Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-08-07
GODS HAND IN GEOGRAPHY.

| new Orleansf that ridge in Alabama, a
line of low hills in Tennessee and Ken
lucky, could materially affect the dynamics
OF the Mississippi that bend of the
Yellowstone could, by any possibility, be-
come an element of political economy in
Louisiana, modifying the health of her
people, and affecting her labor2 Yet
these are facts.
The inclines and sloping planes that
make up the great concave of tho Mississ-
'pp' basin arc so disposed by the Almighty
Hand, that the rains and molted snows
poured down from them do not reach the
Lower Mississippi at the same time, but
usually find their way to the sea in success
sve floods, the effect of the last of which
is, often, not entirely lost before tho au-
tumnal rains again swell the rivers. The
Red, the Arkansas, aud White Rivers;
t1rst pour out their muddy contributions !;
then, the clear Ohio; then, the transparent
Upper Mississippi; and last of all, the
turbid and majestic Missouri.
But suppose great inundating waves to
rush into the Mississippi, all at once, from
the Red and the Arkansas, the Tennessee
and the Cumberland, or, what is still
worse, from the Ohio and the Missouri:
the leveos Of Louisiana could not with
stand the overwhelming floods; the Lower
Mississippi would become, what it is in
deed too often, an inland sea. How slight
change it would requirs in the beds of
the Ohio and Tennessee to send their wa.
tiers to the Gulf of Mexico through Ala
barna How slight an elevation of the
earth, also, to bring tho waters of the Mis-
souri, to the Gulf through Texas! Either
OF which would completely change the
physics and dynamics Of the Lower Miss
issippi.
AS it is, the grand detour of the Ten
nesscc, from Northern Alabama to South
ern Illinois, retards tho floods from the
northwestern Alleghan;es, until those from
the southeastern spurs Of the Rocky Noun
tains have reached the sea. That still
grander detour of the main Missouri, by
which it is made to run first northward
then sweep eastward, and lastly, with an
other magnificent curve, flow away in
southwestern direction to the Mississippi,
by route some two thousand miles lon
ger than in straight line from the head.
waters of the Yellowstone to ST. Louis.
keeps back tho mighty foods of the Mis-
souri, until the Ohio and the Upper Miss.
lsslpppi have exhausted their strength.
When all the other great tributaries of
the Mississippi have spent their force
when spring and its rains are past and the
summeE> sun bazes with intolcrabls heat
when water is wanted to float steamboats,,
bargcs, and fatboats, fer evaporation, for.
rain and dew-when the navigation of the
Mississippi is about to Tail, and the liar
vests are in peril-mors than twelve hun
dred miles Of rivers and melted SHOWS
have been accumulating in this grand nor
thern arch of the. Yellowstone and Upper
Missouri. At last The norlhernmost point
is unlocked by the beat of the advancing
sun, and then comes down, perhaps in
May, oftener in June, and sometimes in
July, but always at least forty days later
tllan if by the valley Of the Platte or the
Kansas, the "June Rise" of the Missouri,
"a name, of grandeur, Of JOY of activity,
.
OF wealth, of harvests to all the dwelers
on the stream, from the Gulf of Mexico
to The fareG British line of tue nor,h-
west"
AS you steap up the, Lower Mississippi,
you would say that these bottom lands and
swamps, those dank and bosky fields. were
the very home of malsria-the rendezvous
Of :missmas. Yon could not be more mis-.
taken. But for epidemics, which it is by
no means impossible to avoid, New Or.
leans is as healthy as Boston, Louisiana as
healthy as Massachusetts. Dip up a glass
of water from this turt.d Mississippi; in the
month Of June, sometimes far into tho
month Of July-it will be cool and re-
ffeshing, it was iced a few weeks ago in
Dakota.
Whatm splendid illustration, too, the
;Mississippi aud its Tributaries afford Of the
sternal fitness Of ,bings, and Of TIE law
that no great hdmah want springs into ex.
istence without .he.means being supplied
at hand by-Providence TO fill it! Our
ancestors had no sooner reached: in their
toilsome msrch. Of civilization, the crest Of
the kileghspiea, than the tributaries of
the Mississippi iasised them. to glide down
Fto oTicher and broader domInions than they
had ever had conception Of No sooner
bad Jshsrson purchased the yast .tssti.ory
lof- Lopisiass, than eEulton was ready With
the staamboat 70 ;explors Its risers, and
tsransp0rt e taeis; banks 4 busy and enter,