Black river originates in an elevated part of the Ozark mountains, between 37° and 38° north latitude, and between 90° and 91° west longitude. From the same tract descend, on the north, the waters of the Merameg; on the north-east, those of Big river;[27] on the east and south, those of the St. Francis and Black river; and on the west, those of the Osage and the Gasconade. By an examination of the map which accompanies this work, it will be seen that the direction of the watercourses clearly indicates the existence of an elevated ridge, running from the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi, on the north-east, to the junction of the Arkansa and the Canadian on the south-west. On the north-western side of this ridge, we observed the Osage, the Grand river, the Verdigrise, and even the Arkansa, inflected from that due eastern course, which the tributaries of the Mississippi and Missouri on the west incline to pursue; and coming near its base, we find the Illinois river of the Arkansa, and the Yungar Fork of Osage, running in opposite directions, and nearly at right angles to the general course of the Canadian, the Arkansa, the Main Osage, and Konzas.
The Illinois, and the great eastern tributary of the Osage, {144} receive numerous streams from the western slope of the Ozark mountains, but they traverse a region hitherto very imperfectly known. It appears, however, that these two rivers drain all the north-western side of the mountainous range in question. Black river runs nearly parallel, that is, from north-east to south-west, along the south-eastern side of the range. Its sources are in the district of the lead mines, and at no great distance from those of the Merameg and the St. Francis. Its course is at first south-east, about sixty or one hundred miles; then turning to the south-west, it receives in succession from the south-eastern side of the mountains, the Little Black, the Currents, Fourche De Thomas, Eleven Point Spring, and Strawberry rivers, uniting at length with White river, in latitude 35° 15´. As far as hitherto known it receives no considerable tributary from the east.[28] About the sources of Black river reside the Peola or Peoria Indians, who are said to number about fifty warriors. Parallel to this river, and from twenty to sixty miles distant on the east, is the St. Francis, a larger river, but one in many respects resembling Black river. It rises in the high lands, about one hundred miles to the westward of St. Genevieve in Missouri, and receiving, before it leaves the hills, Bear Creek, Castor, White water, and numerous other streams, it descends toward the south-east, soon entering the extensive swamp which stretches from New Madrid on the Mississippi, along the base of the mountains, to the Arkansa.[29] We have been informed by some of the inhabitants of the counties of Cape Girardeau and Madison, that in this swamp the St. Francis is so much obstructed with rafts, and so lost among islands, that its course can with difficulty be traced. It is well known that in the lower part of its course it is so obstructed by a large raft, as not to admit the passage of the smallest boats. Its confluence with the Mississippi is about three hundred and five miles below the Ohio, and eighty above the mouth of White {145} river. Running parallel both to the Mississippi and White river, and at no great distance from either, the St. Francis can have no very large tributaries; indeed we know of none on either side which deserve the name of rivers. We have no very definite information respecting the great swamp in which the St. Francis is said to lose itself soon after leaving the hills; the accounts of the hunters, and of some settlers who have seen it, agree in representing it as almost impassable, covered with heavy forests of cypress, and wholly unfit to become the residence of men. This swamp, and the country about the sources of Black river and the St. Francis, appear to be near the centre of the region so powerfully affected by earthquakes in the year 1811. The fertile lands, on the upper branches of the St. Francis, are not very extensive, and are all more or less subject to inundation by the sudden overflowing of the streams. On this account they cannot be considered as of great value for agriculture; but the wealth which this region possesses in its mines, renders it one of the most important parts of ancient Louisiana.
On the 8th October we arrived at Jackson, the seat of justice for the county of Cape Girardeau, and, after St. Louis and St. Charles, one of the largest towns in Missouri.[30] It lies about eleven or twelve miles north-west of the old town of Cape Girardeau, on the Mississippi, and is surrounded by a hilly and fertile tract of country, at this time rapidly increasing in wealth and population. Jackson is what is called a thriving village, and contains at present more than fifty houses, which, though built of logs, seem to aspire to a degree of importance unknown to the humble dwellings of the scattered and solitary settlers, assuming an appearance of consequence and superiority similar to that we immediately distinguished in the appearance and manners of the people. Our horses, having never been accustomed to such displays of magnificence, signified great reluctance to enter the {146} village. Whips and heels were exercised with unusual animation, but in a great measure without effect, until we dismounted; when by dint of coaxing, pushing, kicking, and whipping, we at length urged our clownish animals up to the door of the inn.
Fifteen miles north of Jackson, on a little stream called Apple creek, reside about four hundred Indians, mostly Delawares and Shawnees. At the time of our visit the head of a Shawnee, who had been concerned in the murder of a white woman, was to be seen elevated on a pole by the side of the road leading from Jackson to the Indian settlement of Apple creek. It was related to us that the crime, for which this punishment had been inflicted, was committed at the instigation of a white man. The murderer was demanded of the Shawnees by the people of Jackson, and being at length discovered by the Indians, and refusing to surrender himself, he was shot by his own people, and his head delivered up, agreeable to the demand.
It is painful to witness the degradation and misery of this people, once powerful and independent; still more so to see them submitting to the unnecessary cruelties of their oppressors. We have not been informed by what authority the punishment above mentioned was inflicted upon a whole community for the crime of one of its members, and we are sorry to have occasion to record a circumstance so little honourable to the people of Missouri.
A miserable remnant of the Shawnee, Delaware, and Peola tribes, with a few Chickasaws and Cherokees, were at this time scattered through the country, from the Mississippi at the mouth of Apple creek westward to the sources of Black river. They were, however, about to remove farther west, and many of them were already on their way to the country about the upper branches of White river, where, by becoming intruders upon the territories of the Cherokees, it may be expected their speedy and entire extinction will be insured.[31]
{147} The road from White river joins that from the upper settlements on the St. Francis, at some distance beyond Jackson. Castor and White water are two beautiful streams, traversing the country west of Jackson. They run towards the south, and soon after their confluence enter the great swamp through which they find their way to the St. Francis.
The district of the lead mines, situated near the sources of the Merameg, the Gasconade, and the St. Francis, has been repeatedly described. The best accounts of it are in the works of Bradbury, Brackenridge, Stoddart, and Schoolcraft.[32] To those accounts we have to add a few observations respecting the rocks and soils of the region, a considerable part of which we have seen and examined as attentively as circumstances would admit. But as discussions of this kind have little interest for the general reader, we propose to give at the end of the work such remarks as we have had the opportunity to make connected with the mineralogy of this interesting territory.