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Show ~08 EMIGRANT'S GUIDE~ north by the 41 • 43' N. lat.; east by the state of Ohio, and 5touth• east and south by the Ouabacbe and Ohio ri~(~ rs; exter)ding over 51,000 square miles, equal to 32,.640,000. Arrwncan a~res. . The following statistical !able 1.s d~fectJ.ve, as. !Jut httie of the llhnois territory was settled w1th whrte mbaLJtants m J 810. {:ounties. Randolph, St. Clair, Ga1Iatin, Edward, Johnson, Madison, 'rOPOGRAPI-IICAL TABLE. Populat·ion. 7,275 5,007 12,282 Towns. Kaskaskia. Progress·ive Geography,-H~story.-It was tl~r~u~h ~he. Illinois tiver that the first effectual discovery of the Mrsstss1pp1 nver was ·made by the French. In 1674, two t~ad~rs, Joliet and 1\'Io~quett~, reached the Mississippi through lake Michigan, Fox, auJ OUJ. consm rivers. In 1683, from the report of J oliel and ~forquetta, the Che· valier Tonty, M. de la Sale, and Father Louis Ht· n n P J~in,, rmderdertook an expedition of discovery: and through IG~ke Michigan and Illinois reached the Mississippi. The W ·lbache was soon after explored, and smaH ('Stahlishments made at V ;ncennes, Cahokia, and Kaskaskia. The greatest part of the country remained in the hands •f the savages until wit bin a few years past. The original white settlers were French from Canada, but these people, few in number, aud detached from each other, lived by hunting and Indian traffic, rather than by agricul ture. In their manner of life they conformed in great measure to the mol'e numerous savages by whom they were environed. Whilst Indiana remained a territory, Illinois formed a western part thereof; but when the former became a state, the Jatter ~vas ereated a separate territorial government, divided into th ree Umted States' court districts, in which political form it now continues. The population is increasing, and must now (18 t 7) considerably exceed 20,000 people. Rivers.-The rivers of the Illinois territory, are the Missi ssippi, Illinois, Kaskaskia, Ohio, and W a bache. The Missi~sippi river forms the Loundary of Illinoi~ , following the winding of the stream for upwards of five hund red miles So much has already been .given on this great stJ•earn, in the prPceding parts of this work, as to much abridge wbat need be added in this place. . Above the mouth of Missouri, the water of the Miss is ,ippi rive~. IS clear, and very similar to that of the Ohio. T'he bank continue t~r some uistance low, and in many place3 liabl to overflow. The sot! is rich; extensive prairit:s often reacb and e.x tend along the ~tn :-:n:· About 39o 15' N. lat. hills are first fc1und upon tbe river; at nv~" this pla~e the. ~ountry gradually rises into eminenf'es of more or ies~ eJe .. ·vahon, g•vmg a varied appearance to the scenery. El\'IlGRANT'S GUlDE . 2QD The pen insula, between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, has been surveyed as soldiers' bounty lands. The surface actually surv~ yed, .amounts to an area about equal to 240 regu1ar townships of 36 sectwns each ; equal to 8G40 square miles of 640 American acres each, or au agaregate of 5,530,000 acres nearly. As the act of con .. g~t!SS of 1\!ay tit~, 18 J 2, granting those lands as bounty to the sold! (•rs enlisted 1n the army of the United St :-~ tes, expressly proVIdes that .tbe .several portions to be granted under that act, shall be fit ~~r cu lllvatwn, a .larger surface th an barely sufficient to satis(y the cl.11ms was necessanly surveyed. Three millions five hundreJ thous:~ nd acres are appropriated by congress, and have, it appears, bf'en selected hy the surveyor general, William Rector, Esq. for that expre ~ purrose. TIJi -; tr act lies between 38° 47' and 41° 47' N. ]at., and between 12°<llld ~4° w_. Jon. from Washington city. A plan of the townships and ranges, mcludwg the w::t ter-cou r es, has bef'n publi. bed at the seat of the ~ene ral government, by Mr. John Gardiner. It is much to be regre tteJ, tbat this map had not contained some detail of the diver~ it.y _in soil and surface, as well as mere outline. As it is, however, Jt allords rnu ch valuable information respecting the local features of the cou~try, and of the relative position of the different townships. Fm~ t mg paW'! 6, of this treatise, is placed a plan uf the manner of s.urveylllg publ1c lands. With that plan as a key, any particular sec• twn tnay ?e found upon any general map of public lands. • Re~Clrdi!J_P," topographical position, the peninsula between tbe Mis• SISs1ppi and llliooi s, j ,resents many advantaO'es as a settlement. Un ... der tbe arti cle , Mi:ssouri territory, page 137 of this treatise, is given mu~h of wh;1t could be here repe ated ret;pectinu· the climate of the rea1o~ near the junction of the Mississippi and Jlli~wis. Towards the north ra~t o!"the ~oklier ' .lands, or about 4J 0 N. lat.. a very sensible ~h2.nge o, cl~m!lte 1s perceJVed. The parallel of 41° runs through the south f!ar t. ol Nf'w York, the north part of New-Jersey, divides Penn .. sylYam~ rnto nParly two equal parts, then runs through the northern barts of the· states of Ohio and. Jndia~a~ and the Illinois territory. ontra~y t_o t h~ comn:only recetved op11110n on tlJat subject, data are emho.d, ed m thrs treatrse, tLat tend to e tablish the fact, that more chid rs expe rienc~d on tl1e same latitude in the .Mississippi valley, \an ?n the Atla ntic coast, east of the Aleghany mountains. If so, t e chrnate of the la nds we have been reviewing, wilJ be found to I ea.r great resem bl ance to that of the northern extremity of Ohio and t0 n tana. \Ve are strongly inclined to believe that this will be found e the casP. when the country becomes ~ettJed. Ab The .lll£nois river, hounds the tract on the east and southeast. tb ove rts junction with the 1\'Ii~sis, ippi, the Illinois river flows from de north about 80 miles, wi th depth of water for boats of considerable raug~t at all sea.c,ons. The river is then found BowinO' from the soutb~ afs~ ~~~ty. mile~; it then in T. 7. N. R. VII. east, i~clines N. N. E. I]' l!IC.l IS It~ ~eneraJ COUr~e to the northeast extremity of the tract, a st're:~Cf~ of ab<.~ut sixty f!Jil~s, giving ~n entire range, from where this. its dis I ome~ 10 contnc.t '_VI t.h t.be ~egwn we have been describing, to c large mto the MtssJssJppi, of two llUndred miles. 27 ~ |