MISSOURI RIVER. See MississrPrx Basin, p. 623. .MISSOUR I, one of the United States of North America.
Situation and .Extent.—The state of Missouri is bounded, north-east and south-east, by the Mississippi river; south by the territory of Arkansaw ; and west and north by the western unappropriated territory of the United States, formerly a part of Louisiana.
The limits of Missouri are : Area within a trifling fraction of 63,000 square miles, equal to 40,320,000 acres. Mean length from north to south, 280 miles ; mean breadth from east to west, 220 miles. Extreme south N. Lat. 36°. Extreme north N. Lat. 40° 26'.
Alissouri, in point of extent, is the third state of the United States, and only falls below Virginia and Georgia.
Features.—Though part of this state is hilly, and some of the hills approach in elevation the dignity of mountains, yet, strictly speaking, no mountains, either in detached groups or chains, exist within the limits of the state.
For every object of human affairs, rivers are the most important features of an inland country, and few regions of the earth, of equal extent, can compare with Missouri in the magnitude, number, and navigable facilities of its rivers.
Of these, the first in order is the Mississippi and Mis souri, both of which have been already so amply noticed in our description of the Mississippi Basin, that no fur ther account of them is necessary in this place.
The Lemoine river, though for a few miles forming part of the boundary, can scarcely be called a river of Missouri. The Osage, rising in the territory of Arkan saw, and flowing north-east into the Missouri, is the most important confluent of that river in the state of Missouri. The Osage has its mouth near the centre'of the state, where the future seat of government is intend ed to be placed. The Osage is a large navigable stream in all its length in the state, and waters some excellent, and much good land.
Besides the foregoing large stream, the Missouri re ceives from the right, below the mouth of the Kanses, Blue Water, Gasconade, and some smaller streams ; and from the left, Grande, Charlaton, Good-Woman's, Great Manitou, Otter, and Charette rivers. The Merrimack enters the Mississippi 18 miles below St. Louis, but has been noticed under the article Mississippi Basin, as have been White and St. Francis rivers, which closes the list of the streams of the state of Missouri.
The position of Missouri is in a high degree favour able to commerce, population, and wealth. Extending
four and a half degrees of latitude, its temperature must vary considerably, if uninfluenced by any other cause than mere geographic extent. This is not, however, the case, as will soon appear.
In conducting this general survey, I have endeavour ed, in a particular manner, to delineate those features which influence the meteorological phenomena, and the temperature of the seasons, and also to point out the great outlines of soil. In respect to Missouri, it will be necessary to deviate from the strict observance of the plan pursued in describing the state of Mississippi. In stead, therefore, of dividing the former state into its na tural sections, in relation to soil, we will take each of its river districts by itself.
We have seen that the river Mississippi washes Mis souri on its north-east and south-east frontier, 550 miles, following the meanders, though, by comparative course, the distance along the Mississippi would not exceed 350 miles. Though the mere banks of the Mississippi pre serve a nearly uniform character in all their extent along the front of Missouri, yet, from difference of climate, the vegetable productions are very different at the two ex tremes. So much has already heen said on the features and quality of the alluvial margins of the Mississippi, that it is needless to amplify on the subject.
Ascending the Mississippi from its mouth, no emi nence is to he found on its western bank in a distance of upwards of 1000 miles. Twenty-eight miles above the junction of Mississippi and Ohio, occurs the first rocky bluff on the right bank. It is composed of an enormous projecting precipice of limestone, whose real height above the water has never been very satisfactorily deter mined. This ledge is, no doubt, a continuation of the great limestone formation of the Ohio valley. In Mis souri, it is a part of a ridge of hills which continues from this point westward, through the state, and ranges between the waters of Arkansaw and those of Osage and Kanses rivers, perhaps to the Chippewan mountains. This ridge divides Missouri into two very distinct cli mates. In the south-eastern part of the state, along the Mississippi river, the cotton plant is cultivated, though only for family use ; as an object of commerce, it offers no great advantage : but, above the ridge in question, that plant ceases, and a region commences favourable to the production of the cereal gramina.