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The river Alabama rises in the Cherokee country, near the boundary line between the states of Georgia and Tennessee, and proceeding in a south-west direction, unites with the Tombigbee nine miles above the 31st degree of N. lat., and forms with it the river Mobile. The junction of the two rivers is about forty-five miles from the head of Mobile bay, and the river is navigable thus far, and indeed several miles further, for any vessel which can come up the bay. From this place to fort Claiborne, about sixty miles, vessels can be navigated that do not draw more than six feet water; from thence to the mouth of the Cahaba, is estimated at 150 miles, and for this distance the river affords four or five feet depth of water. From the Cahaba to the forks of the Coosa and Tallapoosa, the two main branches of the Alabama, is said to be 160 miles, and the navigation is still good, except at two ripples, in which, however, there is water sufficient for the passage of boats.

The Tallapoosa rises in the high lands near the Cherokee possessions, and runs in a westwardly direction through the territory belonging to the Creeks. It is full of rocks, falls, and shoals, until it reaches near to Tookabache, about thirty-five miles above fort Jackson; which is situated in a point of land between the Coosa and Tallapoosa, eight miles above their junction: from thence to its mouth it is navigable, except in very dry seasons.

Coosa river has its source in the Cherokee country, and runs southerly through the district occupied by the Upper Creeks. It is rapid, and in general full of rocks; but has a fine deep channel from its mouth to the great shoals, five miles above fort Jackson: here, in the present state of things, may be reckoned the head of navigation on this river. There is a continuation of rocky shoals to fort Williams, a distance of fifty miles; which is much to be regretted, as the navigation is not materially obstructed above, and can be pursued up the Coosa to one of its head streams, called the Connesangah, which is about fifteen yards wide, from the boatable part of which to the boatable part of the Amoy is but eight or ten miles over a firm level country. The Amoy is about sixty feet broad, and is a branch of the Hiwassee, which discharges itself into the Tennessee river, about eight miles below Knoxville. The distance from fort Williams to fort Strother is nearly sixty miles by land, but considerably more by water. From thence to the portage, or highest point of navigation on the Connesangah, it is probably 120 or 130 miles by land.

As to the time it takes to navigate the Alabama, it may be stated, that to go from Mobile to fort Jackson, distant about 220 miles, it will take from a month to six weeks, according to the state of the river. A barge with five hands, and carrying 125 barrels, has gone from Mobile to fort. Jackson in thirty days: but it was reckoned a remarkable good trip: the business, however, is new, and experience will probably lead to expedition.

Tombigbee river is a continuation of the Mobile, above its junction with the Alabama, and has its name from fort Tombigbee, which stands about ninety-six miles above the town of Mobile. The source of this stream is reckoned to be 120 miles higher up, in the country of the Chickasaws: it is navigable for sloops and schooners about 105 miles above Mobile town.

The Black Warrior, a fine stream from the east, enters the Tombigbee 160 miles above Mobile, and is the largest of its tributary rivers, except the Alabama. It holds ont to adventurers very superior advantages; because it is destined to become the channel of communication between the immense fertile country on both sides of the Tennessee river, and the several seaports which will, at no remote period, embellish the bays of Mobile and Perdido. The fact appears clearly established, that goods can be brought from Europe, New York, or even New Orleans, to Huntsville, by way of Mobile, Tombigbee, and Black Warrior rivers, in about half the time, and for less risk and expense, than by any other route hitherto used or known. From Mobile to the falls of the Black Warrior, is about 500 miles by the winding of the rivers; boats that do not draw more than three feet of water can ascend it thus far at all seasons: the portage from the falls to the Tennessee river is about forty miles, and to Huntsville eighty miles further. European goods can reach the Tennessee, from Mobile, in thirty days, when it would require 100 days by ascending the Mississippi.

The Chatahouchy, (noticed in page 499) is a noble river, affording a navigation of 400 miles. From its source in Georgia it pursues a south-west course, until it strikes the boundary line between Georgia and Alabama; when itself becomes the division line to the limits of West Florida, a distance of 120 miles.

The country between the Chatahouchy and Mobile rivers is about 180 miles wide; it is watered be the Perdido, which forms the boundary between the state of Alabama and the remnant of West Florida, and falls into Perdido bay. The other streams are the Conecuh and 40

NO. XXVIII.

Escambia, whose waters unite and flow into Pensacola bay; the Conecuh is navigable upwards of 100 miles, and is lined by forests of valuable timber. Beyond the Escambia is Yellow-water river, which falls into the bay of Pensacola. Choctaw and Pea rivers, still further east, fall into the bay of St. Roses. These streams are all navigable from fifty to 100 miles; the country which they drain is mostly of a sandy soil, and the timber chiefly pine.

Face of the country, soil, productions, &c.-The state of Alabama possesses a very great diversity of soil, climate, and natural, vegetable, and mineral productions. Occupying the valley of the Mobile and its tributary streams, together with a fine body of land upon both banks of the Tennessee river, its position in an agricultural and commercial point of view is extremely advantageous. Having the finest river, toi ts length, in all North America, and an extensive surface of excel ent soil, Alabama presents a most desirable field for youthful enterprise.

The northern parts of this state are broken, and near the Tennessee boundary line, towards the north-east corner, it may be said to be mountainous. The middle is hilly, with here and there tracts of level prairie land. Along the Florida line is a strip of country fifty or sixty miles wide, covered with short and long-leaved pine, cypress, &c. The soil between the Mobile and the Chatahouchy, bordering West Florida, is better than that on the east side of Flint river; between the Conecuh and the Chatahouchy the land is broken and waving; the ridge dividing their waters has high flats of light sandy land, well set with hickory, and iron ore has been found in places. All the streams have cane on their margins, and are frequently ornamented with the sour orange tree; the country is healthy, and affords a fine range for cattle, hogs, and horses. The pine flats have the wire-grass; the soil of the waving land, stiff red loam, with stone on the ridges: the pine land is pretty good for Indian corn. Between the Mobile and Perdido, the soil is thin, the timber, pine, cypress, &c. The head waters of Escambia and Conecuh embrace large quantities of fine cotton and sugar lands, ornamented with orange groves.

Upon the Tensaw, are pine and cypress forests, of a heavy growth; canebrakes along the river, and sometimes cypress swamps. The Alabama is margined with cane swamps; these, at intervals, with pine flats of good soil, suitable for sugar, cotton, and corn. The swamps at its

confluence with the Tombigbee, and for some distance below, are subject to periodical inundations, for which reason the inhabitants never fence their improvements. Above they are very wide, intersected with slashes and crooked drains, and much infested with musketoes. The land bordering on the swamps is a poor stiff clay, for one mile back; the growth pine and underbrush; back of this, broken pine barren; cypress ponds and canebrakes on the branches. Fifty miles from the union of the Alabama with Tombigbee, the high broken lands commence, extending for sixty miles upwards; timber, oak, hickory, poplar, and very large cedars,

The best part of the state is to be found between the Alabama and Tombigbee; the Black Warrior, and Bear creek, have some fine bottoms; and those of the Tallapoosa from Tookabatchee to its confluence with the Coosa, about thirty miles, are excellent; the broken land terminates on its right bank, the good land spreads out on the left. Proceeding towards the dividing ridge between the Alabama waters and those of the Conecuh, we pass over an extensive tract of rich land, the timber large, and cane abundant, liberally watered by creeks; this tract is thirty miles long including the plains, and twenty wide. The plains are waving, hill and dale, and appear divided into fields, interspersed or bounded with clumps of woodland; soil, lead-coloured or dark clay, very rich, and covered with weeds and tall grass. Below the plaius, soil stiff, very red in places, and gravelly; surface broken for thirty miles, then pine barren. At the sources of Limestone creek, there is an excellent body of land called the Dogwood; the growth of which is oak, chesnut, poplar, pine, and dogwood. This vein of land is twenty miles in length, and eight broad; the dogwood is very thick set and tall, the whole finely watered. Sixty miles above the confluence of Coosa and Tallapoosa, there is a high waving country, settled by the Creek Indians, who live generally on rich flats of oak, hickory, poplar, walnut, and mulberry. The springs are fine; cane grows on the creeks, and reed on the branches; the surrounding country broken and gravelly. Most kinds of game are scarce through-out the state. Stone coal abounds on the Cahaba, Black Warrior, &c.

The country lying between Coosa, Tallapoosa, and Chatahouchy, above their falls, is broken; the soil stiff, with coarse gravel, and in some places stone. The trees, post oak, white and black oak, pine, hickory, and chesnut; ail of them small; the whole woll watered, and the rivera

and creeks have rocky beds, clad in many places with moss, greatly relished by cattle, horses, and deer, and are margined with cane and reeds, and narrow strips or coves of rich flats. On the Coosa, sixty miles above its junction with Tallapoosa, there is limestone, and it is to be found in several places from thence to E-tow-woh and its western branches.

The tract of country bounded on the north and west by the Alabama river, on the east by the boundary line, and on the south by the ridge, is probably the largest body of good land to be found any where within the limits of the treaty, south of Tennessee river. It comprehends an area of sixty townships, or about 2,000 square miles, a considerable portion of which is of the first quality, and there is but little of it that will fall below the rank of good second quality. About one half of the townships now offered for sale lies in this district.

The river cane bottom land, is equal in fertility to any on the continent, and may average in width a half, or three quarters of a mile, the river winding through it in a serpentine course, and leaving the cane land sometimes on one side and sometimes on the other. The outside of the swamp joining the high land, as on most rivers, is low, wet, and cut up with ponds and lagoons. Next to the river swamp, and elevated above it by a bluff of from ten to fifteen feet in height, we enter upon an extensive body of level rich land, of fine black, or chocolate-coloured soil. The principal growth is hickory: black oak, post oak, dogwood, and poplar, are also common, but pine timber is rather scarce. This portion of land is interspersed, more or less, with reed marshes, out of which issues constant running water; and also in many places with flat, wet weather ponds, holding water in winter, and becoming dry in summer. After this, comes in the prairies. These are wide spreading plains, of a level, or gently waving land, without timber, clothed in grass, herbage, and flowers, insulated by narrow skirts of rich interval woodland; and exhibiting, in the month of May, the most enchanting scenery imaginable. The soil is generally of a fine black rich cast, and has the appearance of great fertility. Should they prove to be as productive as the soil promises, they will be of great value, as the expense and labour of clearing land will here be saved; and the soil being of such a quality as will not wash away, the land must be very durable. These prairies extend nearly, or quite to the ridge; and as the country is open, dry, and airy, it promises to be healthy. The

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