e sea;
and therefore the whole course of the Mississippi, from its
spring to its mouth, may be computed at little short of 5000
miles.

Below the fall of St. Anthony, again, the Mississippi is joined
by a number of rivers, considerable in point of size, and leading
out of almost every part of the continent of America. These are
the St. Pierre, which comes from the west; St. Croix, from the
eat; the Moingona, which is said to run 150 leagues from the
west, and forms a junction about 250 below the fall; and the
Illinois, which rises near the lake Michigan, 200 leagues east of
the Mississippi.

But by far the most important of these auxiliary streams is the
Missouri, the source of which is as little known as that of the
Father of Rivers himself. It has been followed by traders
upwards of 400 leagues, who traffic with the tribes which dwell
upon its banks, and obtain an immense return for European goods.
The mouth of this river is five leagues below that of the
Illinois, and is supposed to be 800 from its source, which,
judging from the flow of its waters, lies in a north-west
direction from the Mississippi. It is remarkable enough that the
waters of this river are black and muddy, and prevail over those
of the Mississippi, which running with a clear and gentle stream
till it meets with this addition, becomes from that time both
dark and rapid.

The next river of note is the Ohio, which taking its rise near
Lake Erie, runs from the north-east to the south-west, and joins
the Mississippi about 70 leagues below the Missouri. Besides
this there are the St. Francis, an inconsiderable stream, and
the Arkansas, which is said to originate in the same latitude
with Santa Fe in New Mexico, and which, holding its course nearly
300 leagues, falls in about 200 above New Orleans. Sixty leagues
below the Arkansas, comes the Yazous from the northeast; and
about 58 nearer to the city is the Rouge, so called from the
colour of its waters, which are of a reddish dye, and tinge those
of the Mississippi at the time of the floods. Its source is in
New Mexico, and after running about 200 leagues it is joined by
the Noir 30 miles above the place where it empties itself into
the Mississippi.

Of all these rivers there is none which will not answer the
purposes of commerce, at least to a very considerable extent; and
as they join the Mississippi above New Orleans, it is evident
that this city may be considered as the general mart of