles above its mouth, it is precipitated over rapids or rather falls. A har at its mouth prevents the entrance of ves sels drawing more than two feet water. The lands on this river are of very excellent quality ; timber, oaks of several species, sugar maple, linden, yellow wood, (Li riodendron tulipfera,) hickory, ash, and many other trees. Settlements are extensive, and farms well cultivated, near the mouth of the Raisin ; this river falls into lake Erie, thirty-five miles from the city of Detroit. Hu ron of Eric is one of the largest and longest streams which rise on the table land of Michigan. This river has many confluent branches which interlock with those of Grand river flowing into lake Michigan. The Hu ron, including its windings, exceeds two hundred miles in length ; its breadth, seventy or eighty miles above its mouth, 60 or 90 yards. Its shores are extremely fertile. producing nearly similar timber trees with those of the Rivierc Raisin. It may indeed be observed, in order to avoid repetition, that the forest trees which enrich and adorn the borders of the rivers and lakes of Michigan, are generally of similar genera and species. Huron of Erie enters the latter, at the mouth of De troit river ; admits vessels of four feet draught four miles to its fifth rapid. Both banks are settled for twen ty or twenty-five miles above its mouth; soil produc tive ; surface hilly, or rather rolling, on its S. NV. side ; more level and sandy on that of the N. E. Rivicre aux Ecorces (Bark river) is in reality only a creek, not more than 20 miles in its entire length, entering De troit river opposite Grand Turkey island, three miles below the mouth of the river Rouge ; but gains impor tance from the excellence of the land it waters, and the extensive farms which chequer the shores of all its branches. This small stream contains one of the most wealthy and compact settlements yet made in Michi gan Territory. Rivicre Rouge (Red river) rises r‘bout twenty-live miles in a direct line, nearly north from the city of Detroit, curves to the south-west, south and south-east, falls into Detroit river three and a half miles below the city of Detroit. The entire length of this small river, including all its windings, does not amount to fifty miles ; its breadth, in no part of its course, more than 45 yards. The soil it drains is, however, a com pensation for the brevity of its volume. More than one half of all the civilized inhabitants of Michigan, exclusive of those in the city of Detroit, are found up on the banks of the Rivicre Rouge, and those of its branches. From the ueculiar course of this river, being upon the inclined plane, sloping from the interior towards Detroit river ; its banks are every where sufficiently dry and elevated for cultivation.' Huron of St. Clair rises on the interier table land, is a stream of magni tude, but little, if oily, inferior to that of lluron of Eric. Huron of St Clair has interlocking branches with Rivicre Rouge, Huron of Erie, Grand river, and the streams which flow north into lake Huron, and Sagui na Bay. The settlements yet made on Ibis river, arc near its mouth, though the soil it waters yields, in no respect, to any part of the Michigan peninsula ; it is navigable for vessels drawing three feet water twelve miles, where rapids occur. New settlements are ex tending along this river, and a new town, Mount Cle mens, laid out (1818) five miles above its mouth, on its northern bank. Saline and Swan rivers enter Anchor Bay N. E. of the mouth of Huron river ; Belle rivicre, Pine river, and river Delude, fall into St. Clair river. None of these latter sit cams are or sufficient impor tance to merit particular description ; upon all, settle ments arc formed, and the soil productive.
It would be useless to swell this article, by detail on the other rivers of Michigan, whose shores are yet wilderness, and whose courses, sources, and length, are of course hut imperfectly known ; we therefore only mark their names, and leave their description to a pe riod of future geographical discovery.
Soil and productions, vegetable and mineral ; seasons and climate. We have already observed, in our notice of its rivers, that the soil of Michigan was generally fertile ; we may here repeat, that except where rendered otherwise by marshes, or flats too level to enable nature to drain the water accumulated by rain, that the soil of Michigan is, in a high degree, adapted to all the pur poses of agriculture. If one half the area of the pe ninsula is deducted as unproductive, and this is cer tainly too large an allowance, yet 17,3n0 square miles, or 11,072,000 acres remain capable of cultivation. It ought to be carefully noted also, that most of that part of the surface which is really too low and wet for culture is thickly wooded, therefore completely subservient to the various purposes of human enjoyment and conveni ence, where wood is demanded. It may also be ob served, that Michigan exceeds in extent New Hamp shire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island taken together ; lies in a similar climate, and certainly, in comparative extent, contains more produc tive soil than exists on all the combined area of the latter states. By the census of 1810, those states possessed a population of nearly 1,243,000 persons, upon a surface of 31.200 square miles ; therefore, if the peninsula of Aliehigan was peopled only equal to those less pro ductive states, or about 40 inhabitants to the square mile, it would contain 1,384,000 souls. This estimate may, and no doubt will, excite sm prise, but we are con vinced falls short of the real capability of that too little known, but really fine region.
It would swell this article much beyond its due ex tent, to enumerate the various natural productions of Michigan. Of minerals or fossils, the nature of the country precludes much variety. Carbonate of lime is the most important, and indeed the only extensive mine ral production yet discovered ; this rock is found to underlay the Bass Islands, and many other parts of the country.
Of timber trees, perhaps no section of the United States possesses a more extensive and richer variety. Three or four species of oak ; as many of hickory and walnut ; ash, linden (tilia), sugar maple, red maple, elm, and white poplar (liriodendron tulipilera), may he enumerated as the principal species. Underwood and vines are numerous, and in many places render the ex tensive forests almost impervious. This circumstance alone attests strongly the natural fertility of the soil.
The native grasses in the praries and marshes are of various species, and are succulent and excellent for pas turage. The most valuable vegetable production of Michigan, and perhaps of all the northern parts of this continent, is the fols avoine, zi=ania aquatica. This elegant grass has received a misnomer from the pedantic repetition of European names. In fact, it specifically differs as much from oats or rice, as do the latter from each other, and can be compared with either, only as having a panicle as its mode of inflorescence. The Fols avoine covers the marshes near the margin of the lakes and rivers, and no other gramina, not even wheat, has so fine and beautiful an appearance when in bloom or ripe. Its grain is elongated, full, sweet, and nutritious. In a future density of population, the importance will ap pear of a cereal gramina, vegetating spontaneously where no other useful vegetable can, without the utmost ex ertion of human labour, be made to exist. The extent of North America, where this excellent native grain is found, almost exceeds belief. From Louisiana to the Arctic circle, it exists upon the streams and lakes, in a greater or less quantity ; but the Canadian sea about N. Lat. 45, appears to be its most favourite residence.