Coy's Annual Register of Indian
affairs, Ellicott's surveys, and several periodicals.

J. M. P.

_Rock Spring, Illinois, January, 1836._

CHAPTER I.

GENERAL VIEW OF THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

Its extent,--Subdivisions,--Population,--Physical features,--Animal,
Vegetable and Mineral productions,--History,--Prospective increase of
Population.

The Valley of the Mississippi, in its proper geographical extent,
embraces all that portion of the United States, lying between the
Alleghany and Rocky Mountains, the waters of which are discharged into
the gulf of Mexico, through the mouths of the Mississippi. I have
embraced, however, under that general term, a portion of the country
bordering on the northern lakes, including the north part of Ohio, the
north-eastern portions of Indiana and Illinois, the whole of Michigan,
with a considerable territorial district on the west side of lake
Michigan, and around lake Superior.

_Extent._ This great Valley is one of the largest divisions of the
globe, the waters of which pass one estuary.

To suppose the United States and its territory to be divided into three
portions, the arrangement would be, the Atlantic slope--the Mississippi
basin, or valley--and the Pacific slope.

A glance on any map of North America, will show that this Valley
includes about two thirds of the territory of the United States. The
Atlantic slope contains about 390,000; the Pacific slope, about 300,000;
which, combined, are 690,000 square miles: while the Valley of the
Mississippi contains at least 1,300,000 square miles, or 833,000,000
acres.

This Valley extends from the 29 deg. to the 49 deg. of N. latitude, or
about 1400 miles from south to north; and from the 3 deg. to the 35 deg.
of longitude west from Washington, or about 1470 miles from east to west.
From the source of the Alleghany river to the sources of the Missouri,
following the meanderings of the streams, is not less than 5000 miles.

_Subdivisions._ The states and territories included, are a small section
of New York watered by the heads of the Alleghany river, western
Pennsylvania, western Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri,
Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Territory of
Arkansas, Indian Territory, the vast unsettled regions lying to the west
and north of this Territory, the Wisconsin Territory including an
extensive country west of the Mississippi and north of the state of
Missouri, with