Page:Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison Vol. 1.djvu/135

Rh  1. The Settlement of Arkansas should form one District, as from its Detached Situation it could not conveniently be connected with any other—it contains 160 Whites & 12 blacks—there are no settlements below it that will fall within the Upper Government, & none above it nearer than 300 Miles. 2. The lower Settlements of the Little Prairie might form the Southern boundary & a line drawn due West from the Southerly extremity of the Great bend of the Mississippi to the River St. Francis the Northern boundary of the 2nd Division or District. The Census of this district was taken in the beginning of the year 1803 & the population (with the addition of five per centum for increase from that time) is about 800 Whites and 100 blacks. 3. The dividing line between the third & fourth Districts should be Apple creek from its junction with the Mississippi to its source & thence by a due West line to the River St. Francis. Adding five per centum to the Census of 1803 & the District as thus described Contains 1200 Whites & 200 blacks.

4. The dividing line between the 4 & 5th Districts ought to commence at the Mouth of Platers Creek on the Mississippi thence up sd. Creek to its source, thence due West to the fork of the Mesumack called Anneau thence down sd. fork to the Mesumack thence up the Mesumack to the upper settlements on the River. The Census of this District has not been taken since the year 1800—the result of that Census & twenty per centum added for increase gives a population of 1978 Whites & 500 blacks.

5. All the Territory to the Northward of the line last described can conveniently be formed into a 5th District, & Contains a population (founded on the same calculations as in the preceding) of 3738 Whites & 667 blacks.

This arrangement of the Districts seems to be the one which is generally expected to be made by the Inhabitants of that country & I immagine it would give as much satisfaction as any other mode of laying it out unless the number of the Districts was encreased. Some of them are however very extensive & the Settlements so widely separated that it may perhaps be necessary that the County Courts should be holden at Different places—of this I am not at present able to decide upon as I could not procure satisfactory 