pany, have resolved to establish themselves, in a place known by the name of White Bluff, about three quarters of a mile below the junction of the Black Warrior with the Tombigbee river, included in the grant of four townships, made to them by the government of the United States. * Above the confluence of the Tombigbee with the Black Warrior there are frequent shallows in the former, but the latter has none up to its falls, which are 100 miles distant from its mouth. The lands lying between the two rivers, at their confluence, are very rich prairies, and the banks are in general particularly fertile, from Nawnafolia, thirty miles above the confluence, to the falls of the Black Warrior. What is here said of the quality of the land applies equally to the banks of the Cahawba; but the advantages of the latter are greatly inferior, as they do not possess so immediate a communication with the eastern part of Tennessee as the Black Warrior river affords. The middle of the space between these two rivers is occupied by a chain of hills, sloping gradually, and equally rich on both sides. At the foot of this chain, and a little below it, to the westward, near the 33d degree of latitude, there is already a settlement of a dozen of families, called Russel's Settlement. Half a degree higher there is another more considerable, in a valley called Jones' Valley. At the falls there is a third, which increases rapidly, by emigrations from the Tennessee valley. * It appears, from recent accounts in the American papers, that this colony has abandoned the lands given them, and removed to the frontier country, between the United States and Mexico. Agriculture.-The great article of culture is cotton. The average produce, per acre, is about 1000 weight in seed. One person, or field-hand, can cultivate from six to eight acres, besides some maize for family use. The soil is also favourable to the production of wheat, rye, barley, oats, the common potatoe, yams, &c. The produce of Indian corn is about twelve barrels an acre. Rye and barley are cultivated for the purpose of distillation. * Price of Lands.-The lands of Madison county were sold, in 1810, from four to six dollars an acre. The highest price was twenty-four dollars. In the course of the three first months of 1817, the same lands nearly doubled their value. Those situated on the north side of the Tennessee river, extending from Madison county to the Tennessee line of boundary, were then sold from twenty to seventy-five dollars. The town lots of Huntsville sold as high as 1500 dollars. t Indians.-The Creeks, known also by the name of Muscogees, reside chiefly on the waters of the Alabama and Chatahouche; where, before the late war, they counted thirty towns; but, during that period, their number was greatly reduced. It is now about 20,000. History. In 1800, this country (including the present State of Mississippi) was placed under a separate territorial government. In 1813 (April) the country situated to the west of Perdido river, being included in the cession of Louisiana, was taken possession of by the United States; and that portion east of Pearl river was annexed to the Mississippi territory. Lands are now surveying throughout all that part of the country belonging to the United States, and their sales take place from time to time. The lots, in the area of 1820 acres, which incloses the town of St Stephen's, forty-five feet wide by ninety deep, were sold, on the first settlement of the town, at 200 dollars each. The wages of a good workman are two dollars a-day. -- Commerce. It was stated in the American journals of April 1817, that the importations of the preceding year, at Mobile, from Boston, New York, and New Orleans, chiefly by sea, were estimated at 1,000,000 of dollars; that, during the last six months, 1700 bales of cotton had been shipped there. The trade of Madison county will centre in this place. It is believed, that through the channel of the Mobile, Tombigbee, and Black Warrior rivers, goods can be brought from Europe, New York, or even New Orleans, to Huntsville, on the Tennessee river, in half the time required by any other known route, and with less risk and expence. There is a sloop channel by the Mobile to St Stephen's, on the Tombigbee branch, eighty miles; thence boats ascend to the entrance of the Black Warrior river, eighty miles higher, and by this fine stream, to rocks which obstruct the navigation, at the distance of 500 miles from the head of Mobile bay; to this point boats which do not draw more than three feet water can ascend in all seasons. Thence to Huntsville there is a road, over a surface mostly level, of about 120 miles, and the journey can be performed with horses and loaded waggons in eight days. The first who attempted this route was Mr Crumb, a merchant of Huntsville. The boat, thirty-five feet in length, drawing two feet water with her cargo, ascended, in twenty days, from Mobile bay to the falls of the Black Warrior stream, including five or six days of accidental delay. - * Canals. To procure a shorter communication, by water, between the northern parts of this state and the ocean, it is proposed to open a canal from a point on the Mussel Shoals, or great southern bend of the Tennessee river, to the waters of the Tombigbee. From Thompson creek, near Fort Deposit, to the extreme navigation of the Black Warrior river, is about forty miles; and here the stream is gentle, and between forty and fifty yards wide. Below this the shoals extend to the distance of thirty miles; but boats pass when the waters are high, and the rapid current does not exceed four miles. Along this portage there is a fine level and well timbered country. Roads. In 1810, the country between the waters of the Tombigbee and those of the Alabama and Cahawba was explored by General Gaines, for the purpose of marking a road along the dividing ridge from St Stephen's to the Tennessee river, and across its channel to Knoxville; but, after proceeding 125 miles from St Stephen's, he was surrounded by a large body of Creek Indians, and obliged to return. As far as * Western Gazetteer, p. 238. he went, the country will admit of a good road. From the place where he was stopped, the distance is estimated at about seventy miles to Turkeytown, in the Cherokee country, north of the Alabama, through a beautiful level valley of rich land; and from Turkeytown to Kingston on the Tennessee, it is about 150 more. The elevated surface which divides the waters of the Alabama from those of the Conecah and Escambia, will, it is believed, afford a good route from the town of Mobile to Fort Claiborne, and thirty miles shorter than by that which leads through St Stephen's. It is conjectured, that the main road from Georgia to New Orleans will strike the point at the mouth of the Tensaw, where the village of Blakely is situated. Fortresses, or places of arms, established for the protection of the country against the inroads of the Indian tribes.-Fort Bowyer, at the entrance of Mobile bay. Fort Concle, at the mouth of the western channel of Mobile river. Fort Stoddart, on the western side of Mobile river, six miles above the thirty-first degree of latitude. Fort Montgomery, at the junction of the Alabama and Tombigbee, on the eastern side. Fort St Stephen's, above the former, on the western side of the Tombigbee. Fort Jackson, on the Alabama, at the junction of the Tallapoose and Coose. Fort Decatur, on the eastern bend of the Tallapoose. Fort Toulouse, on the Coose river, above its junction. Fort Stroders, at the junction of the eastern branch. Books and Documents relating to this Territory. 1708. Survey by Captain Mairn of Carolina. 1763. Roberts's (William) Account of the first Discovery and |