merica　…　Prairies　…Wandering　Tribes　of　Natives　…　Their　outward　appearance；　manners；　and　language　…　Traces　of　an　unknown　people。
  Exterior　Form　Of　North　America
  North　America　presents　in　its　external　form　certain　general　features　which　it　is　easy　to　discriminate　at　the　first　glance。　　A　sort　of　methodical　order　seems　to　have　regulated　the　separation　of　land　and　water；　mountains　and　valleys。　　A　simple；　but　grand；　arrangement　is　discoverable　amidst　the　confusion　of　objects　and　the　prodigious　variety　of　scenes。　　This　continent　is　divided；　almost　equally；　into　two　vast　regions；　one　of　which　is　bounded　on　the　north　by　the　Arctic　Pole；　and　by　the　two　great　oceans　on　the　east　and　west。　It　stretches　towards　the　south；　forming　a　triangle　whose　irregular　sides　meet　at　length　below　the　great　lakes　of　Canada。　　The　second　region　begins　where　the　other　terminates；　and　includes　all　the　remainder　of　the　continent。　　The　one　slopes　gently　towards　the　Pole；　the　other　towards　the　Equator。
  The　territory　comprehended　in　the　first　region　descends　towards　the　north　with　so　imperceptible　a　slope　that　it　may　almost　be　said　to　form　a　level　plain。　　Within　the　bounds　of　this　immense　tract　of　country　there　are　neither　high　mountains　nor　deep　valleys。　　Streams　meander　through　it　irregularly：　great　rivers　mix　their　currents；　separate　and　meet　again；　disperse　and　form　vast　marshes；　losing　all　trace　of　their　channels　in　the　labyrinth　of　waters　they　have　themselves　created；　and　thus；　at　length；　after　innumerable　windings；　fall　into　the　Polar　Seas。　　The　great　lakes　which　bound　this　first　region　are　not　walled　in；　like　most　of　those　in　the　Old　World；　between　hills　and　rocks。　Their　banks　are　flat；　and　rise　but　a　few　feet　above　the　level　of　their　waters；　each　of　them　thus　forming　a　vast　bowl　filled　to　the　brim。　　The　slightest　change　in　the　structure　of　the　globe　would　cause　their　waters　to　rush　either　towards　the　Pole　or　to　the　tropical　sea。
  The　second　region　is　more　varied　on　its　surface；　and　better　suited　for　the　habitation　of　man。　　Two　long　chains　of　mountains　divide　it　from　one　extreme　to　the　other；　the　Alleghany　ridge　takes　the　form　of　the　shores　of　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　the　other　is　parallel　with　the　Pacific。　　The　space　which　lies　between　these　two　chains　of　mountains　contains　1；341；649　square　miles。　*a　Its　surface　is　therefore　about　six　times　as　great　as　that　of　France。　　This　vast　territory；　however；　forms　a　single　valley；　one　side　of　which　descends　gradually　from　the　rounded　summits　of　the　Alleghanies；　while　the　other　rises　in　an　uninterrupted　course　towards　the　tops　of　the　Rocky　Mountains。　　At　the　bottom　of　the　valley　flows　an　immense　river；　into　which　the　various　streams　issuing　from　the　mountains　fall　from　all　parts。　　In　memory　of　their　native　land；　the　French　formerly　called　this　river　the　St。　Louis。　　The　Indians；　in　their　pompous　language；　have　named　it　the　Father　of　Waters；　or　the　Mississippi。
  ＇Footnote　a：　Darby's　〃View　of　the　United　States。〃＇
  The　Mississippi　takes　its　source　above　the　limit　of　the　two　great　regions　of　which　I　have　spoken；　not　far　from　the　highest　point　of　the　table…land　where　they　unite。　　Near　the　same　spot　rises　another　river；　*b　which　empties　itself　into　the　Polar　seas。　　The　course　of　the　Mississippi　is　at　first　dubious：　it　winds　several　times　towards　the　north；　from　whence　it　rose；　and　at　length；　after　having　been　delayed　in　lakes　and　marshes；　it　flows　slowly　onwards　to　the　south。　　Sometimes　quietly　gliding　along　the　argillaceous　bed　which　nature　has　assigned　to　it；　sometimes　swollen　by　storms；　the　Mississippi　waters　2；500　miles　in　its　course。　*c　At　the　distance　of　1；364　miles　from　its　mouth　this　river　attains　an　average　depth　of　fifteen　feet；　and　it　is　navigated　by　vessels　of　300　tons　burden　for　a　course　of　nearly　500　miles。　　Fifty…seven　large　navigable　rivers　contribute　to　swell　the　waters　of　the　Mississippi；　amongst　others；　the　Missouri；　which　traverses　a　space　of　2；500　miles；　the　Arkansas　of　1；300　miles；　the　Red　River　1；000　miles；　four　whose　course　is　from　800　to　1；000　miles　in　length；　viz。；　the　Illinois；　the　St。　Peter's；　the　St。　Francis；　and　the　Moingona；　besides　a　countless　multitude　of　rivulets　which　unite　from　all　parts　their　tributary　streams。
  ＇Footnote　b：　The　Red　River。＇
  ＇Footnote　c：　Warden's　〃Description　of　the　United　States。〃＇
  The　valley　which　is　watered　by　the　Mississippi　seems　formed　to　be　the　bed　of　this　mighty　river；　which；　like　a　god　of　antiquity；　dispenses　both　good　and　evil　in　its　course。　　On　the　shores　of　the　stream　nature　displays　an　inexhaustible　fertility；　in　proportion　as　you　recede　from　its　banks；　the　powers　of　vegetation　languish；　the　soil　becomes　poor；　and　the　plants　that　survive　have　a　sickly　growth。　　Nowhere　have　the　great　convulsions　of　the　globe　left　more　evident　traces　than　in　the　valley　of　the　Mississippi；　the　whole　aspect　of　the　country　shows　the　powerful　effects　of　water；　both　by　its　fertility　and　by　its　barrenness。　　The　waters　of　the　primeval　ocean　accumulated　enormous　beds　of　vegetable　mould　in　the　valley；　which　they　levelled　as　they　retired。　　Upon　the　right　shore　of　the　river　are　seen　immense　plains；　as　smooth　as　if　the　husbandman　had　passed　over　them　with　his　roller。　As　you　approach　the　mountains　the　soil　becomes　more　and　more　unequal　and　sterile；　the　ground　is；　as　it　were；　pierced　in　a　thousand　places　by　primitive　rocks；　which　appear　like　the　bones　of　a　skeleton　whose　flesh　is　partly　consumed。　　The　surface　of　the　earth　is　covered　with　a　granite　sand　and　huge　irregular　masses　of　stone；　among　which　a　few　plants　force　their　growth；　and　give　the　appearance　of　a　green　field　covered　with　the　ruins　of　a　vast　edifice。　　These　stones　and　this　sand　discover；　on　examination；　a　perfect　analogy　with　those　which　compose　the　arid　and　broken　summits　of　the　Rocky　Mountains。　　The　flood　of　waters　which　washed　the　soil　to　the　bottom　of　the　valley　afterwards　carried　away　portions　of　the　rocks　themselves；　and　these；　dashed　and　bruised　against　the　neighboring　cliffs；　were　left　scattered　like　wrecks　at　their　feet。　*d　The　valley　of　the　Mississippi　is；　upon　the　whole；　the　most　magnificent　dwelling…place　prepared　by　God　for　man's　abode；　and　yet　it　may　be　said　that　at　present　it　is　but　a　mighty　desert。
  ＇Footnote　d：　See　Appendix；　A。＇
  On　the　eastern　side　of　the　Alleghanies；　between　the　base　of　these　mountains　and　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　there　lies　a　long　ridge　of　rocks　and　sand；　which　the　sea　appears　to　have　left　behind　as　it　retired。　　The　mean　breadth　of　this　territory　does　not　exceed　one　hundred　miles；　but　it　is　about　nine　hundred　miles　in　length。　　This　part　of　the　American　continent　has　a　soil　which　offers　every　obstacle　to　the　husbandman；　and　its　vegetation　is　scanty　and　unvaried。
  Upon　this　inhospitable　coast　the　first　united　efforts　of　human　industry　were　made。　　The　tongue　of　arid　land　was　the　cradle　of　those　English　colonies　which　were　destined　one　day　to　become　the　United　States　of　America。　　The　centre　of　power　still　remains　here；　whilst　in　the　backwoods　the　true　elements　of　the　great　people　to　whom　the　future　control　of　the　continent　belongs　are　gathering　almost　in　secrecy　together。
  When　the　Europeans　first　landed　on　the　shores　of　the　West　Indies；　and　afterwards　on　the　coast　of　South　America；　they　thought　themselves　transported　into　those　fabulous　regions　of　which　poets　had　sung。　　The　sea　sparkled　with　phosphoric　light；　and　the　extraordinary　transparency　of　its　waters　discovered　to　the　view　of　the　navigator　all　that　had　hitherto　been　hidden　in　the　deep　abyss。　*e　Here　and　there　appeared　little　islands　perfumed　with　odoriferous　plants；　and　resembling　baskets　of　flowers　floating　on　the　tranquil　surface　of　the　ocean。　　Every　object　which　met　the　sight；　in　this　enchanting　region；　seemed　prepared　to　satisfy　the　wants　or　contribute　to　the　pleasures　of　man。　Almost　all　the　trees　were　loaded　with　nourishing　fruits；　and　those　which　were　useless　as　food　delighted　the　eye　by　the　brilliancy　and　variety　of　their　colors。　　In　groves　of　fragrant　lemon…trees；　wild　figs；　flowering　myrtles；　acacias；　and　oleanders；　which　were　hung　with　festoons　of　various　climbing　plants；　covered　with　flowers；　a　multitude　of　birds　unknown　in　Europe　displayed　their　bright　plumage；　glittering　with　purple　and　azure；　and　mingled　their　warbling　with　the　harmony　of　a　world　teeming　with　life　and　motion。　*f　Underneath　this　brilliant　exterior　death　was　concealed。　　But　the　air　of　these　climates　had　so　enervating　an　influence　that　man；　absorbed　by　present　enjoyment；　was　rendered　regardless　of　the　future。
  ＇Footnote　e：　Malte　Brun　tells　us　（vol。　v。　p。　726）　that　the　water　of　the　Caribbean　Sea　is　so　transparent　that　corals　and　fish　are　discernible　at　a　depth　of　sixty　fathoms。　　The　ship　seemed　to　float　in　air；　the　navigator　became　giddy　as　his　eye　penetrated　through　the　crystal　flood；　and　beheld　submarine　gardens；　or　beds　of　shells；　or　gilded　fishes　gliding　among　tufts　and　thickets　of　seaweed。＇
  ＇Footnote　f：　See　Appendix；　B。＇
  North　America　appeared　under　a　very　different　aspect；　there　everything　was　grave；　serious；　and　solemn：　it　seemed　created　to　be　the　domain　of　intelligence；　as　the　South　was　that　of　sensual　delight。　　A　turbulent　and　foggy　ocean　washed　its　shores。　　It　was　girt　round　by　a　belt　of　granite　rocks；　or　by　wide　tracts　of　sand。