Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1833-03-02

great flood gradually subsiding, and
again see the mighty changes which it
has effected. The waters have now
been carried into the distant ocean.
The earth is every where covered by
a deep deposit of muddy loan. which, in
drying. splits into deep and narrow
presenting a reticulated APP
perance. and from which, as the wealth
er becomes warmer, disagreeable, and
at times noxious, exhalation arise, and
fill the lower stratum Of the atmosphere,
as with dense fog. The banks Of the
river have almost every where been
broken down in a greater or less de-
gree. Large streams are now found to
exist, where none were formerly to be
seen, having forced their way in d.
rect lines from the upper parts of the
bends. These are, by the navigator
called shortcuts. Some of them have
proved large enough to produce a
change in the navigation Of the Missis-
sippi. III mistake not, one Of these,
known by the name Of Grand cutoff,
and only a few miles in length, has d.
verted the river from it's natural course.
and has shortened it by fifty miles.
The upper parts Of the islands resent
a bulwark consisting Of an enormous
mass of fioated trees of all kinds. which
have lodged there. Large sand-banks
have been completely removed by the
impetuous whirls of the waters. and
have been deposited in other places.
Some appear quite new to the eye Of
the navigat r, who has to mark their
and bearings in his log,'ook.
The trees Oh the margins Of the banks
have in many p" ri,glvcD away. They
are seen bending over the stream,
like the grounded arms Of an over
whelmed army of giants. Every
where are heard the lamentations Of
the farmer and planter, whilst their
servants and themselves are husily en-
Ployed in repairing the damages &C.
casioned by the floods. At one ere
oasse, an old ship OF two, dismantled
for the purpose, are sunk, to obstruct
the passage opened by the still rushing
waters, while new earth is brought to
ill up the chasms. The squatter is
seen shouldering his rifle, and making
his way through the morass, in search
Of his lost stock, to drive the survivors
home, and save the skins Of the drown
ed. New fences have everywhere to
be formed; even new houses must be
erected, to save which from like dis
aster, the settler places then. on an ele-
waited platform, supported by pillars
made of the trunks of trees. The
lands must be Ploughed anew; and if
the season is not too far advanced, IA
crop OF corn and potatoes may vet be
raised. But the rich prospects Of the
planter are blasted. The traveller is
impeded in his journey, the creeks and
smaller streams having broken up their
banks in a degree proPortionate to
their size. bank of sand, which
seems firm and secure, suddenl gives
way beneath the travellers hors- and
the next moment the animal has sank
in the quicksand, either to the chest in
front, or over the crupper behind,
leaving its master in d situation not to
be envied.
Unlike the acknowledgements and
small rivers Of other parts Of the world,
the Mississippi rises but slowly during
these floods, continuing for several
weeks to increase at the rate Of about
an inch in the day. When at its
height, It undergoes little flucluation
for some days, and after this SUBSIDIES
as slowly as it rose. The usual dura-
ton of IA flood Is from four to six week Ks,
on some occasions, it is pro-
tracted to two months.
Every one knows how largely the
idea Of floods and cataclysms enters
into the speculations OF the geologist.
If the streamlets ofthe European con-
tinent afford illustrations ofthe forma-
ton of strata, how much more must
the Mississippi, with its ever-shifting
sand-banks, its crumbling shofes, its
enormous masses Of drift timber, the
source Of future beds Of coal, its extern
sive and varied alluvial deposits, and
its mighty mass Of waters rolling sui
lenly along, like the flood Of eternity.
BRIEF NOTICE OF GEN. MACOMB.
As many of our readers may be in
terested in knowing where the Head
General Of our Army was born, how
he was educated, how he looks, &c.
NO M III ondoavOr RI SatiSf ~ fhom on S,.p.