called tne Knobs, extends from the falls of the
Ohio to the Wabash, in a south-west direction,
which, in many places, produces a broken and
uneven surface. North of these hills lie the flat
woods, 70 in. wide. Bordering on all the princi-
pal streams, except the Ohio, there are strips of
bottom and prairie land ; both together from 3 to
6 m. in width. Between the Wabash and lake
Michigan, the country is mostly champaign,
abounding alternately with w ood-lands, prairies,
lakes and swamps. A range of hills runs parallel
with the Ohio, from the mouth of the Great Mi-
ami to Blue river, alternately approaching to
within a few rods, and receding to the distance of
2 m. Immediately below Blue river, the hills
disappear, and there is presented to view an im-
mense tract of level land, covered with a heavy
growth of timber. North of the Wabash, between
Tippecanoe and Ouitanon, the banks of the
streams are high, abrupt and broken, and the land
except the prairies, is well timbered. Between
the Plein and Theakiki, the country is flat, wet
and swampy, intersperesd with prairies of an in-
ferior soil. The sources of rivers are generally
in swamps or lakes and the country around them
is low, and too wet for cultivation. There are
two kinds of prairies,xe2x80x94the river and the upland
prairies. The former are bottoms, destitute of
timber and are said to exhibit vestiges of former
cultivation ; the latter are from 30 to 100 feet
more elevated, and are far more numerous and
extensive. Some of them are not larger than a
common field, while others extend farther than
the eye can reach. They are usually bounded by
heavy-timbered forests, and not unfrequently
adorned with copses of small trees. In spring
and summer, they are covered with a luxuriant
growth of grass and fragrant flowers, from six to
eight feet high. The soil of these plains is often
as deep and fertile as the best bottoms. The
intervals bordering on the Wabash are particularly
rich. Wells have been dug in them, where the
vegetable soil was 22 feet deep, under Which was
a stratum of fine white sand. The ordinary depth
is from two to five feet. The principal produc-
tions of this state are wheat, Indian corn, rye,
oats, barley, buck-wheat, potatoes, pulse, beef,
pork, butter, whiskey and peach brandy. There
are salt springs in different parts, but they are
little used. The salt is more cheaply obtained
from the neighbouring States. Coal, iron, and
copper are found in some places.

The climate is generally healthy and pleas-
ant, closely resembling that of Ohio. The Wa-
bash is frozen over in the winter, so that it may
be safely crossed on the ice. This state abounds
with large caverns, the most celebrated of which
is called the Epsom Salts Cave, from the quantity
of that mineral which it contains. The hill, in
which the cave is situated, is about 400 feet high
from the base to the most elevated point; and the
prospect to the south-east, in a clear day, is ex-
ceedingly fine, commanding an extensive view of
the hills and va’levs bordering on Big Blue river.
The top of the hill is covered principally with
oak and cbesnut. The side to the south-east is
mantled with cedar. The entrance is about mid-
way from the base to the summit, and the surface
of the cave preserves in general, about that ele-
vation. After entering the cave by an aperture
of twelve or fifteen feet wide, and in height, in
one place, three or four feet, you descend with
easy and gradual steps into a large and spacious
room, which continues about a quarter of a mile,
pretty nearly of the same appearance, varying in
height from eight to thirty feet, and in breadth
from ten to twenty. In this distance the roof is,
in some places arched ; in others a plane and in
one place, particularly, it resembles an inside
view of the roof of a house. At the distance
above named, the cave forks; but the right hand
fork soon terminates, while the left rises by a
flight of rocky stairs, nearly 10 feet high, into
another story, and pursues a course at this place
nearly south-east. Here the roof commences a
regular arch, the height of which, from the floor,
varies from 5 to 8 feet and the width of the cave
from 6 to 12 feet; which continues to what is
called the creeping place, from the circumstance
of the visitor’s crawling 10 or 12 feet into the next
large room. From this place to the Pillar, a dis-
tance of about one mile and a quarter, the visitor
finds an alternate succession of large and small
rooms, variously decorated ; sometimes mounting
elevated points by gradual or difficult ascents, and
again descending as far below; sometimes travel-
ling on a pavement, or climbing over huge piles
of rocks, detached from the roof by some convul-
sion of nature ; and thus continues his route, un-
til he arrives at the pillar.

The aspect of this large and stately white col-
umn, as it comes in sight from the dim reflection
of the torches, is grand and impressive. Visitors
have seldom pushed their enquiries further than
two or three hundred yards beyond this pillar
This column is about fifteen feet in diameter,
from twenty to thirty in height, and regularly
reeded from the top to the bottom. In the vicin-
ity of this spoC are some inferior pillars of thd
same appearance and texture. Chemically speak-
ing, it is difficult to say what are the constituent
parts of these colunins, but lime appears to be the
base. Epsom salts, abounds throughout this cave
in almost its whole extent, in a manner which,
has no parallel in the history of that article. This
neutral salt is found in a great variety of forms,
and in many different stages of formation, some-
times in lumps, varying from one to ten pounds
in weight. The earth exhibits a shining appear
ance, from the numerous particles interspersed
throughout the huge piles of dirt collected in dif
ferent parts of the cave. The walls are covered
in different places with the same article, and re-
production goes on rapidly. With a view to as-
certain this, a visitor removed from a particular
place every vestige of salt, and in fou<r or five
weeks the place was covered with small needle
shaped crystals, exhibiting the appearance of
frost. The quality of the salt in this cave is in-
ferior to none. The winrst earth that has been
tried, will yield four pounds of salt to the bushel,
and the best, from twenty to twenty five pounds.
This quantity is inexhaustible. The next pro-
duction is the nitrate of lime, or saltpetre earth.
There are vast quantities of this. There are also
large quantities of the nitrate of alumine, or ni-
trate of argil, which will yield as much nitrate of
potash, or saltpetre, in proportion to the quantities
of earth, as the nitrate of lime. The three arti-
cles above enumerated, are first in quantity and
importance ; but there are several others, which
deserve notice as subjects if philosophical curiosi-
ty. The sulphate ot lime, or plaster of Paris, is
to be seen variously formed ; ponderous, crystal
ized and impalpable or soft, light, and rather spon
gv. Vestiges ofthe sulphate of iron are also to be
seen in o:.e or two places. Small specimens
of the caibonate, also the nitrate of magnesia,