boat with a steam-engine and stern- peace, capable of accommodating two wheel, was the first steamboat to ascend regiments. The two comprise a governthe Missouri river, in April, 1819. It ment property equal to $1,750,000, and accompanied the scientific expedition the permanent improvements are on the under Major S. H. Long. The next increase and will be for many years to steamboat that ascended the Missouri come, as from this point all the military was the "Independence," Captain Nel- stores and forces must go out to the son, that reached Franklin, in the Boon's wide regions of the west, southwest, and Lick country, May 19, 1819. This was northwest. During the Mexican war, followed by the Calhoun," and the there were manufactured at the arsenal, President," two other steamers, which gunpowder, munitions, and other ordattempted to take troops and military nance stores, amounting to over twelve stores to the "Council Bluffs," estab-hundred tons, and at a cost of several lished that year. Neither boat reached the mouth of the Kansas.

A voyage from New Orleans to St. Louis in keel-boats, before the introduction of steam, was from three to four months. In 1819, a voyage by steamboats was from twenty-five to thirty days. Of late it has been run in less than four days!-usually from six to ten days.

millions of dollars; between four hundred and five hundred tons of shells and shot-about seven millions of cartridges for small arms; all which furnished employment to about six hundred hands.

St. Louis has a United States subtreasury, superintendency of Indian affairs, surveyor-general's office, and customhouse, and is the general military dépôt for all the vast region of the west.

The city of St. Louis is the base of navigation of all the upper Mississippi and its tributaries, the Missouri and its tributaries, and the head of navigation for the larger boats from the Ohio and the lower Mississippi. Here are now concentrated the trade of the upper Mississippi, the Missouri, and the Illinois rivers, and a large portion of that of the Ohio and the lower Mississippi. From a mere fur-trader's post, it has grown to be the second commercial city in the great central valley. It is now the greatest steamboat port, next to New Orleans, in the world. In capital, commerce, and active business, it is in ad-lation at various periods :vance of any city on the Ohio river.

POPULATION.-On this subject there has been a most serious mistake in all the published statistics since 1840. At that time the chartered limits of the city did not extend over one third of its present area. Nearly half of the population lived out of the chartered limits, and the population of this portion, in the United States census, was placed under the head of the county. The population of the chartered limits was only 16,469-but the population then within the present chartered limits would have equalled 26,000.

The

government business, and various extra branches of trade in St. Louis, are greater than in any other city in the United States as the military and contract department—the Indian agency business -the Indian and Spanish trade (before the war)—the trapping business to the Bocky mountains-the fur trade, &c., &c.

The United States government has an arsenal two miles south of the city, which consists of stone buildings and extensive stone walls, of great value and durability. Jefferson barracks are twelve miles south of the city, and constantly occupied by United States troops whether in war or

The following table shows the popu

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