Near the Mississippi, below the limestone ridge, the banks are in every respect similar to what they have been described in Louisiana. The rear lands, as far as the St. Francis, are analogous to grounds similarly placed, in all the distance from the limestone range to the sea marsh.
The St. Francis rises partly in the hills of the lime stone ridge, and in part from the drain of the Missis sippi. The north-eastern branch of that stream appears to have been formed from an ancient outlet of the Mis sissippi, and to have contained a volume of water much larger than passes by its channel at present. The ordi nary distance between the two rivers is about 50 miles, flowing nearly parallel from N. Lat. 37° to N. Lat. 34° 30', where the St. Francis, by a gradual curve towards the lower part of its course, joins the Mississippi. The north-western branch rises near N. Lat. 38°, in a very hilly, broken, rocky, and barren tract of country. There are some good lands, but in no quantity commensurate with the extent drained by this river, whose whole length, by comparative course, is 250 miles, one half in Missouri, and the other in Arkansaw. Extensive settle ments have been made on the sources of the St. Francis and its tributaries. According to the very respectable testimony of Mr. Schoolcraft, from personal observation, the country from which the western, or rather north western source of St. Francis flows, is primitive, com posed of granite, gneiss, and other congenerate rocks ; amongst which are situated one of the richest iron, and the most abundant lead mine on the globe. The geolo gical notices of Mr. Schoolcraft deserve the utmost attention ; because made by a professed mineralogist, and a man who visited the region to collect facts, and not to support any pre-conceived theory. This gentleman has been, it must be acknowledged, much too general on a fact so important as the existence of a primitive region west of the Mississippi, and so near that stream. He has, however, enriched our literature with by far the best account extant of the mineral resources of Mis souri, and very correct, though brief notices of its soil and vegetable productions.
Black river, the north fork of White river, rises in the south-western part of Missouri, by a number of branches, of which Strawberry river, Spring river, and Currents river, are the principal. The sources of Black river are in the ridge of hills, or rather mountains, which has been already noticed. The base of the country drained
by Black river is calcareous, consequently the soil is very productive. The climate, as to temperature, is in no respect essentially different from that of St. Francis. The former, from superior elevation and more exemp tion from stagnant water, is no doubt much more salu brious than the latter. Like all calcareous regions, that of Black river affords some very large fountains of water, from one of which Spring river takes its name. The surface watered by Black river is about 8000 square miles. The timber is extremely large and varied. On the streams, cotton wood, different species of hickory, oak, and elm, prevail. The sugar maple is found, but the climate is rather too far south for the profitable ex traction of its sap. The Liriodendron tulipifera is also found in this section of country of an enormous growth. Oak is, however, the prevailing tree on the waters of Black river. Like Tennessee, and the southern parts of Kentucky, the vegetation of the southern section of Missouri partakes of the specific variety of the northern and southern extremity of the United States. Cotton is cultivated, but rather for domestic use than as a com mercial staple. The cereal gramina produce abun dantly : though, on the verge of the prairie country, Black river drains a very dense forest. In fine, that part of Missouri, south of the ridge we have alluded to, and watered by St. Francis, Black, and Mississippi rivers, may be with propriety considered as naturally connected with the Arkansaw basin, though politically included in Missouri. The ridge is generally clothed with pine, the soil sandy, and extremely sterile. It in fact divides the state into two unequal zones, of very dif ferent temperature.
The Merrimack rises near the centre of the state; has its source in the dividing ridge, though its course is nearly east along its northern slope. The length of the Merrimack is not above t20 miles, comparative course. Its sources are in a sterile pine forest, and most of its banks partake the character of the soil from which it flows. It is an unimportant stream in either a geographical or agricultural point of view, though, in respect to mine ral wealth, one of the most remarkable in the United States.