width. 30 feet; depth, 12 inches; fall on the shoals, 1.50 feet. The channel changes from the left to the right shore, there being a large gravel bar extending along the left shore 500 feet wide and a mile long. At the next shoals, three miles below Rockport, the river is divided into three channels, the middle one discharging the most water. This chute, running between gravel bars, is from 25 to 50 feet wide, 7 inches deep, and 700 feet long. Cow Ford Shoals, 4 miles below Rockport, the channel changes from the right to the left shore, with a large gravel bar along the right bank. The channel is, in low water, at the narrowest portion, 55 feet wide, with 6 inches of water. The shoals are eacli 500 feet long with 1.5 feet fall. The next three shoal places, situated respectively at four and a half, six, and seven miles from Rockport, bear the same character. The river is at these places divided into from four to five distinct channels, separated from each other by large gravel bars. None of these channels have more than five inches of water, by an average width of from 25 to 40 feet. Upper Fishtrap Shoals, 9 miles below Rockport, are 450 feet long, with 1.5 feet fall. The shoals extend over the whole width of the river, which is 300 feet wide between banks. There is no marked channel, the depth of water varying between 3 and 12 inches. The next two shoals are ten and a half and eleven miles below Rockport. The river is cut up into several chutes from 20 to 40 feet wide, with from 4 to 0 inches depth of water. The length of these shoals is 600 and 700 feet, having a fall of 1.75. Robinson's Defeat, twelve miles below Rockport. Large gravel bar extends for a mile in length along the left shore. The channel, which runs close to the right bank, varies from 12 to 40 feet in width, and is from 12 to 18 inches deep; the bottom is full of snags and logs, making the passage very narrow. The current is very strong. The bar is shoal throughout its entire length, with intermediate spaces of from 200 to 500 feet, where the depth reaches from 2 to 3 feet. Lower Fishtrap Shoals, sixteen and a half miles below Rockport. The river is here divided into two arms, forming an island between them one mile long and 500 to 1,000 feet wide, the lower portion of it partly cultivated and known as "Strabling's field." The channel runs between the right shore and a large gravel bar for 1,000 feet, and crosses over to the left shore, forming a similar bar on the right shore extending over a mile in length. The channel is from 30 to 50 feet wide, with 9 inches of water. Watermelon Island Chute, 20 miles from Rockport. Watermelon Island, below Morrison's Landing, embraces an area of 1,100 acres, most of which is cultivated and very productive. The left chute, forming the main channel, is a mile and a half long and from 200 to 250 feet wide between banks. The channel width varies between 50 and 75 feet, having at the shoalest places 18 inches depth. From the foot of Watermelon Island to the upper end of Bearhead Island, a distance of 1,000 feet, there are two shoal places 200 feet long and 300 feet apart, extending over the whole width of the river and covered by from 12 to 18 inches of water. Bearhead Island.-The right chute is the high-water channel, as can be seen by a large drift-pile which closes the entrance to this chute. The left chute, one mile long, is from 50 to 80 feet wide between banks. A large gravel bar follows the island-shore and contracts the stream at low water to from 15 to 30 feet in width, with hardly depth enough to pass over the upper portion of it with a skiff; thence around the bend to the foot of the island the depth varies between 2 and 4 feet, having a channelwidth of from 25 to 40 feet Snags are found in abundance along the left shore and serve to narrow the channel. Both shores are also covered with leauing timber, whose branches meet above. After passing an eddy two miles in length, 400 to 500 feet wide, and from 4 to 6 feet deep, the following shoals are found at its foot : Devil's Race-Track. 1,000 feet long, channel-width 60 feet, depth from 12 to 18 inches. The river makes at this place a very sharp, double turn, and the bends are full of snags and drift-wood. The bars which are around the "Points" are 15 feet above low water, and consist of very large gravel. The fall on these shoals is 3.25 feet. These shoals are followed by five shoal places commonly called "flats," and extending over the whole width of the river. They are from 200 to 300 feet long, and from 10 to 15 inches deep. De Roche Island, one mile above the mouth of De Roche Creek. The left chute is from 50 to 80 feet wide between banks, almost entirely blocked by drift-wood, logs, and snags. The right chute, one mile long, is from 80 to 100 feet wide between banks. The river changes its direction five times, passing from one shore to the other, and is divided into several channels, which are, in many places, not wider than 25 feet, with from 3 to 12 inches of water. The spaces between these channels consist of gravel bars, partly covered with small willow-brush. From the foot of the island, passing the mouth of the Roche Creek, to half a mile above the month of Caddo Creek, there is an eddy 300 to 400 feet wide, and from 2 to 5 feet deep. On the shoals below this eddy the river is divided into three channels running between gravel bars, the main channel being 60 feet wide, with 12 inches of water. One mile below the mouth of Caddo Creek, a flat shoal, 2,000 feet long, extending over the whole width of the river, has from 6 to 18 inches depth. Three miles above Arkadelphia, at the foot of Osborn Eddy, several flat, marshy islands, covered with willows and birch, extend half a mile in length between the left shore and the main channel. The channel on these shoals, called Ösborn's Shoals, is at the upper end 100 and at the lower end 200 feet wide, and from 18 to 24 inches deep. CHARACTER OF THE BANKS AND RIVER-BED. The bottom of the river-bed consists of gravel throughout this portion of the river. The bed is covered with boulders, many of which are very large. The banks along the bottom lands are from 15 to 25 feet high, firm, and not subject to caving. Where the high uplands strike the river, the lowest strata of the bluffs expose rocky ledges, which crop out frequently and form, at times, part of the riverbed. The upper layers are generally composed of a stiff red or blue clay, mixed with sand. Overhanging trees are found all along the river, and snags and sunken logs abound on all the shoals. The bottom-lands are subject to overflow in high water, from 2 to 10 feet, and are mostly covered with heavy timber and dense cane-brakes. There are but few tracts of cleared land in the immediate neighborhood of the river. The high uplands, consisting principally of sandy soil, are not very productive, and mostly covered with pine forests. HIGH WATER. High water is caused only by rains in the mountain region; such a rise, properly called a freshet, appears very suddenly, the stream sometimes rising within twelve hours from 15 to 20 feet, and lowering as many feet in twenty-four hours after the rain ceases. These freshets have a very rapid current, as indicated by the large gravel bars, and by the immense amount of drift-wood which is deposited in the woods. current, in such cases, cuts across the necks of the crooked bends, leaving the riverbed entirely; the result is frequent changes of the channel after high water, the flood carrying away gravel bars and depositing the same in other places. The The rapidity of the current at high water is such that boats, otherwise adapted for the navigation of the stream, could not stem it; the small extent to which the country is cultivated and the general scarcity of water in the stream do not justify any expenditure of money in attempting to improve this section; consequently, no estimate has been made for this portion. SECTION II.—Arkadelphia to Camden, distance seventy-six miles. Arkadelphia is the head of steamboat navigation, which is carried on during the winter season between this port and Camden. Light draught-boats run generally from December to the month of June. The river, having fairly entered the bottom-lands, changes its character, and although there are still many shoals, yet these places do not cover as much space as in the section above, there being, on an average, a wider channel and more water. The following table will exhibit the most prominent shoals, giving the names, the location, dimensions, and propositions for improving each of them by the method of excavating and deepening the shallowest places in the channel. Below the mouth of Little Missouri River—which empties into Ouachita River fortythree miles below Arkadelphia, and is the largest tributary on the right shore-the shoals diminish in number; the pools between them are long, and on an average 500 feet wide, and at low water 5 feet deep and over. Shoals between Arkadelphia and the mouth of the Little Missouri River. Channel at low water. Remarks. 22 0.5 1.00 18 1.00 600 $1,800 20 1.25 12 1.50 800 2,400 12 2.00 900 2, 700 18 0.75 200 600 12 0.50 Excavating and deepening the channel on the shoals would be of great benefit to the navigation, but it is not absolutely necessary to do this. The greatest and most dangerous obstruction to the navigation consists of leaning timber and the great number of logs and snags lying in the channel. The aggregate number of trees in this is 12,475, two-thirds of which belong to the species of willow and birch, and are less than one foot in diameter. The snags and logs are 1,053 in number. CHARACTER OF THE ADJOINING COUNTRY. The river follows, between the two ports, a very winding course, and flows almost entirely through bottom lands. The high uplands, touching the river at Arkadelphia, recede from the stream, and strike the same again for the first time, thirty-two miles below that city, at Little Hill, a bluff about half a mile long. Tate's Bluff, forty-three miles below, is the next high ground. These bluffs are 200 feet high, and strike southeast for two miles, where they touch the river again at a single point, turning then southwest, and after meeting with the river shore once more, at Boiling Pot Rock, recede from the river entirely, and are not in sight again until two miles above Camden. The air line from Tate's Bluff to Boiling Pot is four miles, while the distance by river is not quite ten miles. On the left shore only one place is above overflow, viz, Manchester Landing, eleven miles below Arkadelphia; the bluff which runs alongside the shore for a mile is about 40 feet high. Although the bottom lands are submerged during the high-water season, yet there are a great many farms on both banks of the river, situated mainly on places where the lands are a few feet above the overflow of the regular high-water season. These farms are only inundated at extreme high water, which generally recedes into the proper river bed within two or three weeks. They are cultivated mostly in cotton, and partly in corn, and produce over one bale of cotton and 70 to 80 bushels of corn to the acre. The rest of the bottom land is covered with dense cane-brakes and valuable timber. The extreme low places are cypress swamps intersected by lagoons and bayous. The banks are from 20 to 25 feet above low water; the lowest strata are generally clay, and not subject to caving. The bottom of the river bed is gravel on the shoals, and mud in the pools. The high-water season sets in generally about the 1st of December. Frequent rains in this latitude serve to maintain a fair stage of water during the winter season, until the spring freshets make their appearance and overflow the bottom lands. Low-water stage takes place by the middle of June, gradually getting down to the lowest stage in August and September, at which stage it remains until the rainy season sets in again, with the exception of a temporary rise of a few feet caused by rain-storms, which, however, disappear very quickly. Hence, navigation can be carried on only during the winter season. From the nature and peculiar character of the stream it is evident that the manner of improvement will be different from what it is in the large western rivers, but as it will be similar to that of the lower river I will submit a plan for doing the work at the end of this report. SECTION III.-Camden to the State line; distance, one hundred and thirty miles. From Camden to the State line, between Arkansas and Louisiana, the river flows almost entirely through bottom lands which are subject to overflow. The course of the river is very crooked. The width between banks changes frequently. From Camden to Marie Saline Landing, it varies from 300 to 500 feet, and in many places narrows to 250 feet between banks; so that the larger boats find it difficult to turn around. Thence to the State line, the average width between banks is 600 feet; at a medium stage of water there is plenty of room in the pools for boats to run; at low water the channel width varies between 100 and 200 feet. There are comparatively few shoals in this section of the river. They are as follows: CHARACTER OF BANKS AND ADJACENT LANDS. The valley of Ouachita has two terraces or levels. The upper terrace being secure against overflow, is generally cultivated, but, on account of the sandy soil, not very productive. The lower or true bottoms, bordering the river shore, are exposed to inuudation during high-water season from 3 to 15 feet, but when they can be cultivated are immensely rich, producing annually 1,800 pounds of cotton in the seed, or from 70 to 80 bushels of corn, per acre. The vegetation in the bottom is very rich and luxuriant, and among the timber is found the red and pin-oak swamp, chestnut-oak swamp, white oak, and even the beech, all of which attain a large size. On the upland the beech flourishes, attaining remarkable dimensions. When sandy soil is prevalent it is characterized by a luxuriant growth of pine, which grows also upon the alluvial sandy deposits of the river, even to the swampy banks. On the dry uplands there are also seen white and black oak in abundance, and of fine growth. On the left bank there is not a place in the immediate neighborhood of the river secure against overflow. On the right bank, the uplands strike the river at the following points, forming bluffs generally covered by a rich growth of pine timber. These places are: French Port, fourteen miles below Camden, 15 feet above overflow. Warren's Hills, twenty miles below Camden, 30 feet above overflow. Beech Hills, twenty-five miles below Camden, 30 feet above overflow. These hills incline toward the shore at an angle of from 25° to 35°, are remarkable for fine growth of beech trees, and recede at Newport Landing, which is built on the lower end of this portion of the line of bluffs into the interior of the country. Miller's Bluff, thirty-four miles below Camden, 50 feet above overflow, running along the river shore 2,000 feet, and covered with pine timber. El Dorado Landing.—The hills are half a mile back from the shore, and bear the same character as above. Champagnole Landing, fifty miles below Camden, bluff 125 feet high. Pigeon Hill, seventy-one miles below Camden, 80 feet above high-water mark. Pigeon Hill is the last place where the high uplands touch the river shore; thence to the State line low, marshy bottom lands constitute the main features of the country. There are several landings between this last-named point and the State line for the convenience of the trade with the uplands in the interior of the country. They consist only of warehouses built on stilts, the floors of which are from 15 to 20 feet above the ground. From the Marie Saline Landing to the State line, a distance of twenty miles, the Country on either side of the river is exposed to inundation from both the high water of Ouachita River and by that of the Mississippi during the regular overflow season. At Roland's Raft, a landing five miles above the State line, the floor of the warehouse is 16 feet above the ground, and in 1867 the water stood 3 inches deep on the floor, as I was informed by the one man tending the warehouse. As the banks here are about 20 feet above low-water mark the rise would be about 36 feet. With the exception of the few landings, there is no sign of habitation on the river banks. Dense cane-brakes, cypress swamps, old river arms and lagoons are the principal features of the low marshy bottom. THE OBSTRUCTIONS TO NAVIGATION, in this section of the river, consist mainly of leaning timber and snags. The leaning timber, to the number of 32,690 trees, grows all along the shore; chiefly large willows and birch, with some sycamore and guin trees. On account of the narrowness of the river, and of its short turns, the leaning timber is a great impediment to navigation for such large boats as are used to ply during the high-water season between Camden and New Orleans. The high-water channel runs very close to the "points" in the short bends, and as the boat has to "pivot" around the point, her chimneys, rigging, and upper wood-work are always liable to come into collision with this leaning timber. The number of snags seen at the time of the examination is 365, which number, I have no doubt, would be three times as high had the stage of, the water permitted me to count all those lying in the river. Therefore, I do not consider my estimate too high when I place the number of snags at 1,000. GENERAL REMARKS. The most prominent shipping-points on the river in the State of Arkansas are Camden and Arkadelphia. Arkadelphia commands the trade of a part of Pike, Clark, Hot Springs, and Dallas Counties, which depend altogether on the navigation of the river for shipping off the produce, and procuring supplies. As the time for navigating the river sets in, when cotton, the main staple product of the country, is getting ready for shipment, it is evi |