Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-05-21
The Mississippi River ana it's Delta.

new WOTlu~-tne monuments OF Nature 5 partial
ity to our own blessed country. We confess
our inability to appreciate the taste of American
travelers-from the Eastern States especially
who first seek laborious and expensive journeys
to Eastern Europe, and Asia and Africa--to the
Nile and the sources Of the Niger. We have
much greater sights at home The pyramids of
Egypt lose half their attractions in contempla-
ting the Mammoth Cave Of Kentucky, and the
foundations of the Nile sink in importance on
tracing the sinuosties of the mighty MISSISSIPPI
pi; the wonderful characteristics of its varied
delta, and the ever-changing nature OF It's cur
rents and counter-currentS.
A year or two ago, Congress ordered a scien-
tfic survey of the Mississippi, and report upon
the practcability of reclaiming the land over
flowed by its waters. The delta formed by its
alluyial deposits was deemed all worthy of eX-
animation. Much OF it is in swamp lands, be-
longing to the General Government, and the re-
claiming of which had been petiuoned for by
private and public memorial. The survey was
ordered. 1t has been published. No book Of
travels in the Old World reveals greater physi
cal curosities. The mouth of the Ohio, at Cal
70, is adopted as the head of the delta. TO as
certain the causes of its overflow, it Is assumed
that great plane is marked out, sloping from
the head point in direction deviating but little
leo. Its length, 500 miles. Its northern eXtremi-
ty 257 feet above the level Of the sea. Its total
descent $40 feet, or s inches the mile. Extent
of the plane, 1000 square miles Breadth at
Cairo, 80 or 40 miles; at the Gulf / so miles -
Against 500 miles on direct plane, are l,l78
miles by the course of the river. Average de-
scent at high water 81 inches per mile, At low
water the surface is depressed 40 feet at Cairo !;
90 feet at New Orleans. At high water the riv
err overloWs its borders, bearing along "a vast a.
mount of earthly matter, which is deposited on
its borders, the heaviest portions first, the finest
clay at more remote points The delta was thus
formed The land subject to overflow, 6 mil
lions of acres. Its value at Government price,
$20,00O,000
Space will not allow US to refer to all the
wonderful acknowledgements, if you please
of the turbid father of waters. Its uniformity
of width is referred to by the report to the Gov
erument. The contributions from its great trID-
utaries produce the smallest possible impression.
At flood tide, so to speak, 1t conveys less water
into the Gulf, in unit of time, than it carries at
any one time, 200 miles above its mouth
The average width is 1900 feet. This is not
increased by a change from lis ancient channel
to that "aluyal bed which it has raised for itself
from the sea- Its depth, from the mouth Of the
Missour--20 miles above St. Louis--increases
with every tributary down to the mouth of the
Arkansas. Average depth, Is feet. Maximum,
1870 feet. Minimum, 70 feet Average surface
velocity, miles to the hour. Strange to say,
this velocity diminishcs as the depth increases.
Stranger still that, while the mass of the water
which its channel bears is sweeping to the South
at speed of or miles the hour, the water
next the shore is running to the North at q speed
of l or 2 miles the hour. The water is frequent
ly running up stream on one side of the river
while sweeping dorm stream on the opposite
side Tao oAonsaa Of "haf-ael. end th- natl
Ind thus created, are wonderful. In front OF
New Orleans change of this sort has been 60
ing on for many years. The land makes Quit
to the stream. 1t is called a bature. The title
to this made estate has been the subject of lti-
CATION between the Municipality and the owners
of the river front. In a recent case, individual
right obtained in the Courts.
The sinuosties of the River below the Louis
lana northern line, are ineXpressibly curious
The bayous run from the River into the Gulf of
Mexico, 80 to 100 miles above New Orleans
On the banks of these bayous, or delta formed
by their deposits, are some of the best sugar es
tates of Louisiana. On the main stream, the
bends Of the River produced the most singular
results in the original distribution of estates to
the French inhabitants of the State. These
were laid off by River fronts, from ten to twenty
arpenS or acres, running back to the Swamp
lands. The extent of the tillable land, depend
ing on the bends of the River, Many OF the best
estates have only ten arpcHS River front, while
the next neighbor with an equal front, has only
mcagre estate in rear. The consequence is,
continuous village OF rich and poor, planter and
COttager--for l20 miles above the city. The
surface of the River, even ct medium tide, seems
Il J. M IL, Hhn &c thn mr.,
lection against floods and overfoWs. This is an
artificial embankment of earth, made in common
by the land owners. 1t is continuous on both
sides of the River A break in this embank-
ment is known as a creraSSe. 1t is curious to
watch from the portco of a planters mansion,
the movements of a steamer. apparently from ten
to twenty feet above the level Of the point of OBJ
servation, threading the sudden and numerous
bends. and consuming half hours in making
distance which to the eye ought to consume one
tenth of the time.
We have confined our notice chiefly to the
Delta of the Mississippi. This is only half the
strange, eventful history Of this mighty stream
Let any curious traveller enter its mouth at the
Balizc. and ascend to the Falls of St Anthony,
and we undertake to say he will defer all CuriOs-
ity about the Nile and the Niger, to those who
know not the stupendous gories OF his own land
and his own waters.-N Y Times.
DoG-SELLING ExTRAoRDINARY.-Two ladies'
friends of a near relative OF my own, from
whom received an account of the Circumstan-
&c, while walking iu Regent ST., were accosted
by man who requested them to buy beautiful
little dog, covered with long white hair, which u
carred in his arms, Such things are not I'M
common in that part of London and the ladies'
passed on without needing him. He followed
and repeated his entreateS, stating, that as II
was the last he had to SELL they should have II
at a reasonable price. They looked at the ami
nal it was really an exquisite little creature
and they were at last persuaded The man took
it home for them, received the money, and left
the dog in the arms of one Of the ladies' A short
time elapsed, and the dog, which had been very
quiet in spite Of restless, bright eye, began to
/ show symptoms OF uneasiuess, and as he ran a
/ bout the room, exhibited some unusual move
ments, which rather alarmed the fair purchasers
! At last, to their great dismay, the neW-dog ran
squeaking up one of the window curtains, 50 that
when the gentleman returned home few mo-
ments after. he found the ladies in CONSERVATION
and right glad to have his assistance. lie vlg
orously seized the animal, took ont his penkDite
cut of its covering, and displayed large rat Z
their astonishcd eyes, and Of course to its oWT
destruction. Mrs. lees Anecdotes Of animals
II The physician who attends sic transit ha
arrived in this city, and taken rooms at the Ire