The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-07-01

intcrmixcd with sand largely, and unfit for
agriculture except in the third district already
described. Down "a lew as the AInndan VII
lagc the water is as clear as the Ohio From
thence, onward to its mouth it isimprcgnatctl
by its tributaries with mari and sa;!d, and
always looks as muddy rs if in freshct.
The spring frcshet usually occurs. about
the LIST of June. Except during this ficshct,
the ascent above Council Bluffs, by boats of
80 tons, is ar,luous and difficult, and its dc.
scent by such boats nearly impossible, or ac-
count of the number and shifting character
of the bars. There is difference of de-
grccs in the specific gravity of the waters of
the Missouri at the mouth of the Kansas Riv-
or and the waters of the latter stream. The
former has many more tributaries running
through mari and quicksand. The average
rapidity Of the waters of the Missouri is near
ly twice that of the Upper Mississippi. The
orinoco only exceeds it in velocity. The
Missouri on the list parallel is more than
500 feet above the Mississippi on the same
line.
After leaving the Great Falls the tributar:e
of the Missouri are not numerous and none Of
them above Council Cliffs are nayigable for
anything but canoes. The large space inter
v,ning between it and the great Platte tor
NtbraSka) is destitute of streams, and ncarl V
50 of springs. Hence the grass on Tie larger
portion Of this immense tract becomes with
cred and Stuntcd very carly in the season. Its
chief tributaries are the Platte, the Sioux,
the Jacques, the L'cau qui Court, the White,
the Hart and the Yellow Stone.
The Platte rises near the 10th degree of lat
itud", and longitude lG0 degrees, i'll the Roc
Ky Mountains. and flows thence nor;hward
and eastward to its outlet. receiving, recciv-
ing the South Fork in latitude Al degrees and
longitude loo deg. At the junction Of the
two forks the river is over 5000 feet in width
and theme onward varies from one to two
miles in width. 1t is so shallow and so ca
PRECIOUS, in con'cqucn 'e Of its qui,kSanls,
that it may be considered as almost useless
for purposes of commerce. Were its wac.S
confined to a channel Of thousand feet in
width it would be one of the modest streams
in the world: but this may be considered M
possible. The valley is from eight to fifteen
and twenty miles in width. It's generally
a dad flat, elevated only from eighteen to
twenty six inches above the surface Of the
stream, and the greater portion liable to in
unda,ion. 1t is entirely destitute Of timber.
but produces luXuriant growth of the rich
est grapes.
The Yellow Stone has its source in the Roc
ky Mountains, but their exact location has
never been discovered. 1t ficws northeast
waIdly to its mouth. 1t has been naviSatCd
for eighty miles by steamboats,, anil may be
rendered uscrully available for other craft
two hundred and fifty miles. l look upon
its valley as the garden spot of Nebraska. 1t
is finely timbcrcd and watcred. In the flu
on between this valley and that Of Clarkc's
branch Of the Columbia. Gen Clarke found
fine wagon road connecting them in lSoG,
and Major stevens has recently discovered an
open gap through the Rocky Mountains.
These two valleys, embracing the sources Of
the two greatest rivers on the continent,
which will dear their products to the two
greatest oceans in the world, surrounded by
other smaller but no less richer ones, will be
the future Switzerland of America.
The climate of Nebraska has not been ac-
cura,cly discovered. Enough is known,
however, for practical purposes Vegetation
in Iowa, is some weeks later than in Missouri.
In Eastern Nebraska it is some weeks later
than in Iowa. and in the vicinity Of the noun
tains some weeks later still. From the city
of st. Louis, travelling either northward or
westward, the climate becomes colder about
in the same degree-the difference of clcva-
ton travelling west being about equivalent in
its effects to the difference of latitude travel
ing north. Snow falls at the foot of the
mountains about the LIST September, and at
Council Bluffs about the LIST November.
Coal has been found in the northwestern
counties of Missouri and it is probable may
be found in the southeast portion of Ncbras-
ka. The limestone formation of Missouri
and Iowa extends over the first district of Ne
braska described in this letter. Beyond that
district the formation is sandstone, and rocks
of the dluvian period-the former south and
west of the Missouri chiefly, and the latter
north of it.
The first district is the only really good
agricultural region at present. 1t is rich
loan, finely timbered and watcrcd. The Sec
ond is strictly pastoral. The third has soil,
but is destitute of timber, and very sparscly
supplied with springs. The fourth also has
soil, but has the same drawbacks. The fifth
as already stated, is the finest region on the
globe in the same latitude.
a few of the farming boys of Iowa and
Missouri have heretofore "stuck their stakes"
in the first district, opposite Kancsville, and
above the mouth of Platte River. learn
that cmigrants arc now pouring in by the
thousand, and scarce year can elapsc before
they will have appropriated all the good land