The 'Mississippi itself has three main and three lesser passes or outlets. The most frequented of which is that the south-east, upon the bar of which there is 12 feet water at low tides. Next to that of the south-east that of the south-west is the best entrance. The latter has in deed as great a depth of water as the former. Upon the south Pass there are 8 feet water. These three are the chief outlets of this great stream. The west, north, and Pass II la Loutre, have from 5 tu 8 feet water on their respective bars.
Between New Orleans and Mobile bay, a very inter esting inland navigation exists, through lake Pontchar train, the Rigolcts, lake Borgne, Pass au Christian, and Pass au Heron. This channel is formed by a chain of islands, the low marshy expanse north-east of the 3Iis sissippi river, and the main shore of Louisiana and Mis sissippi. Vessels above 5 feet draught cannot make this passage, as over either the shoals of the Pass au Chris tian, or Heron, that is the ordinary depth.
This interior channel is continued, to the north-west of New Orleans, by lake Pontchartrain, Pass au Manchac, lake Maurepas, Amite river, and ba)ou lberville, to the 'Mississippi river, 125 miles, by water, above that city. Schooners drawing 5 feet water, go up as fat. as Galveztown, at the confluence of bayou lberville and Amite rivers. From the efflux of the Iberville to the Pass of Heron is about 200 miles, 80 of which are to the north-west, and 120 to the north.east, by east, of New Orleans. Into this extensive channel are discharged, exclusive of the Amite and Mobile rivers; the Tick folia, into lake Maurepas ; the Tangipao and Chifuncte, into lake Pontchartrain ; Pearl river into the Rigolets ; and the Pascagoula, opposite Horn island. Each of those minor streams afford less or more facilities to na vigation, but do not admit vessels of more than 5 feet draught but a very short distance from the sea. Schooncis are most commonly used in the commerce of these inlets and shallow rivers. A steam-boat plies, however, between New Orleans, and Mobile and Blakely.
Mobile bay is a fine sheet of water, of SO miles in length, with a medium width of 11 miles. Dauphin island, and Mobile Point, land-locks Mobile bay. The main entrance, with 18 feet of water, lies between the. island and point. Pass au Heron, with 5 feet, lies be tween Dauphin island and the main shore of Alabama. A bar, with only 10 feet of water, crosses Alobile bay, about 5 miles below the town of Mobile.
Above Mobile town the bay gradually ceases, and is succeeded by a low sunken tract of 30 miles in length, and from 3 to 5 miles wide. Through this occasionally inundated tract, beside many minor streams, meanders the Mobile and Tensau rivers ; the former being the con tinuation of the Tombigbee, and the latter of the Ala bama river. Vessels drawing 5 feet water are taken as high in the Tombigbee as Fort St. Stephens, and in the Alabama to Fort Claiborne. At each of those two latter places, shoals impede the farther navigation of the rivers respectively, with vessels propelled by sails, though boats ascend and descend, in the Tombigbee, to Cotton Gin port, and in the Alabama, to its head at the junction of Coosa and Tallapoosa.
East of Mobile, Pensacola is the first harbour of any consequence. The Perdido intervenes, but having but little water, and terminating in a barren uninteresting country, merits no particular notice. Pensacola, to its depth of water, is one of the finest havens of the world. Its entrance is at Noith Lat. 30° 23'; West Long. from Washington city, 10° 20'. The entrance, between Ruse island and Barancas point is over a bar having 22 feet water, upon a fine sandy bottom. The bay is about 20 miles in length, with a medium width of about 3 miles. The anchorage is, in every part, a soft mud or sand. No rocky banks or dangerous shoals environ this noble sheet of water. The bay, above the town of Pensacola, is di vided into two arms; one, stretching north, receives the Escambia, and the other, to the north-east, the Yellow Water river.
The basin of the Appalachicola is remarkable, as forming the connecting link between the waters which flow into the gulf of Mexico from those which enter the Atlantic ocean. The Appalachicola is formed by two streams, the Chatahooche and Flint rivers. The former rises in the Appalachian mountains, at North Lat. 35°, interlocking with the souices of Tennessee, Oakmulgee, Oconee, and Savannah rivers ; and flowing south-west by south, through two degrees of latitude, turns thence nearly due south, to North Lat. 30° 45', where it receives the Flint. The latter, an inferior stream to the former, has its sources in the angle between the Oakmulgee ancl Chatahooche rivers, at North Lat. 33° 40', and flowing. south-west by south, 200 miles, unites ‘Nith the Chata honche, and forms the Appalachicola.