one of which is that running North, and both of them flowing together within the city of Chicago, empties its waters into Lake Michigan.

Des Plaines River, rising in Wisconsin, at the distance of a few miles from Lake Michigan, runs South, and is a tributary of Illinois River by the union of its waters with those of the Kaukakee. Its banks are tufted with frequent groves, the country around it being well watered, and the soil very rich.

Du Page River, in the north-eastern section of the state, consists of two branches, emptying their united waters into the Des Plaines river, three miles above the confluence of the latter with the Kaukakee.

The Cash river, in the southern portion of the state, formed by the union of several small streams, flows into the Ohio, six miles above the junction of the latter with the Mississippi. The alluvial land along Cash River, wherever it is not exposed to inundation, possesses a rich soil and heavy timber.

The Edwards river, rising in the midst of the prairies of Henry county, runs Westward, through Mercer county, to the Mississippi. The country around it consists of undulating prairie-lands, intersected by shady groves, and well supplied with water.

The Fever river, rising in Jo Daviess county, consists of two branches, and empties its waters into the Mississippi, about seven miles south of Galena. Its channel is rocky, and its course very rapid. On the eastern branch there is little wood, but excellent prairies, and mines yielding an abundant supply of lead. There is more wood on the western branch, the alluvial country around which has a rich soil. The name of the river has been derived from the fevers said to prevail in the vicinity of its banks; whilst others have called it Bean River (in French, Rivière à la Fève), either of which is incorrect, the river having been named by a Frenchman of the name of Le Fèvre, who at an early period settled at the mouth of the

stream.

Fox River, on the banks of which fine forests may be found, rises in Wisconsin, flowing, near Ottawa, into the Illinois.

Another river of the same name runs south, a tributary of the

Little Wabash, into which it empties its waters. The land along its banks is not very excellent.

A third river of the same name, in White county, runs, after a short course, into the Great Wabash.

Green River, rising in the swamps of the northern counties, runs west, through Henry county, into Rock River. The country below the swamps is good, consisting of both woods and prairies.

Henderson River, rising in Knox county, runs south-west, receiving during its course several small streams, and flowing into the Mississippi. Fine forests grow on its banks, the country around which is among the most fertile in Illinois.

Iroquois River, rising in the north-western section of Indiana, runs North-West, becoming a tributary of the Illinois by discharging its waters into the Kankakee. The country through which the Iroquois runs is undulating; the soil a little sandy, but rich; timber to be found in sufficient quantity.

The Kankakee, one of the principal tributary rivers of the Illinois, rising in Indiana, runs west, receiving the Iroquois and Des Plaines rivers. Woods are but rarely to be met with on its banks, the prairies around which are slightly undulating, having a rich soil.

The Kickapoo consists of two branches, after the conflux of which it pursues a southerly direction, discharging its waters into the Illinois, two miles below Peoria. On both its branches there is much excellent land, intersected with groups of forests, the ground being rather hilly.

The Kishwaukee, or Sycamore, formed by the junction of several small waters, some of which rise in Wisconsin, others in the northern counties of Illinois, discharges the waters of its three principal branches, after their combination, in Rock River. Its banks have but little wood; the prairie along the eastern branch is flat and fertile; and the country along the southern and northern branches undulating, and remarkable for its very rich, deep, black soil, and its beds of lime and coal.

The Kite river, in Ogle county, runs west, flowing into Rock river, about two miles below Oregon. The country is very level, and the soil very fine; woods, among which are many poplars, can be found at intervals.

The Leaf river, in Ogle county, also empties its waters into Rock River. The land adjoining its banks is rich, calcareous, and woody at intervals.

Little Rock River, rising in Jo Daviess county, flows into Rock River. On its banks there is much excellent soil.

The Mackinaw (Michilimackinac), rising in the prairies of McLean county, and receiving several small brooks, runs through Tazewell county into the Illinois river, three miles below Pekin. The adjacent bottom-lands have a rich soil. Timber, especially white oak and cedar, may be found. The prairies of the country are undulating and dry. Towards the sources of the river, the number of species of woods increases, whilst the soil is very good.

The Mauvaise Terre, in Morgan county, runs west, meeting Illinois River about two miles below Naples. Although from the name of the river (Mauvaise Terre, "poor land") one might infer that the soil of the adjacent country is of a very bad quality, this is not the case; the country, on the contrary, surpassing many other sections in fertility, and has the advantage of having a just proportion between prairie and forest, as also a remarkable salubrity of waters.

The Peek-a-ton-o-kee rises in Wisconsin, in two separate branches, which, after their conflux, flows into Illinois to meet Rock River.

The Plum river, the country surrounding the banks of which has a fine soil, with both wood and prairie, runs through Jo Daviess county into the Mississippi.

Pope's River, rising in the great prairies in the southern part of Henry county, runs west through Mercer county, discharging its waters into the Mississippi a few miles below the mouth of Edwards' River. The adjacent country is very good, but destitute of forests; on the banks of the river, towards the end of its course, there are, however, some extensive woods, while its upper banks are surrounded by prairies.

Saline River, in Saline and Gallatin counties, consists of three branches, discharging their united waters into the Ohio, twelve miles below Shawneetown.

Senatchwine River, on the banks of which there is much good land, both wood and prairie, runs through Peoria county into Illinois River, about twenty miles above Peoria.

The Sinsinaway, rising in Wisconsin, runs Mississippi, about six miles above Fever River.

south-west into the

Timber on its banks

is very rare; only now and then some cedars and pines may be found.

Small-pox River, rising south-east of Galena, runs west into the Mississippi, close by the mouth of Fever River. On its banks, near the place where it flows into the Mississippi, much valuable timber may be found.

The Snycartee, a branch of the Mississippi, whence it flows, in the southern portion of Adams county, running for about fifty miles parallel with, and five miles from, the Mississippi, to meet it again in Calhoun county, forms, with the Mississippi, an island, consisting of alluvial land, not destitute either of forest or prairie, but frequently exposed to inundations.

Spoon River consists of an eastern and western branch, both of which having received a multitude of creeks, unite; whereupon the river takes a southern direction to meet the Illinois, opposite Havana. On its banks there are many extensive woody tracts; the soil of the adjoining country is of unsurpassed excellence. The prairies near by the river are undulating, dry, and fertile.

St. Mary's River, rising in Perry county, discharges its waters into the Mississippi six miles below the mouth of the Kaskaskia.

The Sugar river, rising in Wisconsin, runs southerly to meet the Peek-a-ton-o-kee. The land upon its banks is of good quality; the country between Rock and Sugar rivers very humid.

Turtle River, rising in Wisconsin, flows near the boundary into Rock River.

Vermilion River, rising in Livingston county, runs through La Salle county, emptying into Illinois River. Towards its springs the country is nearly level, having a rich soil and vast prairies, but very little wood. In the vicinity of the river, and near the bluffs, are many extensive coal mines, of which those situated in the direction of the Illinois river reach a depth of 100 feet; also beds of sand, and lime, and a kind of stone used as whetstone, may here be found.

Big Vermilion River, proceeding in three different branches through Champaign and Vermilion counties, falls, in Indiana, into the Wabash. Its banks are garnished with a wood from one to two miles broad; the adjacent prairies are dry, rolling, and fertile.

Little Vermilion River, rising in the southern part of Vermilion county, runs also into the Wabash in Indiana. On its banks fine forests may be found.

• Wood River, rising in Macoupin county, runs through Madison county, discharging its waters nearly opposite the mouth of the Missouri, into the Mississippi. The land through which it runs is of superior quality.

Illinois has, besides these streams, a multitude of rivulets, the banks of which, as well as those of the rivers mentioned above, consist of alluvial, and consequently very fertile soil, so that neither in the Union, nor anywhere else on earth, could be found a State of equal size with Illinois rivalling the latter in the fertility and superior quality of its soil.

Of lakes, none can be found in Illinois; that portion of Lake Michigan* bounding the State being comparatively but small, so that this lake, the navigation of which has contributed so much to the advancement of Illinois, cannot be properly considered as belonging to the State.

The only sheet of water, that in a measure might lay claim to the name of a lake, is Peoria Lake, which, however, as was mentioned when Illinois River was spoken of, is nothing but an enlargement of this river; none of the other waters deserve this name at all, but should rather be called ponds.

An artificial aqueduct, that has likewise considerably accelerated the advancement of Illinois, is yet to be mentioned. The Illinois and Michigan Canal extends from Chicago to Peru, a distance of one hundred miles, connecting thus the Lake of Michigan with the Illinois: it is 6 feet deep, 70 feet broad at the top, and 36 at the bottom.

What distinguish the State of Illinois from all the other States of he Union, are its immense prairies, from which it has been exclusively alled the "Prairie State." We do not intend to give in this geoTaphical sketch a detailed description of the nature of a prairie, but retting apart a special chapter for this, we shall here only mention the principal prairies-those known under peculiar names.

* The greatest length of Lake Michigan is 360 miles; its greatest breadth, 108 miles; mean depth, 300 feet; elevation, 587 feet; area, 23,000 square miles.