The Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii) 1840-1841, 1841-08-14

capacities Oh tue valley OF Inc MISSISSIPPI,
though every body has been talking and writ
my about them these twenty years. \ wr-
ter in the y. \. Review sets this matter in a
most torcblc light as follows:
Look at it; in that valley are one million
four hundred thousand square miles, or eight
hundred and ninety-six millions Of acres,
while Great Britain, with all its islands, con-
tains but about lightweight thousand square
miles, or fifty six and half million of acres
And what is the character ofthis vast region:
One third of at least, is capable of cult
walton, and thick settlement, and one third is
four hundred and sixty-six thousand square
miles in extent about seven times as great
an area as all the available land in England,
Wales, Scotland, and the islands. Look rs
it more infinitely, and you find it, from the
cleared fields OF Ohio and Indiana, to the
edge of the barren praires of the Missouri,
and t.om the wild rice swamps of the north,
to the cypress swamps OF the south, fertile
beyond example, almost level or slightly UNI
duating, and accessible in every direction
Never was there finer country for the agri-
culturist; standing at his farmhouse door in
the interior of Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois,
thousand miles from the salt water, he may
see his produce afoat on its way to New
York, or Europe; in very few years, five
complete lines of water and railway commu-
nication will exist between the interior of
Ohio and the ocean; four are now in opera
ton Nor is that valley destined to be less
eminenty manufacturing than agricultural.
The state of Ohio if we may rely upon the
geologist, Mr. Mather, contains as much BIZ
luminous coal of good quality and easy ac-
En ri I'D -, 4
in this respect is, he thinks, no richer than
Western Pennsylvania, Western Virginia,
and Kentucky; Judging from the little that is
known, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, are
probably underan to a considerable extent
by this same great mineral treasure Nor is
It coal alone that abounds in the west: from
the head waters of the Cumberland river
across Kentucky and Ohio, extends bed of
iron ore twenty miles in width. Tennessee is
filled with iron, Immense beds were lately
opened in lndiana-and who has not heard
of the Missouri mountain of that most pre-
cious metal. Already do Pittsburg and Gin
cinnati, yearly manufacture some seven or
eight millions Of dollars worth of iron articles
for export to other points; and lead abounds
also, salt is met with in inexhaustible guam
titles; lime is universally distributed; and the
finest freestone found in the greatest profi,-
sion.
Here, then, is a land, the soul and climate
of which favor tillsge in the highest degree;
the interior of which is far more easy Of ac-
cess than the interior of any country in Eu-
rope, and filled with mineral wealth. With
in its limits, grow maize, wheat, hemp, flax,
tobacco, cotton, and sugar. 1t is land
which scarce needs foreign commerce; it is
a world within itself; there is scarcely one
considerable article of commerce, if we en-
cept coffee and some dye stutfs, which the
Mississippi valley cannot furnish. The first
flint glass made in America, was at Pitts
burgh; the porceain-earth found within the
limits Of that region. rivals that of China; the
lakes abound in fish; and the burr-stone of
Ohio may compare with the best from France.
Now what in the common course ofthings
must be the result of this wealth and capa-
bityi A dense population, population of
no less than one hundred and twenty millions
Of people; nay, five base our calculations
on the present population of France, of not
less than one hundred and sixty millions,
that is to say, population greater than that
now living in Great Britain, Ireland, France,
Holland, Spain, Portugal, and all Germany"
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