Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-05-30
Far the alexandria Gazette.
nErLEsrIoss oN-rHE WESTERN cous


in the two preceding numbers, on the
srob,ble formation Of the western coua-
try, its antiquities &c. it may not here
he amiss to dwell a short time on its pre-
sen. state and future prospects.
That tract Of land lying between the
Allegheny and Rocky mountains, alth''
at present but partially settled by whites
il deemed, one day, to be the residence
of uncounted millions. Having spoken
formerly, in description OF Louisiana, Of
the more southern part. it will only re-
main now to treat Of that which lies north
If the junction Of the Ohio and Missls-
sippi. Here nature puts on different
aspect from tina. Of the siekly regions OF
the south. In the place Of that dull me-
rotonous sameness which characterlzes
the valley of the Mississippi and parts ad'
iacent, the eye Of the traveller is agree
,bly refreshed with diversified scenery
of hills and plains, woodland and na'u-
70, mesdows-some Of which latter ex-
,snd mapy miles over. These are termed
,rairss, which name was given them by
the FIRST French settlers, and s'gnihes
meadows. They have been accounted
for in various ways, and some, willing to
cut short investigation, leave it all to the
great first cause, by saying that it was
as easy for nature to form Praira as wood
land. Notwithstanding the ease OF this
manner of accounting, / conceive it may
be explained in more correct way lot
we see them forming and growing up oe-
fore our eyes almost every year. and can
confidently assert that they are occasion'
ed BY fire. Suppose piece OF wood
land. we'll covered with leaves, to be set
fire 70, in dry tiIne-the first year II
will do no more than destroy the under.
growth, aud make some impression on
the outer bark of the timber. Ihe Sc
cond year the grass will have less lmpsd'-
ment to its growth-when it dies in the
fall, the Indians will find it obstruchng
the view Of the game, and will fire It
again; this, besides ,he new sprouts that
may spring up, will ettctually destroy
the bark Of the timber, and kill the trees:
the third years fire will take effect o.
the trees, already dried, and destroy
them then;o by succeeding q es, which
will completely hinder any ne" timber
from Coming TO perfection, whilst these
continue to rage in autumn. On the other
hand, >eclude piece Of praira from IRE
for one year, aud you will 6'd, first ha'
eel bushes sarouting up, then saplns 1t
an ,ther description these giving wav
alternately to tees Of q superio, growth,
fill the whole plain is once more clothed
with thick timber. We may take the ii
Iinois tertit ~ as a kind OF middle
standard here. between that OF the east,
where pralries are more scarce, and that
Of the west, where they generally ab"uno'
II this territory you find all the high dry
land, destitute of timber, whilst the low
low lands, following the courses of the
streams that are occasionally covered
with water and naturally damp, are all
covered with wood. Here the water OBJ
structs the course Of the fire, where it Is
considerably damp, and only gives it ad-
mittance occasionally, where it is part-
ally SO. But, one phenomena occurs IN
shis country which l mus, confess / can
not ace ,uut for that is, in the high and
dry praira you may always come to wa
ter by digging few feet, and this by the
natural oozing from the damp soil below,
while in the woodland which lies lower,
and is damp on the top, you have to dig
more than twice the distance before the
bottom Of the well is covered. In neither
Of the cases you come to stream, ex.
cept very accidentally; for regular sour.
ces of winter i'm this country are very rare
the rivers aud creeks being lorm.c,
principally from the dlaiaing of wet lanu
and springs, which are more periodical
than constant, except it be in some pars
towards the east Of the Ohio, or heads Il