Such is the germ of a people, which, in the short lapse of two centuries, will inhabit a surface more than equal to two-thirds of all Europe. The mind cannot de tach itself from this truly interesting subject without re flecting, that, to the physical similitude between the de serts of Arabia and the steppes of central Asia, with the interminable plains of interior North America, a strong moral resemblance does, and ever must continue to exist between the respective inhabitants of those distant regions.
To the many other features in common between the prairies of Red and Arkansaw and the steppes of central Asia, is the prevalence of muriate of soda, (com mon salt,) which, as has been observed, renders the water of those rivers brackish.
When we turn our eye to the entire surface of the Valley under review, we find it divided into two very un equal portions. The grand recipient, the Mississippi, is seen rolling almost at one extremity ; a narrow strip of land, with rivers of wiry small comparative magnitude, skirt its left bank. This confined border of about 500 miles in length, by a mean width of 50 miles, amount ing to 25,000 square miles, is opposed by an extent of 305,000 square miles, watered by the great volumes of White, AI kansaw, and Red rivers. Consequently the valley is divided into two sections, the proportions of which exceed 16 to 1.
Next to the Mississippi itself, the Arkansaw river would appear the most prominent object on this almost interminable landscape. When the Missouri is assumed as the principal stream, the Arkansaw, in point of length, ranks as its second confluent, being longer than either the Plate, Mississippi proper, or Ohio, which follow in order. The sources of the Arkansaw remain unknown to any precision, but are generally supposed to extend to N. lat. 42°, and W. lon. from Washington city 34° ; the position of its mouth has long been sufficiently well known ; it enters the Mississippi at N. lat. 33° 56', and W. lon. from Washington city 14° 10'. This stream, therefore, winds through upwards of 8 degrees of lati tude and 20 degrees of longitude. Its length, by com parative course, is about 1400 miles, but, by its mean ders, must exceed 2000 miles.
The geography of the Arkansaw has now become an object of the first importance, as its channel forms, from the tOOth degree of longitude west of London, to its source, if those sources are south of N. Lat. 42°, part of the limit between the United States and the Spanish do minions in America.
From the discoveries recently made by Captain Long, the magnitude of the Arkansaw has been hitherto under rated. A large body of water hitherto made to enter
Red river, is now found to flow into Arkansaw by the Canadian Fork. The Arkansaw is more impeded by falls and cataracts, than any river of the great inclined plane we have noticed. from an elevated and mountainous region, the bed of this stream is unnavi gable with large boats, except about 600 miles above its mouth. From thence it flows in a deep rapid channel, of about six hundred yards wide, to its junction with the Mississippi. The particular tributary streams of the Arkansaw remain in great part imperfctly known. This liver now gives name to a territory of the United States, and in the lapse of a few years, will no doubt designate a state of the confederacy, similar to the Illinois, Mis souri, and Next in magnitude of volume, and length of course to Arkansaw, is Red river. Like its rival, Red river '.lows from that spine of mountains, which, ranging from Mexico northward, assumes local appellations in differ ent places ; in Mexico this chain retains the native Aztec name of Anahuac ; near the sources of Red and Arkan saw rivers, it is known as the Mountains of New Mexico ; and farther north as the Rocky Mountains, or the Chip pewan.
Great uncertainty reigns over the sources of Red river ; but, if the information given by Captain Long be cor rect, and it is entitled to great credit, those waters which originate from N. Lat. 32° to 35°, and W. Long. from Washington City from 25° to 28°, which in all our maps are represented as flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, by the Colorado and other streams, on the contrary, are the sources of Red river. By comparative courses, this stream is about 1000 miles in length ; but following it by its meanders, is probabit 1500 miles.
Both the Arkansaw and Red river have their regular periodical inundations, similar to the Mississippi, and enter their recipient at the season of flood respectively, with an immense body or water, which in no small de gree contributes to supply that enormous mass of fluid which annually rolls over Louisiana into the gulf of Mexico. Arising from the saline and ochreous earths through which they flow, the waters of these two great livers are in a considerable degree brackish ; that of Red river so much so, that at Natchitoches, and from thence to its entrance into the Mississippi, cannot be used for either drinking or for culinary purposes.