The Cairo bulletin., 1911-02-13

tailed description of conditions on the
river bank in the vicinity or Cairo IN
1876, is from "a Journey In North
by Victor Collot, a French
who came down the Ohio
and went up the Mississippi ana
ought to he of interest to river men
1t was discovered and
by the Bulletins histori-
cal editor:
We proceed without finding any
variation in the soil twenty-tINee
miles. In this space the Ohio, which
had run for some time towards the
west, takes sudden bend towards
the south. We reached Cash Island,
after having passed two creeks on
our right and left, neither of when
IS navigable. The navigation during
these twenty-thfee miles is perfectly
good, and the depth or water from
fiMeen to twenty-five feet.
Approaching site of Cairo.
Passing Cash Island on our left,
we took the channel on the right;
carefully steering, however, as close
lis possible to the island, to avoid
a Eandbank iutting out from the
right.
Three miles below Cash Island, we
left on the right Cash Greek, and
six miles below this creek we reach
cd the mouth OF the Ohio. The
country continues low and swampy
the navigation regularly good, and
the depth of the river scarcely ever
varies from twenty to twenty-five
feet.
The Ohio at its mouth offers moth.
ne remarkable, its breadth IS near
IN the same as that of the MISSISSIPPI
nj and its banks are low and mar
shy, as well as the country on eacF
side
Opposite to it's mouth the O-to h~s
deposited agreat quantity Of sana
which, forming a very considerable
hank, bars part of the MISSISSIPPI
and renders this passage extremely
difficult this we shall explain in .Ee
chapter that treats OF the navigation
of this river
In general the distances marked IN
Hutchins charts and others, are too
great, particularly from the rapids TO
the mouth of the Ohio, Before we
speak of the Mississippi, that great
artery of North America, 1t is neceS'
sary to make an observation.
Leaving Cairo Point.
Obliged, on leaving the Ohio and
entering the Mississippi, to ascend .
part of this river, in order to gain
the Missouri: and anxious to give a
successive view of objects such as
we be held them, our account of the
Mississippi will necessarily be intsi'
rupted; that is to say, We shall first
treat of the Mississippi from the
Ohio to the Missouri, and shall moi
resume our account of that river as
far as New Orleans, ;iil we have
finished our expedition into tie
country of the Illinois and Missouri
We began our course on the MIS-
sissippi the second Of August This
day was one of the hottest we had
felt in North America; Farenhel, :
thermometer had risen to ninety-feY
en- An Ratchet exposed to the sun
during an hour had acquired suc1 a
degree of heat, that we would not
hold it in our hands. The wind wa
south, and the weather thick anc
naZy.
Immediately on entering the Ms
sissippi, and after doubling the morn
I'm point which separates the wate'
of this river from those Of &c
Ohio, we passed on the left a great
sandbank, called, in the language q
the country, batture, formed by thi
last river. The sand-bank is long
fiat, and covered with young popla25
At this point 6oth sides of the riy&
are low and swampy, and we saw
nothing on the horizon which iEdt
Gated that there were any lacds
more elevated within a certain dis
tance, For this reason, the righ,
side of the river, opposite to the
sorth of the Ohio (Birds Point) will
never be proper for the construction
of any works, unless at an expense
which would be useless in country
that is yet desert,
Up the Mississippi
Three miles from the mouth OF the
Ohio, in ascending the river, is an
island on the left, called Buffalo Is
land, which is about a mile in leng. i
we'll wooded, and high with a blac !
ish soil. We observed on both sites
cf the river, ranks Of willows, an
OF the same height, resembling the
finest Lombardy poplars, and awan z
ed with so much symmetry tha'
each tree seemed placed at equal
distance, which viewed from the wa
ter produced most beautiful effec {
After doubling Buffalo Point, v'1
reached, at the distance of half 4
mile, Elk Island, which is new y
formed tWest Of Cairo Drainage y =
trict). The willows we saw on tn {
spot were not more than from two
to three years growth, Both pas
sages are equally good . nevertl