WASHITAU, or, according to French ortho graphy, Ouachitau, a river of Arkansas and Loui siana. The most remote sources of this river, its three main branches of Little Missouri, Washitau proper and Saline, are in the southeastern valleys of the Masserne mountains in the southwestern part of Arkansas.
Little Missouri, the southwestern branch of '\Vashitau, rises in Clarke county, Arkansas, be tween the sources of Saline branch of Red river and those of Washitau proper. Flowing thence to southeastward between Clarke and Hempstead counties, joins the main or middle branch at N. Lat. 45', and about 60 miles a little east of south from the Hot Springs.
'\Vashitau proper rises between the sources of Little Missouri and those of the Saline branch, and by several confluent streams pursues a general course a little east of south 70 miles to its junction with Little Missouri. Below the union of the two branches, the main volume, now at high water a navigable river, inclines to S.E., and by a very tor tuous channel, but comparative course of 55 miles, receives the Saline from the north.
In length of course the Saline at their junction about equals the Washitau, but falls short in mag nitude of volume. The Saline has its remote sources about 30 miles westward from Little Rock or Arkansas, from which point pursuing a direc tion of a little east of south by comparative courses 120 miles, falls into Washitau at N. Lat. 33° io'; and what is rather remarkable, the course of the Saline is maintained by the united waters in all the residue of their course to Red river.
Below the influx of Saline, Washitau flows south ward 35 miles to the entrance of Bayou Bartheberry from the northeast, and of the Saluter from the northwest. The Bartheberry is a stream of 140 miles comparative course, rising within two or three miles from the main channel of Arkansas, in Jeffer son county, territory of Arkansas. Flowing thence by an elliptic curve to the eastward, but without receiving any tributary streams of consequence, traverses Chicot county, Arkansas, and entering Louisiana, falls into the \Vashitau river in the parish of Washitau. Saluter is a large pine woods creek
rising in Lafayette county, Arkansas, and flowing S.E. enters Louisiana and falls into Washitau a short distance below, but on the opposite side from the influx of Bartheberry.
• Out of the Bartheberry, about three miles from its Junction with the Washitau, issues a creek, called in the country Bayou Siard, which winding about 15 miles, falls itself into the Ouachitau, forming an island of 10 or 12 miles in length, with a breadth of 100 to 405 miles. Nearly opposite to the lower end of the Siard island comes in from the north westward the Terrebonne river. This latter is a most limpid and beautiful pine forest stream inter locking sources with those of the Saluter, and those of Dacheet branch of Red river, and by a compara tive course of 75 miles to the southeast, falls into the Washitau.
Below Siard island the now fine volume of Washitan inclines to S.S.E. by very tortuous indi vidual bends, but by comparative course of 50 miles to the entrance of Boeuf river from the north. The latter, similar to all the northeastern confluents of \Vashitau, rises within a few miles from the main channel of Arkansas, and pursuing a southern course between the Mississippi and Bartheberry 65 miles, enters Louisiana, in which, inclining to the S.S. W. 85 miles, joins \Vashitau at N. Lat. 52'. The Boeuf, for the first and highest half of its course, is distant about from 15 to 20 miles from the Mississippi, and is annually swelled by the superior flood of the vast volume of the latter. This swell, as indeed that of all the lower confluents and main stream of Washitau, is occasioned, not by an influx of water from the Mississippi, but from a back wa ter flood produced by the filling of the low lands, and preventing the outlet of the streams of Washi tau and Boeuf.