From the following shipping points in our county, I have been unable to get the amount of shipments this season: James Bayou, Phillips' Landing, Martin's Landing, Toney's, Point Pleasant, Ruddle's Point, Cypress Bend, Little Prairie, Islands 16 and 18,-from all of which points considerable produce and stock are shipped. The furs and peltries collected here, are very considerable; last year they amounted to upwards of. fifteen thousand dollars; and I have been informed by several of our merchants, that the collections this season will exceed last, several thousand dollars.

The increase of our slave population is greater (in proportion to population) than any county in the State, for the past four years. I have no doubt but the corn crop for 1849 (over and above for home consumption), will reach 600,000 bushels, which at 30c. per bushel, would amount to $180,000! The article of cord wood, for steamboats, is a considerable item of wealth to our inhabitants; and the sales for the past year will average 50,000 cords, which at $1 25 per cord, amounts to $62,500! Ours is the only point below the mouth of the Ohio, to which a railroad could be built, from the northern part of our State to the Misssisippi river, that is not subject, or at least affected by overflow; and I venture the assertion, if ever an examination is made by a competent engineer, for the location of the Lexington Railroad, through the mining region to the Mississippi, below the mouth of the Ohio, that New Madrid will be the terminus selected, if cheapness, practicability and a level country, are any advantages to be gained in the construction of thoroughfares. I sincerely believe that a road could be built from this point to our county line (twenty-two miles) in the direction of the great mineral regions, twenty per cent. cheaper, than the same distance in any other county in the State. Blest with a genial climate, a rich and productive soil, abounding with all the natural elements of wealth, the county of New Madrid requires but the application of the inventive genius of the age, the adoption of a liberal system of internal improvements, in the opening of direct and cheap thoroughfares to her immediate and less favored neighbors in South East Missouri and North East Arkansas, to make her one of the most populous and prosperous counties. in the State. I feel deeply interested in the growth and prosperity of our giant young State; and more particularly, in the old mother of counties, in South East Missouri; and as she is the source from whence sprung many of the present growing counties in the South East part of our State, I would wish to see her adopt such a system of improvements that would add much to her wealth and population, and that in her old age, she would be a beacon light to guide her offspring in the way that leads to individual and national wealth, prosperity and greatness.

Your obed't servant,

New Madrid, Mo., March 1st, 1850.

Wm. S. MOSELY.

ART. V.-SUBMERGED LANDS OF MISSOURI.

AMONG the published proceedings of the "South-western Convention," held at Memphis in November 1845, we find the following report on the Submerged Lands of this State. We publish it in this place, mainly, because of its connection with the subject treated of in the preceding article. But, whilst submitting it to our readers, we feel constrained to remark that the tenacity with which the General Government holds on to these lands, is unjust towards the States in which they are situated. Besides their influence on the health of the inhabitants, these swamps cut off a large district from the navigation of the Mississippi, and greatly retard its improvement. In their present condition these lands are not susceptible of being surveyed, and we can see no reason why the Government should desire to retain them, unless it is expected that sooner or later the people will drain them at their own expense, and then pay into the Treasury of the United States the value thus imparted to the land.

We begin to hope, however, that this speculating policy on the part of the Government, is about to undergo a change; and we trust that before the end of the present session of Congress, a bill will pass that body, relinquishing the Submerged Lands of Missouri to the State. EDITORS,

REPORT ON THE SUBMERGED LANDS OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI.

The deepest interest is felt by the inhabitants of the State of Missouri and the neighboring States to reclaim the submerged lands of the State of Missouri. The whole Union longs to see these immense tracts of land, which now lay desolate and unfit for cultivation, made to smile by the industrious hand of man. It is of the most vital importance to the West and South that the submerged lands should be drained and reclaimed, and rendered inhabitable. The portion of the State of Missouri inundated, comprises the counties of Cape Girardeau, Scott, Mississippi, Wayne, Dunklin and New Madrid. There is about 2,160 square miles which are low and swampy lands in the above counties. A great portion of the above counties is covered with water, and possess an alluvial soil, the lands are low and marshy, interspersed by streams, rivers, lakes, swamps, bayous, bogs and marshes although a part of the swamps is not submerged by water the whole year; but the waters remaining stagnant on these low and marshy lands during the hot summer become very impure and putrid. The vegetation being very rank and abundant on this rich and marshy soil, mixes with the putrid waters, and when decomposed fills and renders the atmosphere impure and unhealthy, which adds greatly to disease; and, as the waters are dried up from these swamps, there is

a sediment, stench and poison left on them that causes disease and death, not only to those that live on their borders, but, likewise, to the inhabitants that live in the vicinity. A great portion of these swamps is not susceptible for the habitation of man, except a numberless group of Islands interspered, which are occupied during certain seasons of the year by trappers and hunters. It is a remarkable fact, that there is a chain of low, level and marshy lands, commencing at the city of Cape Girardeau, in Missouri, and extending to the Gulf of Mexico; and between these two points there is not a rock landing except at the small town of Commerce, on the west side of the Mississippi river; there, is furthermore, only one ridge of high land from Commerce to be met with on the west side of said river, which is at Helena, in Arkansas. From the city of Cape Girardeau, running into the State of Arkansas, there is a strip or tongue, 350 miles long, of beautiful and excellent lands along the western margin of the Mississippi, which is well inhabited, having an average of ten miles wide, and is entirely cut off, and stands isolated from the interior of Missouri and Arkansas, by the great swamps lying west of it, and deprives and cuts off all communication from the interior southern part of Missouri and northern part of Arkansas, for the distance above mentioned, to the Mississippi river. The inconvenience experienced and felt by the inhabitants west of these swamps in not being able to get the fruits of their labor to market, is very unprofitable and injurious to the commerce of the above mentioned States. The lands west of these swamps are very fertile and rich; the timber is unsurpassed in size amd beauty. It is much to be regretted that all intercourse with this beautiful country, in the interior of Missouri and Arkansas, is thus cut off, producing incalculable injury in point of Commerce and Agriculture.

The earthquakes of 1811-12, proved very injurious and disastrous to the south of Misssuri, and was felt far and wide. They changed the course of the streams and rivers, which occasioned the waters to spread in every direction: and made high land where it was low previous, and in elevated places sunk them-thus causing the rivers and streams to overflow a great extent of country. These earthquakes of 1811-12, are still remembered by many of our oldest settlers; when the whole land was moved and waved like the waves of the sea, and the majestic oak bent his head to the ground like a weed, and the terrible fact that the waters of the mighty Mississippi, opposite. to the town of New Madrid, rolled up stream for ten miles, carrying on its bosom barks, keel-boats and every species of crafts, with a rapidity unknown, and causing destruction of property and life.

The swamps commence below the city of Cape Girardeau and extend to Brown's farm six miles below Cape Girardeau. This is the head of White Water or Little River swamps, which are divided from St. John's swamps by a chain of high lands, in the shape of a horse shoe, in Scott county. This high land is eighteen miles long and ten miles wide, and extends from Cape Lacreuse river to the town of Commerce, on the Mississippi river. Then from the town of Benton, which is on said chain of high lands, in Scott county, there is a tongue of land that extends to New Madrid, on which the large New Madrid road runs; the length of the road is thirty-eight miles ;

and the tongue of land three miles wide; and makes the line of division between the swamps of White Water or Little River on the west; and St. John's swamps on the east of said road. Let it be particularly remarked, that the waters that flow east of the New Madrid road empty into St. John's swamps, and all the waters west of said road empty into White Water or Little River swamps.

There are four large swamps that originate in Missouri; that is to say, the White Water or Little River swamps, the St. John's swamps, the James' swamps, and the St. Francis swamps.

The White Water or Little River swamps commence between Cape Girardeau, and lie immediately west of said New Madrid road, except a small chain of it that extends along Cape Lacreuse river, which flows into the Mississippi, four miles below Cape Girardeau city, and are on the northern side of said chain of high hills that forms Horse Shoe, in Scott county; and then these swamps flow into New Madrid and Dunklin counties; then flowing into the State of Arkansas, and empty into St. Francis river, at a point west of Greenock in Crittenden county, in Arkansas. Their length in the State of Missouri, in a straight direction, is 103 miles, and 10 miles wide on an average, covering the counties of Cape Girardeau, Scott, Stoddard, Dunklin and New Madrid. These swamps are made by the overflow of the Mississippi river at their head, between the city of Cape Girardeau and the mouth of Cape Lacreuse; and by the lakes and streams on the west side of said swamps, and the Castor river, which empty said swamps of White Water or Little River.

The St. John's swamps commence below the town of Commerce, and at St. John's lake; and it is well to suggest, that this said lake is filled with rich iron bog ore, a specimen of which can be seen in my possession; and then the swamp continues to flow on the east side of New Madrid road, and empties itself into St. John's bayou, just at the town of New Madrid. These St. John's swamps are forty-five miles long and six miles wide. These swamps submerge the counties of Scott, Mississippi and New Madrid; and are formed by the waters of Lake St. John's, and the overflow of the Mississippi.

The James' swamps lie between the St. John's swamps and the Mississippi river, which submerge the county of Mississippi, and empty into James' bayou, at the dividing line between New Madrid. and Mississippi counties. The James' swamps are thirty miles long and ten miles wide; between the swamps St. John's and James', are Mathews, East and Long Prairies, which are good lands. The James' swamps are formed by the overflow of the Mississippi river.

The St. Francis swamps commence in Wayne county, fifteen miles below Greenville; then dividing Stoddart and Wayne counties, and Dunklin in Missouri, and Green county in Arkansas; and then continue their course to a point west of Memphis, in Tennessee. The St. Francis swamps in Missouri are seventy-five miles long, and ten to twelve miles wide, and from the Missouri line, extend about seventyfive miles in Arkansas, and width, about twenty miles, and then lose themselves into the St. Francis river.

The following plan is submitted to drain and reclaim the inundated lands in Missouri:

The swamps of White Water or Little River are formed by the overflow of the Mississippi river, between the city of Cape Girardean and the mouth of Cape Lacreus river, a distance of four miles on the Mississippi. The only way of stopping this overflow would be by making a levee along the Mississippi, about half a mile distant from its banks, so as to make room for the caving in of the banks of said river, from the city of Cape Girardeau to the mouth of Cape Lacreuse river, to the high chain of hills in Scott county, which forms Horse Shoe. The cost of throwing a levee between the two above mentioned points, which is four miles long, would be, at six thousand dollars a mile, twenty-four thousand dollars. This levee would check the overflow of the waters of the Mississippi river from the swamps of White and Little River. These said swamps flow, as before mentioned, around a chain of hills in Scott county, and west of New Madrid road. Then it would be necessary to make a draining canal, commencing below Cape Girardeau city, to run through the above mentioned swamps, so as to collect and throw all the waters into White Water or Little River. This canal to extend to about west of New Madrid, where lie the big swamps of Little River; the length of said canal would be seventy miles. The cost of this canal, at three thousand dollars a mile, would be two hundred and ten thousand dollars. It would require another canal, commencing about twelve miles below Bloomfield, in Stoddart county, to run in a direct line below the town of New Madrid, which would drain a vast quantity of water from Lakes Nic Cormy and St. Mary's-all of which are branches of swamps of White Water or Little River. The length of the canal would be about twenty-five miles; the cost of it, at three thousand dollars a mile, would be seventy-five thousand dollars.

Then another canal from the swamps of Little River, to flow into the Mississippi, at Point Pleasant; that is, a draining canal, commencing just west of said Point Pleasant, about at the junction of Little River and Castor. The length of the canal about twenty miles; which would drain great quantities of water that cover Dunklin and New Madrid counties. It is well to state that Little River swamps, west of Point Pleasant, are twenty-seven feet above the level of the Mississippi waters at a medium stage; and Little River at a low stage of which level was taken by Judge Turner of Virginia, a scientific gentleman, in the year 1825-for which information, and many other facts, I can refer to Godfrey Lesfleur, Esq., Col. Walker, Capt. Alphonsa Delarodesie and Richard Phillips, persons of great integrity, and very intellectual gentlemen; of whom mostly were born and raised on the borders of said swamps. The cost of above draining canal, at three thousand dollars a mile, would be sixty thousand dollars. The said Little River swamps then flow south, into New Madrid and Dunklin counties; and then into the St. Francis river, in Arkansas. It will be essential to remove all obstacles in Castor and White Water or Little River; that is, by removing all the trees, logs and stumps in the bed of said rivers, so that all the waters would concentrate into Little River, which empties into St. Francis in ArkanThe cost of removing said obstacles in the beds of said rivers would be fifty thousand dollars.

sas,