The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-03-06
To his Excellcncy TuoMAs FoRp,

and safe navigation OF the Illinois
River, the best and most economical
method of improving the same for
boats drawing three feet of water,
and an estimate of the cost Of such
an Improvement.
My examinations commenced at
the termination of the Illinois and
Michigan Canal, the point designa-
ted in your instructions. The river,
an estimated distance from this point
of 2l3 miles to its mouth, flows
through rich bottom land, varying
in width from 3 to s miles, termina-
ting on either side of the river at the
base of bluffs $50 or 200 feet in
height, above the surface of the wa
ter in the river; the course of the
river through this bottom is very
regular and without any abrupt
turns in many places it is perfect
ly straight for distances of from to
miles at stretch, and when it
does alter its course it is by such
gradual and easy curves that it pre-
sents, with its even banks at low
water, the appearance of an artlli-
clal water course; in its course it
occasionally touches the bluffs +; at
these points the different towns and
landings are situated; these points
are not very frequent and are gen
orally of short continuance till the
river reaches point miles below
Naples and about 60 miles above its
mouth at which place it strikes the
western bluff and continues along
its base till within about 10 miles of
its mouth where it leaves the west
ern bluff and takes nearly a direct
course to the opposite or eastern
bluff at which place it empties into
the Mississippi distance of about
40 miles above st. Louis.
The bottom through which the
river flows, Immediately along its
edge, ranges from eight to fifteen
feet in height above low water mark;
this height is held throughout the
whole course of the river with re-
markable regularity, and the few
places where the banks are less than
| | feet in height appear to be where
the river runs through or along the
edge of swamp; these places are
few and do not continue for a long
distance and it is seldom that low
banks are found on both sides of the
stream at the same point; IL feet
above low water mark appears to be
the general height of the banks
, throughout the entire length of the
|, river. The bottom between the riv-
err and bluffs is interspersed will
lakes and swamps that have in high
) water a connection with the river
but in low stage of water few o
\ them empty into the river or appear
n to have any connection whit. The
:. whole bottom is covered with an ex.
! cellent and luxurious growth of tim,
Der common to this section of coun
try; cotton wood, bass wood, ash
maple, cotfeenut, oak, &c; in cas-,
OF an improvement of the river il
which timber will be necessary tn,
r article il Immediately upon the spot
c The soil is a rich sandy loan, tn,
!. subsoil a tough, hard clay, which
d Judging from the appearance of tn
r. banks exposed at the river is no
subject to wash easily by the actio
IF of the water upon it; in some fey
places the banks are composed G
ID loose sand which is continually wash
n ing away and filling up the stream
below there are but two places G
re this kind of any Importance; on
at commencing at Havana opposite tn
Is mouth of Spoon river, the other a
Beardstown; these are not the ordi
70 nary bottom lands but high tabl
~ lands between the river and tn
~ bluffs; at other places where tn
~ river strikes higher land than tn
l.. bottom the banks are composed {
n, hard clay or clay and gravel. Nj
= examinations did not extend as ia
I'd back as the bluffs on account of tn
he thick underwood which is almo.
nd impossible, but from informatio
w. gathered from others am Statistic
N, that there is connection betwce
At. the banks of the river and bluffs b
gu ridges of ground equally as high {
lid that Immediately upon the river.
ia. The bluffs at Lasalle and in tn
i'll neighborhood of it afford good built
nd ing stone; at Hennepin, rock show
y; itself at the bank of the river; tn
il. rock has never been disturbed ar
from the outward appearance of