Page:Historic highways of America (Volume 9).djvu/89

Rh with the Ohio River by means of the navigable waters that empty into it; the high, dry and usually healthy river bottoms of exceptional extent, fertility and beauty; and the extraordinarily superior navigation of the Ohio, by means of whose waters the abundant products of these extensive and fertile lands must eventually be distributed.

"At its commencement at Pittsburgh, it takes a N. W. course for about 30 miles, then turns gradually to W. S. W. and pursuing that course for about 500 miles, winds to the S. W. for nearly 160 miles, then turns to the W. for about 276 miles, then S. W. for 160 miles, and empties into the Mississippi in a S. E. direction, about 1100 below Pittsburgh, and nearly the same distance above New-Orleans, in lat. 36. 43 m. N. It is amazingly crooked, so much so indeed, that in some places a person taking observations of the sun or stars, will find that he sometimes entirely changes his direction, and appears to be going back again; but its general course is S. 60 d. W. Its general width is from 500 to 800 yards, but at the rapids and near the mouth, it is considerably wider."