good size, but other forest trees are much smaller than those seen upon the banks of the Missisippi, which may be owing to the newly formed soil or its excessive richness. The river narrows gradually as we advance: at noon it was about 200 yards wide. Got out the instruments, which requiring a good deal of adjustment we were unable to make perfect observations. The Latitude 31 °. 8'. 54". 6, perhaps accurate enough to correct the traverse of the river.* The banks of the river are luxuriantly clothed with peavine and several kinds of grasses yielding seed, of which geese and ducks are very greedy: got our log line prepared and divided into perches — hove the log and found we went at the rate of 4 perches in half a minute. i. e. i}4 mile per hour — very slow — Soldiers do not exert themselves at the oar; came to, for the night having made nearly 13 miles — hove the lead in the middle of the river and found 11 fathoms. There are generally willows growing on one side of the river, and on the other the same small growth of forest trees continues, consisting chiefly of black oak, packawn, hickory, elm &c. The Trees are so exceedingly grand & lofty upon the banks of the Missisippi, that by
* The place of observation was at the extremity of the Course N 320 E 17' to a p! on the left.
comparison 1804 1 comparison those bordering on this river seem October J dwarfish, and appear to bear a kind of proportion to the magnitude of their own river. The extremes of temperature were from 460 to 48° of Farhenheits thermometer. Made this day 12 5>f0 miles.
Friday 19* Continued our rout up the river; having given the Soldiers this morning a few words of advice and encouragement, they improved considerably in activity and cheerfulness, hove the log and found we went 7 perches per half minute, the Current yet continues so moderate as to offer no impediment to our rowing along shore therefore not worth estimating: landed before 12 to observe and for dinner. Latitude 310 14' 50". 1. After dinner caught a runaway negro; proceeded on to the confluence of red and black river in Latitude 31° 15' 48" which by our reckoning appears to be 26^ miles from the Missisippi, the Contrast of the two rivers is great, the red river being charged with red marly earth and the other a clear river gives it by comparison a dark appearance, hence the name of black river—Each river is about 150 yards and when united about 200 yards wide. Sounded in the black river and found 20 feet black sand, little or no current. Took specimens of the red marl of red river bank. The water of the black river is rather clearer than that of the Ohio and of a
warm warm temperature, probably owing to the waters f 1804 which flow into it from the valley of the Mis- t°ctober sisippi particularly from the Catahoola. Made 15 miles 102 perches.
Continue ascending the river; Thermometer Saturday 20 47° Temperature of the water 732 a spring issuing from the river bank 662 Forest trees on the banks chiefly red and black oak interspersed with ash, paccawn, hickory, some elms, pirsimon &c; several kinds of grass and many humble plants in flower, so that even at this season our country affords employment for the Botanist. Great luxuriance of vegetation along the shore, grass very rank, and a thick curtain of shrubberry of a deep green; the soil black marl mixed with a moderate proportion of sand, resembling much the soil on the Missisippi banks, yet the forest trees are not lofty like to those on the margin of the great river, but resembling the growth on the red river. I omitted mentioning in its proper place, that the last single inundation of the red river appears to have deposited on the high bank a stratum of red marl above yz inch thick now dry; some specimens were taken. Took a meridian altitude of the Sun, from which the Latitude deduced was 31° 22'46".6—observed Canes growing on several parts of the right bank, a proof that the land is not deeply overflowed, perhaps from 1 to 3 feet: the banks have the
appearance
1804 \ appearance of stability, very little willow or other October J prodUctions of a newly formed soil being seen on either side: the solid high bank being deeply shaded by vegetation from the humble creeping plant to the spreading oak. Encamped at sun-set. Sounded; 5 fathoms — black sand — Extremes of the Thermometer 47°-8o? Made this day 13 miles 40 perches.
Sunday 21? Thermometer before sun-rise 60? Continue ascending; no current to imped us, for altho' there be a feeble current along the principal thread of the stream, yet as this is deflected from bend to bend, we easily avoid its influence by directing our course from point to point or rather passing a little under the points, and in fact where there is any current, a compensation is found by the counter current or eddy under the points. The river is now only 80 yards wide; the timber becomes larger, the banks in some places 40 feet high, yet liable to inundation, not from the floods of this small river, but from the intrusion of its more powerful neighbour the Missisippi: The lands decline rapidly (as in all alluvial countries) from the margin to the Cypress swamps, where more or less water stagnates all the year round. The current of the river is still so insensible even in the thread of stream, that we take no account of it: at 8!1 a.m. we arrived at an Island, small but elevated, said
to