Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1801-1806, 1803-10-13
OBSERVATIONS
RejPelEng LOUISIANA and sbs IVES
TERN COUNTRIES ddjsin;ng sbe

MISSISSIPPI
BY ToHx PIw14sp, Ej9.
duriay bD OiGt 10 fbe City Of Nsy-Or-
lsans, IN tbs year 1901.
THEMifidppi, pronounced by the
Il natives Msfsbe1lpi, after a courfc
of 5000 miles, and receiving the iribu-
tary itreams Of the immenic rivers
Miilouri, Cumberland, TenneGee, o.
hio, and many others; ali which, the
St. Laurence excepted, far furpals, in
extent & magnitude, every river that
emPties into the Atlantic, dilembogues
through feveral chafinels into the Gulf
of Mexico, in North lat. az, Q, and
SO, 10, Wet long. from Greenwich.
The approach to this river, by iea,
isknown by an infant changein in the
colour OF the water, from black or
dark fea green to whitiih, next clayey,
and, latl!y a very muddy, frothy wa
ter, with foundings from 20 TO 50 IA
thoms at about rem leagues from the
COAT, gradually diminiihing to four
fathoms at the diifance of leagues,
when the water becomes abruptly more
diicolourcd and yellow. Diiealy Oft
the mouth of The river, the water re-
femblcs dirty foap fuds : Every change
of colour is itrongly diaingu.Ihed /;
you pats through one to the other in
an infant. The water at the mouth
of the tiFer is quite freib. The pilots
drink is fcooping j, up in their hands,
the fuaLsnode Of allay!ng thirif by
al who navigate this imrnenfc river.
The entrance Of the river is very
diFicuIt, thefr being no landmarks
along the coat, which Is very low,
& fcarcely diieernable at four leagues
dillance. Should veGel fall in With
the land on either fde of the narrow
prolorgation Of the continent through
which the Mifilippi pafes into The
Gulf of Mexico, lhc will, in all pro-
bability get eulbayed. and be obliged
ITO wait change of wind levetal days
to beat out. This circumGancc very
frequently happens.
The flores along the COAT are lin
ed with innumerable trees, which are
waited, and are conRantly floating
down the Miilifppi. The appearance
is nor unlike vait matt and fpar yard.
The trees are very large, and on
reaching the mouth of the river, are
driven afhore by tie winds and tides |;
iome are carried oiit to fea, and are to
be met with at great difance from
land. Thefe trees accumulating, be-
come mound, which arrells the
muddy fediment OF the river, and, in
procefs Of time, of numerous fmall
iflands, which conitantly increaEng
and unitipg, at length become part of
the continent.--This new land is firit
covered with bulruibes--then with
bulhes refembling alders, and, lafly,
with afh and other forelt trees. The
whole countrybordering on the mouth
ofthe Miflihppi has been thus made;
and the probability is, that all the land
on both fdes Of the river, from the
lbbervil!e downwards, diifance be-
tween two and three hundred miles,
has originated from the alluvions and
depoGts Of this muddy flream. 1t
mutt require comfortable time ere
this new land Can become ufeful.
Where the prefent Balife is erected,
the ground was 70 low, that earth
was brought TO elevate the foundation
for the beacon, guard and pilot-houf-
es. The Gte of the old Balia, which
was built in 1884, at the mouth ofthe
river, is now more than two miles
above. The prelent BaLfe was con.