Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-01-14

sue nAoes so'SSSt sScOuiUS va NhS HAo"uSS
Of the Missourt, during fifteen years.
make the average Ola common year 77,s7l
dollars. "tis
Ga calculating, 10 tn. same proportion
tae amount OF merchanliA. en!erlug the
Missouri and. givea ia exchange for Pei.
tries, il - found chat it amounts to 6l,25O
dollars, including expenses, equal TO one
fourth of tks valne OF the msrsliau.
die.
Tho result is, that this commerce gives
annually prof. of is, 7:1 dollars, or about
~ per cent.
Ii the commerce of the Missouri, with.
out encouragement, and badly regulated,
gives annually SO great q profit, may we
not rest assured that it Will DE greatly aug
mented, should government direct its al
,ention 10 it. 1sls also necessary to OBJ.
servo ,ha, the price ofpel'ries fixed by this
table is the current price in the Illinois; 1t
it were regulated by the prices Of London,
dsIuctius he expences of transportation.
the profit according TO on. ca culatlou,
would be mach more considerable.
1.-THE Missouri. abandoned to savaces,
and presenting bat one branch OF eommeree
yields such great advantages, in proportion
to the capital employed in 1t, what might
we not hope, il some merchants or com.
pauies, with large capital, and aided BY
population extended along the borders OF
the river, should turn their attention to
other branches of trade, which they might
undertake (I dare say with certainty OF
success, when we consider tho riches bu.
ried in its banks, and Of which have en-
deavoured in these notes TO give an idea.
Although my intention has been onlyte
speak Of the Missouri, consider TIA du.
ty at the same time to give an idea of tho
sal, mines and the salines, which arc found
in the same latitude, on the branches OF the
river Arkansas. At about 500 miles from
ths village of the great Osages, in west.
erlv direction, after having passed several
branches Of the river Arkansas, we find
fat. surrounded bv hills of an immense
extent, and about IS leagues in diameter,
the soil is black sand, very fine, and SO
hard that the horses hardly leave trace.
During warm ard dry season, there sx.
hales from tn, FIAT, vapors, which, after
being CONDENSED, ial On this black sand,
and cover i. with an iscrastatioa Of salt,
very white and fac, and about halt an
inch thick the rains destroy this pheno'
mcnoR.
Il, about Is miles from this fat, there
are found mines ofsenulne salt, near lhs
surface Of the earth; the Indians, who are
we'll aceusiutea With them, are obliged to
.uss levers to break aud raise it.
Alta distance Of about Is leagues from
the fat. Of which we have just spoken. and
in sou,hsrly direction, there 10 second
mine of genuine salt of the same nature
as the other. These two mines differ only
in colour; tbs frs. borders On blue, the
second approaches red. In short, much
further sen,h, and still ON the branches OF
the Arkansas, is a saline, which may be
considered as ene Of the most interesting
phenomeuain rra:uye.
On .,e declivity Of q sn,allhll there are
FIVE holes. about foot and half in dia.
meter, and two in depth, always full OF
salt water, witheu, ever Overlooking. Ii
a person we're to draw any Of this salt VA
ter. the hole would immediately fil itself;
and at about 10 feet lower, there Rows
from this same hill a large stream OF pure
and sweet water.
lfthis country were peopled, the WORK
inr Of these genuine sal. mines would DC
very easy. by means Of the river Arkansas
This sp.eies Of sale, is found by expert
ence 70 bs Far preferable to any other tor
sailing provisions.
Should these noses, imperfect sna
without order, bu, ia everyrespeet ioans'
ed on truth, and observations made oy NY
self, excite ,he curiosity Of meo OF ,atsll'-
r.nee, capable of investigating the Objects
which they have barely suggested. l DO
M, doub, Blu, that inca!cc!abls advantages
would r..ul, t. the United States, and q.
n.eial,v to III. distric. of Louisiana.
II impossible to give an exac. account
~ the peltries. which are brought down
III. Mississippi, as they are oil immediate
IL transported to Canada, Without passing