Canal, constructed through part of its extent for
a ship canal, and capable of being completed on
that scale, connects the waters of Lake Michigan
at Chicago with those of the River Illinois, the
Mississippi, and the Gulf of Mexico.

Michilimackinac Strait. See Mackinaw.

Middlebury River, Vt,, rises in Hancock, passes
through Ripton, and, flowing W., falls into Otter
Creek in the S. part of Middlebury. The length
of this stream is about 14 miles, and it affords
several mill sites.

Middle Island Creek, Va. This stream rises in
the E. part of Doddridge, flows N. W. and W.,
and empties into the Ohio River opposite Middle
Island.

Middle Three River, Io., rises in two forks in
Madison co., flows N. E. across Warren co. into
the Des Moines River.

Miles's River, Vt., rises in Lunenburg, and,
pursuing a S. course into Concord, where it re-
ceives the outlet of Miles's Pond, bends its course
E., and falls into Connecticut River by a mouth
7 or 8 yards wide.

Mill Brook, Vt. See Windsor.

Mill Creek, la., has its source in the S. W. part
of Hendricks co., flows in a winding S. W. direc-
tion, and empties into White River.

Mill Creek, Mn. It rises in the E. part of La-
peer co., flows S. of E., and empties into Black
River in St. Clair co.

Mill Creek, Ca., rises among the Sierra Nevada,
and flows S. W., into the Rio Sacramento.

Mills River, Is., rises in the N. part of Jackson
co., takes a semicircular bend, and empties into
the Mississippi in Randolph co.

Mille Lacs, Chippewa co., Wn. This lake is
the source of an E. branch of Red Cedar River.

Millers River, Vt., rises in Sheffield, -waters a
part of Wheelock, and falls into the Passumpsic,
in Lyndon. It is generally a rapid stream, and
affords some good mill privileges, particularly in
Wheelock, where there is a considerable fall.

Miller's River, Ms. This is a fine mill stream,
rising in ponds in Ashburnham and Winchendon ;
it has many tributaries, and passes through
Athol, Orange, and Wendell, and falls into the
Connecticut at Irving.

Millinoket Lake, Penobscot co., Me. This large
sheet of water receives many rivers, and is an
important source of the W. branch of the Penob-
scot. Its outlet, a river of the same name, con-
nects it with Pemadumcook Lake near the great
falls at Pemadumcook Outlet.

Millstone Creek, N. J. This rapid stream rises
in Monmouth co., and flowing N. N. E., enters the
Raritan in Somerset co. The Delaware and
Raritan Canal follows this stream a considera-
ble distance.

Mill Tail Creek, Tyrrell co., N. C., flows N. W.
into Alligator River.

Milwaukee Bay, Wn. A curvature of Lake
Michigan in the E. part of Milwaukee co.

Milwaukee River, Wn. This large stream rises
in Sheboygan and Fond du Lac counties, flows
S. S. E. through Washington into Milwaukee
co., where it empties into Milwaukee Bay, at the
town of Milwaukee.

Mini Skuyah or Salt Lake, Ma. A long, nar-
row sheet of water, connecting by an outlet on
the S. with Tchan Sansan or River a Jaques.

Minesota Lake, Ma. A small sheet of water,
the outlet of which communicates with Minesota
or St. Peter's River.

Minsi Sagaigoning or Mille Lacs, Ma. This is
a large, circular sheet of water, lying between
Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers, and connecting
on the S. with Rum River.

Misery River, Houghton co., Mn. A small
stream in the N. W. part of the county, flowing
into Lake Superior.

Mispillon Creek, Md. A small stream sepa-
rating Kent and Sussex counties, and emptying
into Delaware Bay.

Missisco Bay, Vt. and Canada, is a large arm
of Lake Champlain, which extends into Canada
between Swanton and Highgate on the E. and
Alburg on the W. Its width from E. to W., on
Canada line, is about 5 miles, and it extends 4 or
5 miles into Canada. This bay covers an area
of about 35 square miles.

Missisco River, Vt., rises in Lowell, and, flow-
ing N. E. through a part of Westfield and Troy,
crosses the N. line of the state into Potton, in
Canada, where it receives a large stream from
the N. E. After running several miles, it re-
turns into Vt. about 1 mile W. from the N. E.
corner of Richford. Thence it runs S. W.
through the corner of Berkshire, where it re-
ceives Trout River, into Enosburg. It then
passes through Sheldon and Highgate into Swan-
ton, and, after performing a circuit of several
miles in that town, returns into Highgate, and,
running N. W., falls into Missisco Bay, near
Canada line. This stream affords a considerable
number of valuable mill sites, and besides its
tributaries above mentioned, Black Creek and
Taylor's Branch are the most important. The
length of this river, including its windings, is
about 75 miles, and it is navigable for vessels of
50 tons' burden 6 miles to Swanton Falls, where
is hydraulic power of great value.

Mississippi River. The largest and most im-
portant river of the United States, or of North
America. The import, in the Algonquin lan-
guage, of the name Missi Sepe, is Great River.
Whether we consider its great length, its mighty
and numerous tributaries, the extent of country
which it drains, or the distance to which it is
navigable, it well deserves the title which the
Indians have given to it, “ The Father of
Waters." If estimated by the criterion which is
now considered as determining the comparative
importance of the great rivers, — the extent of
the area drained by its waters, — it is the fifth, or
perhaps the -fourth, in rank among the rivers of
the earth, and the third among the rivers of the
American continent. The basin, or valley, of
the Mississippi extends from the Appalachian
chain of mountains on the E. to the Rocky Mts.
on the W., and from the Gulf of Mexico onihe S.
to the great lakes and the boundary between the
United States and the British possessions on the
N. and N. W. This great basin is composed of
two very unequal slopes, or inclined planes. One,
the W., and most extensive, falling E. from the
Rocky Mts., has a mean width of about 800 miles;
the other, which declines from the Appalachian
Mts. W., has a mean width of about 400 miles.
The base line, or line of common depression,
follows the valley of the Illinois, and of the Mis-
sissippi below the point where the former unites
with the latter. A line drawn from the Appa-
lachian chain, at the source of the Tennessee, to
the source of the most N. W. tributary of the
Mississippi, measures a distance of about 2000
miles; and a line drawn nearly at right angles