In the lower part of the Mississippi valley the exotic vegetables cultivated are, in most part, the same found in our middle states generally. The climate being rather more severe in a given latitude in the Mississippi basin than on the southeast side of the Appalachian mountains, some small difference of vegetable location may exist, but not to any very great amount.
Towards the sources of the :Mississippi, the wild rice (zizania aquatica) abound in the swamps, and along the low margins of the rivers and lakes, and constitutes no small part of the food of the natives. Perhaps in an advanced state of society, this species of cercalia, which can be cultivated in places unsuitable to any other vege table, may become the resource of civilized man, and under skilful culture attain a development similar to what has taken place with other grains, such as wheat, rye, oats, barley, and maize. In fine, in the valley of the Mississippi, we find every object denoting our ap proach to the wide spreading waste on which we arc now to enter.
Valley of Missouri, above its junction with the Missis silipi.—The Mississippi having been first discovered, has by prescription given name to the whole basin ; but the Missouri, above their junction, is a stream which has drained a country of more than six times the extent of the valley of the former. The error is now without remedy ; therefore, though of so much greater magni tude, must, in a geographical point of view, be consider ed a tributary stream to the Mississippi.
Missouri river rises in the Chippewan, or, as they are absurdly called, Rocky Mountains. What is by pre eminence called Missouri, is not the main stream, if our maps are even tolerably correct. The Yellow Stone river is longer than its rival above their junction, and re ceives larger and longer tributary streams. Assuming, however, Jefferson's river as the extreme source of Mis souri, the latter will rise at N. Lat. 44° 20' W. Long. from Washington City 35°. The general course for about 120 miles is north-east, receiving in that distance several tributary streams. It thence turns north 120 miles, and about N. Lat. 20', is augmented by Dearbortie's river from the north-west. It thence curves to the north-east 80 miles, to the entrance of Marias river from the north west. Below its junction with the Marias river, the Missouri pursues an eastern course 150 miles, and thence a north-eastern course of 150 miles to the mouth of Yel low Stone river. Estimating the distance from its source
by either branch, along the stream, the Missouri has flowed, at its junction with Yellow Stone river, more than 1000 miles, and has drained above 150,000 square miles of surface, mostly prairie. Its volume is here, perhaps, as wide and deep as at its junction with the Mississippi. After receiving the Yellow Stone, the Mis souri curves first north-east, and thence south-east, 200 miles, to the Mandan villages, at N. Lat. 47° 25'. Be tween the mouth of Yellow Stone river and the Mandan villages, the volume of Missouri has gained its extreme north bend at N. Lat. 48° 20', and has, besides many lesser tributaries, received the Little Missouri from the right, flowing from south-west to north-east. Nearly opposite to the mouth of the latter, the Moose river branch of Assiniboin rises within less than one mile from the bank of the Missouri. At the Mandan villages, the Missouri turns directly south, and flows in that course through four degrees and twenty minutes of latitude, or near 300 miles. In this distance it has received a few unimportant tributaries from the left, and from the right the large streams of Cannon Ball, Wetarhoo, Sarwarcar na, Chayenne, Teton, and White rivers. Below the mouth of the latter, the Missouri turns to the south-east, east, and south, 300 miles, to its junction with the La Platte, an immense body of water flowing from the west, and heading with the Arkansaw, Lewis's, and Yellow Stone rivers. In the latter course, the Missouri has also received from the left the Jacques, Great, and Little Sioux rivers. Below its junction with the Platte, the Missouri flows 200 miles south-east to the mouth of the Kanses river, a large tributary flowing from the west, and heading between the Arkansaw and Platte rivers. The Missouri has now gained nearly the 39th degree of north latitude, and turning to a little south of east 250 miles, joins its vast volume to that of the Mississippi, after an entire comparative course of 1870 miles, and par ticular course of about 3000 miles. Between the mouths of the Kanses and Mississippi rivers, the Osage, a large branch, enters Missouri from the south west. The Osage is a considerable stream, rising in the angle between the Kanses, White, and Arkansaw rivers.