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Show 136 EMIGRANT'S GUIDE. the land i~ generally poor, except about half a mile on the river1 which is a fine, soft, gray land, well timbered, and near the river, or· a rich soil. '' Between the two rivers we cross five brge creeks, each of which affords more or less good land, and on one or two of them (Kitchaphone and Amakulla) there is a prospect of good mill seats. " Proceeding from the line down towards the point, I am told the proportion of good land increases ; but be the proportion of good land more or !ess, as it is toe only part of the whole tract received from the general government that will afford any revenue, it would be well for the state to make some disposi~ion of it, and bring the funds thence arising into operation. . W. ROBERTS." There is an elongation of the Alabama territory south of the 31° N. lat. and lying between the east boundary line of the state of Mi£sissippi and the Perdido river. This tract covers about 3850 square miles, including Mobile bay, and the islands Dauphin, Massacre, Petititbois, together with the expanse of water between the islands and the main land. This tract is formed ou~ of a part of West Florida, and is of more importance from its position, than from either its extent or productions. . Mobile bay i~ by far the most commodious entrance to the interior of the country that exists within the limits of the United States upon the gulf of Mexico. A long point of low sand-bar projects from the ea5tward, and comes within less than three miles of Dauphin island; this island is about five miles long, of a triangular form ; it is low, sandy, and barren. There are two entrances into Mobile bay; the main pas~ between Dauphin islaud and Mobile point, and pass au Heron, between Dauphin island and the main shore. The main pass is narrow and circular, winding round Mobile point, and being close on shore, forces vessels to pass wi thin half gun shot of the point. The iuterU'lediate . space between the pas~ and the east point of Dauphin island is shallow. At high tides, eighte~n fee t wate1· is found on the bar. The pass au Heron or inside passage has only six feet on its bar, but affords sufficient depth for schooners and other smaller vessels trading between .Mobile river and New Orleans. MOBILE town, and Fort Conde, stands on the west side, at the bead of the bay ; tke site is elevated fifteen or twenty feet above tide water, and is dry and solid. The approach to Mobile is rendered in some measure .difficult, from a low grassy island lying opposite the town. There 1s a good shelter for vessels within the island, and depth of water to permit lying near the bank. . It is doubtful whether, as a commercial depot, the site of Mobile IS well chosen ; the country in its rear is, for a considerable distam:e, barren. The Teusaw, or eastern branch of Mobile · river, is deeper and wider than the western, and, perhaps, more suitable to have on its banks the trading mart of this noble stream. All the surface drained by tbe Tombigbee, Black Warrior, Alaba .. rna, Coosa, Tallapoosa, and Cahaba, exceeds 4Q,OOO square miles, 26,000,0?0 acres. Some place near the head of Mobile bay must beco~e an emporium for the commerce of tbis wide region. , EMIGRANT'S GOlDE. 137 }.. . ort Stoddert is situated on the west bank of the Alabam-a : it is a place of I i ttle note. . . FORT ST. STEVENS, the seat of government for Alabama tern-to ry, stands on the west bank of Tombigbee, at the head .of schooner navigation · is a very thrivin(l' town, and will, no doubt, mcrease ra- ' ~ pidly in extent and commercial importa1~ce. . . . HUNTSVILLE, in Madison county, IS a thnvmg VIllage, seated amid a wealthy and industrious settlement. The other towns or villages of Alabama territory are yet in their infancy; nothing can be anticipated respecting their future progress. MISSOURI TERH.ITORY. This territory, in its most extendell sense, includes all of Louisiana not compri5ed within the limits of the !3tate of Louisiana ;* but as only a very small part of this immense region is yet purchased from the native savages, we will, in this work, notice only those parts to which the settlements of tbe whites are ex-tended. If the northwestern limit of the state of Lonisi::m::t is supposed to be continued north, it would intersect the Missouri fifteen or twenty miles below the mouth of the Kansas river, at 39° 10' N. lat. 16° 55' W. Ion. from Washington city. This line would leave to the eastward all establishments yet made by the people of the United States in the Missouri territory, except upon the banks q[ the Missouri and Mississippi riYers. Assutr.~ing the foregoing line as the west boundary of the settled part of Missouri territory , it would be bounded thus: on the noFth, by the 40° N. lat.; N. E. S. E. and E. by the Mississippi river; and south by the state of Louisiana. Statist,ical Table. Population in 1810. District of Arkansas, 874 St. Francis, 188 New Madrid, 3,103 Cape Girardeau, 3,888 St. Genevieve, .4,620 St. Louis, 5,667 St. Charle5, 3 . 505 20,845 Chief town s. New Madrid. Girardeau. St.-Genevieve. St. Louis. St. Charles. Of this region, 82,600 square miles; lie south, and about 16,000 north of the Missouri river ; the entire area spreading over 98,GOO square miles. Nature has divided the Missouri territoryt into two very distinct portions, but unequal superficies. A riJge of hills leaves the Mississippi river within a short distance above the mouth of ~hio; and extending southwest, diviJes the waters that flow south mto the St. Francis and White rivers from those whose courses are directed northeast of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The southern section is the most extensive, and cont::~ius at least as great a portion ef good land as the northern. 'I'be former is watered by the streams *See page 3. t When the Missoul'i territory is named in this treatise, the part defined in the te1t is to be understood. 13 |