Currents (Current) River rises in Texas County, Missouri, and flows first north-east then south-east, traversing Shannon, Carter, and Ripley counties, in that state, and portions of Clay and Randolph counties in Arkansas. It joins Little Black in Clay. Currents River rivals Black River itself in size.
There are many variants of the name of the stream here called Fourche De Thomas. The Philadelphia edition has Thomas' river or fork; elsewhere it is given indifferently as Fourche à Thomas, Fourche à Dumas, and Fourche Dumas, while a recent map has Fouche or Dumaz. It heads in Ripley County, Missouri, and flows south. Pocahontas, seat of Randolph County, Arkansas, is just below its mouth.
In addition to those mentioned, Black River receives a few small western tributaries above the Missouri line—among them, Cane Creek in Butler County, and Logan's Creek in Reynolds County.—Ed.
[29] Dr. James did not possess accurate information relative to these watercourses. Bear Creek is a Wayne County, Missouri, branch of Castor River. The latter rises in St. François County and loses itself in the swamp near the state line. Whitewater rises near Castor, but flows as far east as Cape Girardeau County, below which it is known as Little River. It also enters the swamp; the St. Francis receives the overflow from the swamp district, where the waters of many streams mingle. The New Madrid earthquake caused a general subsidence of the surface in this region, and altered the courses of many waterways.—Ed.
[30] Jackson was laid out in 1815. Its selection as county seat was a severe blow to the older town of Cape Girardeau; but the growth of river trade, after steam-boat navigation became regular, restored the latter's ascendency. The population of Jackson in 1818 was about three hundred; at present it numbers a thousand.—Ed.
[31] The Peoria Indians were an Algonquian tribe of the Illinois family. The French explorers found them on the Illinois River, in the vicinity of the present city of Peoria; but early in the eighteenth century, hard pressed in war, they joined the kindred Cahokia and Kaskaskia near the villages of the same names. The remnant of the tribe, numbering about two hundred, is established on the Quapaw Reservation in Indian Territory.—Ed.
[32] Bradbury's Travels in the Interior of America, p. 258, 2d edition [our volume v, p. 248]. Brackenridge's Views of Louisiana, p. 390. Stoddart's Sketches of Louisiana, p. 390.—James.
{148} CHAPTER II {X}[33]
Hot Springs of the Washita—Granite of the Cove—Saline River
We return to give a hasty account of an excursion from Point Pleasant, in the country of the Cherokees, to the hot springs of the Washita.