tle; and good springs, though not so numerous as in the mountainous regions of the east, abound in them. Good water can be found by digging wells at no greater depth than is common in all the older states, if the places of them are judiciously selected. The water is generally impregnated, but not strongly, with limestone.

On the west side of the Mississippi, above the mouth of the Missouri, there is most of the way a high bluff of limestone rock, which rises almost perpendicularly from the margin of the water, with comparatively few sites for towns and villages, until you come to the mouth of Bay Charles, two miles above Hannibal and seven below Marion city. There the limestone bluff skirts thewest side of the bay, and extends in a sort of semicircle to the northeast corner of Lewis county. Between this rocky ridge and the river lie the Mississippi bottom-lands, which vary in width from half a mile to three miles. These lowlands are about half of them covered with the best of timber; the other half being the richest kind of prairie, on which it is a common thing to raise 100 bushels of corn and three tons of timothy grass to the acre. No better soil can be found for every garden vegetable which will grow in the temperate zones. The west margin of these river prairies, from springs proceeding from the bluffs, or other causes, is commonly the most damp portion, and subject to be overflown. Rarely, however, does the overflow do any injury to the grass, because the water is clear, and rises but a few inches above the sod. A ditch to carry off the water into the bay or river would render these lowest lands arable in any common

season.

MARION CITY is a new town, begun to be built in April, 1836, and situated on a beautiful meadow near the central point of the east line of Marion county, where the bluffs, distant about three miles, form a most magnificent amphitheatre. Bay Charles runs up into three principal branches, which would all form natural canals. Across two of these the plat of the city extends. It reaches along the Mississippi for a mile and a half, and has as good a landing-place for steamboats as any on the river. The population of the place is now about three hundred. Thirty

considerable houses and two large steam saw-mills have been erected there within nine months. Most of the merchandise of

Palmyra and of Marion county is now landed at this place. Three other large steam-mills are in progress at this place, their engines having been procured and landed on the bank of the river. To guard against the possibility of being disturbed by the highest freshet hitherto known along the river, the original proprietors of the town are building a levee which is to surround the whole place.

A railroad has been projected from Marion city, to pass along by Palmyra to the centre of Shelby county, to a new town called New-York, and thence to pass along the Chariton river to the Missouri, to some point near Booneville. This work is in progress, and is likely to be prosecuted with vigour by the owners of Marion city, and two experienced engineers now in their service.

There is but little land in Marion county which now belongs to the United States. In Shelby and Lewis counties about one third of the lands, and in Clark county one half, are still (Jan., 1837) subject to be entered by any persons who may possess the means. The lands yet remaining unsold in these last-named three counties are intrinsically as good as any which have been purchased.

Marion College, which has seven teachers and 116 pupils, was chartered about five years since by the legislature of Missouri. Its corporation propagates itself, and is possessed of as ample powers as any university in our country. Dr. David Nelson, Mr. William Muldrow, and Dr. David Clark, must be considered as having originated and founded the institution. Through their instrumentality nearly five thousand acres of the best land were purchased with money borrowed in New-York, for which they severally mortgaged their own estates. Buildings, fences, and other improvements have been put upon this land, which have cost 70,000 dollars. The president, professors, and pupils are all to be supported by the products of the soil. Under one board of trustees there are in the college a preparatory school, a department of arts and sciences (or the college proper), and a theological seminary. Three other foundations have been laid in this

part of Missouri for extensive academies or literary institutions, by the purchase of a township in Clark, another at Shelby, and another in Ralls and Monroe, by a few gentlemen who have at each place devoted 4000 acres to the purposes of education. If the debt of Marion College shall be paid, and these other schools should go into operation, the northern part of Missouri would be better endowed with the means of education by private munificence than any other state by public patronage.

Besides the mills at Marion city, there is a steam flour-mill near Palmyra, and a new steam saw-mill of the first class, carrying two saws, has been put into operation by Dr. David Clark, near the new town of Philadelphia, on the site of the department of arts and sciences of Marion College. Mr. Hicks has also erected a valuable water-mill in the same region of the county of Marion; and in Ralls, Dr. Ely and John McKee, Esq. have had a steam saw and grist mill in operation for a year, near the remarkable salt lick at which William Muldrow bored into the earth three hundred feet, and made salt water rise fifty feet above the surface. It is a remarkable fact, that in this boring Mr. Muldrow carried his augur through sixty feet of solid rocksalt, which he found on trial fit for the use of the table. At some future time, in all probability, this salt will be quarried and brought forth from its bed, to supply the surrounding country. On Salt river, about six miles southwest of the last-named mill, Mr. John McKee and Mr. William Muldrow have erected another steam saw-mill; so that, in a little more than a year, the means of internal improvement in and around Marion county have been multiplied, we think, beyond any former example, even in our enterprising western world.

The town of ELY is situated on the southern border of Marion county, in range six west, about four miles north of Ely & McKee's mill, at the Salt lick, and adjoining the principal farm of Marion College, which is a prairie of 4000 acres, intersected by a chain of springs. On the west side of this farm another new town is growing rapidly, called West Ely, which has been established as a post town.

PALMYRA, the seat of justice for Marion county, is a flourishing town of about fifteen hundred inhabitants. It is a place of

many clear and beautiful springs, which supply all the inhabitants, who have scarcely a well in the place. Good common schools are greatly needed in every part of Missouri, and without them the state must mourn. The school sections are selling, or have been sold, for sums that will create but small funds; so that individual enterprise must accomplish the work of education, or it will not be done.

MONROE COUNTY. The boundaries of Monroe begin on the township line between townships fifty-two and fifty-three, at the first sectional line east of the range line between ranges seven and eight; thence with said sectional line, on a parallel with said range north, to the southern boundary of the county of Marion; thence west along the Marion county line, with the township line between townships fifty-six and fifty-seven, to the range line between ranges twelve and thirteen, it being the eastern boundary-line of Randolph county; thence south with said range line to the township line between townships fifty-two and fifty-three; thence east with said township line to the place of beginning.

Monroe county was organized in the year 1830, and then contained only fourteen families, that had resided there as many as four years. At that time there were two small stores in it. There are at this time thirteen mercantile houses with full and general assortments, and these transact a brisk and profitable business. Seven of these stores are located at Paris, four in Florida, two in the northern part of the county, and one in the west. There is a great number of smaller dealers distributed over the county, in addition to those mentioned above. Upwards of two hundred thousand dollars is the estimate put on the amount of goods imported to Monroe last spring by the assessor.

The votes of this county at its organization did not amount to three hundred; at this time there are between twelve and fifteen hundred voters in Monroe. The tide of emigration yet continues. The lands of every description have almost all been entered, and will shortly be occupied by actual settlers, who will ensure to themselves and the country mutual benefits, in the independent and virtuous pursuits they will severally engage in.

cause

In the various occupations of the agriculturist, they will literally "the wilderness to bud and blossom like the rose." In the county of Monroe no minerals have been discovered. The face of the country and the fertility of the soil would not indicate the existence there of any minerals. Of the fossils, there exists in the county an abundance of limestone, freestone, and sandstone; bituminous coal is found in this county. There is nothing resembling the French buhrstone in Monroe; but the lost stone has been wrought and used, where "the sound of the grinding is heard," to great advantage in country work. In the mills of this county, where flour is manufactured for exportation, the French buhr is employed in grinding. The soil and climate in the latitude of Monroe are peculiarly well adapted to small grain; and this circumstance, and the great advantages of water-power afforded by the numerous branches forming Salt river proper (at their junction, where the town of Florida is located), have induced the building of a greater number of gristmills than is usual at so early a stage of the settlement of a new county. There are thirteen saw and grist mills in the county; and two or three of these are employed in merchant-work. The mill-streams with which nature has favoured the people of Monroe are enumerated as follows. Beginning in the north of the county, the north fork of Salt river is the largest stream that runs through the county from west to east. It heads in the same region of country with the Desmoines, beyond the north boundary-line of the state.

A small portion of Big and Little Indian Creeks, and Big Sandy, run through the northeastern corner of the county. These head in Marion county, and in the county of Ralls empty into Salt river. Looking south in Monroe, we observe Crooked Creek, that furnishes four horse-power during six months of the year. This stream empties into the north fork of Salt river, about eight miles from the eastern line of the county. Otter Creek, about the size of that last described, comes next, and empties into the north fork about two miles below the mouth of Crooked Creek. The middle fork of Bolt river is next, and a good mill-stream throughout the whole extent of the county; or to the junction