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v rani 's Don 'fsk : ' 1 S. IFV CLjL-UlSDAhrl AARY "1804. " - : a"
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From Dr.' JOI 5IBLEY, late of Fayette
.'llte,. (now of Lftuisia-rta,)
if
; -To J. GALE-frJnttSrRaleigh7
" . '' A." " ' "i : -.", ;.V-"."' V" i
V ABOUT .twelve months ago I tr called
by some. bus&ess tb Natcbes I tobkhippiriff
t Charleston landed at. New-Orleans, .nd
Proceeded on to Natchei bit land, alonvtha'
' ;j Mitsisslppu J he iHt?pce is -called ?00 milesi
'- -x 'v s Nojt being able Immodiatelr W accdmpUshv
r ":"my business at Natches, I thoroughly ei.ploT i
'..:ltd the-ilssissippttertSttfry: Aftef which,
' finding my return to Carolina would be-una-
-'wblflably protracted for sbm time, nd beari
, -Ihg mucHof the country of toaisiana, I con-!
ceived thf plan of uking ramble Either.
A ;-I theretbre applied to the Spanish gdvemment, '
k: ' 'and obtained permission toiravel through,and i
.-explore lhatcountry where I pleased. , t 2
v For that purpose I left Natches the i 5th bV
vA-'inarch kst, and have. been since that lime'
; thtough various parts bf I-ouisiana, bot prin-j
tipally on Red Rivera 1 have kept anaccu- -
rate journal of my travels since I led Charles
ton, interspersed with notes and observations
which at this time is1 swelled to i tbnsidero-'
bit size v-, iaa ' t";. ;.-;-,rt
. ; : A few days ag I received a letter from '
, t5ov. Claiborne, of Natches, informing me bf '
ms thecessioti of this country to' the U. States, '
" , which has; made me' the medium through'. 1
. ' which this important' information 'has been
communicated to the inhabitants of this part '
, ; -of Louisiana ; nineteen-tweritieths of whom (
; ; are French, speak none but their native jan1
j , guag, and understand but little of the "gov
' ' ernmentof the United States, M room has
been rowded 'almost every day since I re-.,
ceived GovernorClalborne's letter; someha
' .. ''hg beard the report,.' and wishing to learn
. the tr?th Wit) others to obtain some know.
,. lede'of the Anu-rican government, under
AVhith they expeet soon to pass. I have done
' . Vallin my powei4, io reconcile them "to the
, ' -change j and )t ha4 afforded me much sati
j. ' '. faction to observe the Success of my efforts
- though I have been astonished at the misre-"
rretcntations which have been spread among
the people here, concerning . the government
of the United States, (by tome Tory Ameri
. cans who have found their way hither) which
1 lia.l exciti"! y ; i ','r-ci V -t in s-'-.ie irntanci-s
I LuiiJ u..ccii y U fniiuvc. , ,
. "I have i4rescnted to the fettle, that while
they were under an European government
they were held as an article of traffic, were
bought and sold from one European power to i
another, as they buy and scH their cattle, j
niules and horses that the Europeans were , j
eternally at war with one another, and let
, them belong to whichever of these powers
they would, they must be a party in their 1 1
wars, and liable to be plundered by tbeir en
emies and that they knew, by experience,
how little an European colony had to ex
pect, situated four or fire thousand miles from
the seat of government. Although this coun
try has been settled nearly as hnft as Penn
sylvania, and in many respects notscstinff u-
' j$rior advantages, how small is its projjreis '
in' improvement, compared to that state ! !
i !i. j:rr. .: t .. . j :
. wiiM ii uuitrcut-c i entirely o oc aiuiouica
to tlir difference of government.
Without prejudice to the 'governments of
Trtnce and Spain, 1 have represented to them
the mildness of the American governmeat.
Ilinterforce with no one's religion, but pro
, tectsall. Its disposition to encourage com
merce, agriculture, internal navigation, ma
nuUctiircs, arts and science j and that they
will now bo under a frovcrnmcnt that will ne
ver sell them, and that is able, and will always
be willing to protect them, and whose finan
ces art such, that the will not be oppressed
with taxes. ,. . , , '
. As soma description ol this country, which
. will shortly become part of the United Slates,
eannotraij ,lt be jntercuingl iH gi yow
some extracts irorn my journal, respecting'
it, which must bo in a very abridged manner,
r it would too far exceed the bounds of a let-'
ter which I hope has not already become tire.
some, and which has no other rccommciula
lions, than the novelty of the subject, and a
strict adherence to truth. . .
'The Wand of Orleans, which forms part of
Louisiana, is on the east side of the Mitisiip
pi river I the south end of it forms one part
of the month of the ricr Dulie, and is a
point. It Ts bounded on the est by Mplrltu
asnto bsy, the lakes ronchirtrsiti and Msu.
tess and north by tha Dsjsn Manchat kor
whh-h is sometimes rslfed tho ri? r Iberville,"
w! ich Is dry when the MiSpH 1s low, but
.when thai river, la hij;h, Hs waters break
through the Bayan, fjU'in into Uks Maurt
pas, from thenct to ronchartrain and from
tatwe Into Splritu Santo hf. The lenrth'
of this Uland is ktaut mlkv kid breadlU'
from I to 30. A boat the middlo of it. ca the
lurk of the Mississippi, Is the town of Ve
. O.kans. tThl town Is tepjtarly 'JiiJofTj
t!is streets art iO fl wide, and IntrntUcd
at right angles th homes are prinr ipilly of
brick, mm twts and soo tkreo stories hiVh,
msny of thrmrlessnl, wlih fit roofs; The)
' tn Is more than hslf the ' of Chsrtcston,"
and setrrsl of its streets rt tho riter, aro
is well buUt as any streets in Cbatlciton i
there ts one large handsome church, a or
vemment-house, a'nunnery, ;.tbeatrc anc.
two hospitals-, and contains about I5)0rinr';
habitants, four-fifths of whom areFrench v
About 40 miles abov the Balize, ami .65'
below Orleans the settlements begin, and are
7nuch alike on both sides Of the. river. Strung
all along 40 or '50 yards from the.river, be
hind the Seirfc or embankment, and (except
' at a point or turn) within half a mile of each-
outer ana me ciearea ianq extenamg Dacit
from half a mile to a mile and a half, and is
cenerally bounded by a cypress swamp. The
; binds from tho edge of the river back, gradii- '
ally fall till they become Wo low to cultivate
it never can admit of but one row of settle-,
ments,.,' Tbese plantations are interchange-i
- ably planted in sugar cane, rice, com aud cot
ton.: Nothing can exceed the luxuriahcy of
' their crops. '. The population of ihe island of
Orleans, including the town may be estima
ted at 20,000 inhabitants.' On the opposite
side of the river is another island in length
about 170 miles, formed by the Bayan. La
Fosh, which, like Manchack, is dry at low
' water, but at high watir a large ship minht
conveniently pass thro' it. .. This Bayan falls
into'Vermilliori bay, nearly 100 miles west of
Orleans. All along the banks of La Fosh, for
70 of CO miles, is as thick settled as any part1
of the banks of the'Mississippi. .
There are several other islands '.along the
Gulf of Mexico, west of Mississippi, on which
are some settlements, particularly one called
, Barrataria, at which I was. Among these
bays and islands are found, in the greatest
perfection and abundance, turtle, fish, oysters,
Etc. and In winter; plenty of fowl.' Farther
to the westward on the bay, is the large rich
settlement of Tackrpa, interspersed withbeau
tiful prairies, rivers and creeks, some of which
ar$iavii?abe ibr small vessels. Tbcpopula-,'
tion of thin district is 965 families; they have
large stocks of very large sized cattle, ' make
considerable sugar and cotton . for. exports-
I North of Tuckepai, and cl'irectly baqk of it,.
' is the district of Appalusa,, in extent nearly
100 miles .by 50. 1 hi is a high, nch, and.
imnossiblotb conceive bfWore beautiful ftelds'
and plantatipn, or more luxuriant 'crops jcf
corn.' cotton ahd "tobacttiV . " " ; , ; .' ; ' '
i Tkt towhr pbrt bfNafcnitpches! (where :
i a vuurciijiuc rciucic ot inc commanaant,
priest, ten th twelve merchants, and 30 or.,40.
families) was forrrierry a Frencb' garrison and,"
an oui-post, It is:handsomelv situated, on a !
skill, which 'bverlooks a great extent. o well :
cuiuvkcq neius i n was inucn target 5Q or 60 ,
jearo igo than at present, owing to 'many p ,:
thejnhsbitjmts, who befprt lived fa tbe.ar .
rison, having ithjn.' jM .SGt'orrloVyeaia
'past, settled on plantations up ahd down the
;ivenf--;,A . , . :-.v., ;.,,.r -'
From this' place' the great western road
akea bff toWards Mexico, and it will ever bitf
fcn important place, beinc the kev to an im
mense rich country, ' The population of the
district of Natchitoches, isbetween 4 ar.d 5000,
The low grounds.of Red River, are generally
5 or S miles wide, and no soil can he richer.' .
hnd nearly fill like considerable partof which
is ovcrnowen annually in the month ot April ;
uuv 11 vuiiuuui-a on iiui b mon iime anu ai- .
ways falls in( time io plant corn and tobacco, .
' A j 1 1 j , . . t ' . '
piiu 1 iics isu tuuix 1111 wic lame unie me next
year. .There, ire .fields; that from the best
' account 1 can obtan; have been.'idanted' suc
cessively tor near 100 years in corn or tobacco,
and never known to fail in producingWcntiful
Crops, nor is tlw soil apparently in, the least
exhauited,' his particularly favourable for
tobacco, which prows remarkably luxuriant,
and hoi a very fine flavour.' The soil ba a
saline impregnation, which imparts something
of it to the tobacco. . ' .: ... .j. r
VTho 'weir and Kfiver water is somewhat
brackish.:, l am convinced that one hand
there can "make as much tobacco, in a ea
son.'as fout of five" oh the best lands in Vir'
ginia orN6rth;Carolina.; It is made with-
out any hills being raised,' and prows so miicV
Cuom the strength and warmth of the soil)
mm iiicT usually rui ji mrec times 1 wnen
prepared for market, it is stemmed and made
into twists of five pounds each. ; . , , '
' From W to 100 btishels of corn can be made
to the acre. Cotton produces equally well.
beautiful ' country, skirted with clumps of Hi she gardens on the natural soil (lor they can-.
:noun&nmg trees, and interspersed w(tn hue It not re mwencner witb manu.e) are no less
rich prairie.,' which produce corn and cotton f. astonishing or exlraoidinary. I have particu
'in great perfection. Bvit the hnniensa flocks U l irly observed the very Rital height to which
of-attle wiih which they are coverrd, are aK, It he sitichoV jjvows,! lb y are nsva!!-' )
if, KtN u,iu vert Irtciuciiilv 2 arid 15 fcclhich.
a 4 -
'rlost mcrr ' V t,A u.pi'i"-, l ! ; : nay-be
seen in oticiicw. The H'liuUuon of Appa
lusa is 470 families. . ; A rjrer called Cbefl'cli
runs through Appalusa, ami empties Into tho
Gulf of Mexico, atTuckepa.. .Thiaisapart
of the Missisaippi that breaks out about two
hundred miles above New-Orleans, just be
low and in sight of the mouth of Red river.
The navigation of CliaRtli has be-n conside
rably obstructed for tumo years past, by drift
wood, that in floating dowo the Mississippi,
has lodged in its mouth. a. .
North of Appalusa, and joining, begin the
settlements on the waters of Red river. This
river heads in the same mountains of the Mis.
souri and the river Grand, which separate the
waters of the Mississippi aud. the Gulf of
Mexico, from thone of the Western Ocean,
Red river is near 2000 miles in length; it fslls
into the Mississippi about 300 miles from its
mouth, and is nasigable, it is said, for boats
mere than 1300 miles, n In ascending it, the
firt high land that will admit of being settled
(on account ol it overflowing) is . Itavial,
which is about 75 miles up it by water, and.
. . ? m 1
4U fiiiKS eaove lite mourn 01 onca riTer. .
Izavial is called an island, and is 10 at high!
water 1 it is a beautiful prairie, on the south
side of Red Riser, about 10 roilrs. in length,
& 4 or 5 in brcadthi of an oval form, surropn
rfed with thick wood, Interspersed with hind-'
some clumps of trccsj tufted over with fine
grass, and settled all round tha edge in a cir.
cular form. Their fields are in the prairie, in
front of their linuses,&the centre of tb prairie
(which is not cultivated) is covered with catV
tlrof trvery lrg alter I puree! throughls.'
vial in the month of March t I accurately
ascertained the numtKr of families, which is
294.. The laod, when plouxhed, has a very
rich appearance, and produces corn and cot.
ton abundantly, but not to be compared tq
the river lamia, or the Apasluiaor Tuckepa1
prairies. ' On each side of Red river art some
scattering settlements for about SO miles, to
Daysn Rapide, oa which are about 100 fa
milies. The land here, in point of fertility,
is inferior to none in the world t and for about
40 miles hrnccf so the bermhing of the Ap
pAluaa prairies,-passing lis y an Robert and
Bayan Bomf, (on which a few settlements are
beginning) the country Is squally rich, and
as well timbered as any Isnd can be. Ilia
perfectly level, (rctembling river bed) tha
toll 30 feet deep, and like a bed of vniaure.
Higher up Red river the bsnks and low
grounds (which art I or erodes wide) art
nearly of tht same quality as the lands on
Bayaa Rapide, with only this difference, be
ing of a testate eomcwhst looser, which ia
perhaps an advantage Here are but few
settlements, till you arrive at the rim Cane
Settlements (sec ailed) which is 60 orTO miles
higher up Ktd River, From this op to the
village or port of Natchitoches, which is S
bout 50 miles, and fbrSS miles above It, the
bsnks of one branch of Red Rivtr art settled
lu'iU sstnimsnnrr is tkt Hu!vipl. 4tU
Io the iieighlxnirliood of Natchitochea are
Several salt springs, the waters of which are
at least three times as strong as sea wafer.
Two men, with 10 or 12 old pots and kittles,
aupply the settlements on Red river with
salt. The springs are almost inrxhauMillc,
und would admit of very large quantities of
'saltheingmndefiomthtm.fi .
! . There are likewise plenty of irrn and cvp.
per ore, pit coal, shell and stone lime. The
.different branches of tht river, the lakes,
creeks snd baysns, abound with very fine fish,
cockles, soft shelled turtle and shrimps, and
in winter great varieties of wild fowl. , This
country is far from being sickly.i The rivtr
being very lcrp,!oes not get much heated
houses are immediately on its banks, which
are kept perfectlv clean 1 and the water being
'sslllsh, prevents the exhalation of sitkly vu-
ttours 1 and it is tiapuilv freed from meor of
t . . . . ' .
j t tnrtsorout)tsorot isects so common in the
southern states, particularly , the bedbug.
Tht musnuito is very rarely seen here. , '.-i -
.Tht high Isnds, which are all; vacant, and
unsettled, ace covered with a, thick rrowth
of oak, hickory, ash, gum, sassafras, dogwood.
buckeye, grapc.vincs,,ttc., intcrroised. with,
some short-leaved pine.endinU'rspresed with 1
prairies, creeks, lakes and fountain t it is not .
mountainous but gently rising hills and val
lies, and gencrsUy a strong clay soil. : But
tha appearance of both the limber and lands
! very mnch injured by the fremient burning
of the woods, i , . . v
t The Muntrycn jRcd.fiyer,bicbleatce-
-l. - IA t . 1 . . .
ioi vaiusoie, oe'os aooui juor wmnti
a&ovv the upper settlements, and extends 4
or too miles. The river there never over
flows its bsnks 1 the low grounds are wide
It from tht river, for 40 miles on each side.the
lands are remarkably rich, interspersed with
handsome prairies beautiful stream and foun
tains 1 also quarries of freestone, lime, (lint,
slate, grit, aad almost every kind of stone 4
About 10 or 0 years sro, a number of
Frenchmen settled on this part of Red river t
they htsilt merchant mill, with burr-stones
(which they brought from Frwale) and cul
tivated wheat In the prairies with much vt4
acts, and made, excellent floor for aevrntl
years, till, by the repealed incursions of th
Oxa lodisns, they were compelled toabandcrr
thrir settlements, i
The (has art trace of Indians living in a
prairie between Red river and a branch of
the Mlasoutr, tt 9 remarkable lafe springs 1
tbty fonnerty consisted of nesr 3000 warriors,
bat fiear two-thlrds Of them were destroyed
by the smsll pox a few years iro. They are
In site gigsnue, and In lipmit"n cruel and
ferocious 1 they art alwsya at war with their
Indian neighbours,, and are Inveterate etc.
rniet of all white people particularly the Spa
tilards. 1 .
Sotrthlnf WHre thsn twenty yean age,
aa atUmpf was made hy the Spaniards to re.
actUt,lhta crjauri for this jmrjiuae, somt
! priests, a company of soldiers,,ind aumCer
01 lamiiies wun a ncn cuioi, repaircu inuncr
Tbey had been there but a short time, btfoj'.e
.the 0zas fell upon them ind totally destroyed
tYiAtvi' aitamnt Knar airsr KaMnws aftalfa 4
as V uie aiv nkluafc ayw aanvv wvwm taasw W
aeulct. A ' ; a- - '. -! ' ' S ,
.; J am wen acquaintedwith an ddedy FreftcK
gentan'-ovet'iarge fbrttme,r; aa4vatric( '
veracity, ;who vraa born then?,-' ind whO1 Ven ' ,
there "a few years ago, 'and'brongbt awajr tho
burr milKstofielfwbich' were left'there by tho "':
, Frnth' From hhn 1 have had, hh'aecurate
description, t( that countryJlle:S3y5thero.
lire lu his icriniiR miuvu, iuhc inw -
minesvas rich as any iit'Me'xico,' from which :
he.baa taken ore and had it proved. - He like-
wise described to meaqdarry of slate, that ia
on the bank or'theVrWer, from which f akea
rinniy be talen seven or tight feet square, per
fectly true, and half an incli thick f and that
the source , is inexhaustible ' lie "ssy s - to?
prairies in that,' country are full of buffaloes,
Wild horeas, mulcsantelope's, and a tertaikai
ble species of wild -hog whose navels are on
their backt1. '?' r;"w-.?':U'. ' v''i
I n ascendin g Red rtver,about 30 miles from
the mouth of it, Black river Tails in on the
: north side this is always a clear navigal la
stream, for 5 or 600 miles.; About 100 miles .
up it, it branches, at tht same place, in three
idiffcrent; drrections.i The- eastern branch,
taTled' tht,..Tensaw, js navigable ' for- many
miles, 'afforda rich land which is all vacant.'
The middle or main branch, called Washeta,
is navigable 500 miles, on which is an old set-.
tlcment, affords excellent lands, salt springs, .
lead ore, and plenty' of very good mill and
grind-stones. .r The1 western 'branch, "' called,
Catahola (on which are 30 or 30 families new-,
ly settled) runs through a beautiful rich prai
rie rountry, in which is" a large lake called V,
Catahoa.Lake. On this lake arc said to be
a great number of salt springs, and very re
markable accounts are given of the fish and
fowls with which it abounds. On the rivet
called Ozark, are rattny valuable tracts o( .
land, some of which ar settled. The same
"of White River and Sahri( Francois,.' ' , '4.-'
t. From the lower , settlement, ' at Sain la .
Grace, to the uppereettlements on the Mis- j
aotlri (a distance of upward of, 250, miles) t
rohtaining a population of SO or 60,000, is a
I country ceual ta Krntuckyv cr any pnrt of
iw(fi trrltttyi r-r "
1ttii.es cimtaincd n It. render it a iAar ct
vast importance. 'i- The extent cf Lonisiana
being 1500 miles In length, and not less than
200 in width, will admit of its being divided
into four states at least.' .. t 1
TraTcllisg up the Mississippi tome months
ago, I took pains to ascertain the number of ,
sugar plantations, and the average quantity
of S'igar made 'annually on each. I found
14 below Ncw-Drlrana,' and 64 above, in alt
78 j and they averaged annually about 75,000
weight of sugar, besides a proportionable
quantity of ruin and molasses. 1 Considerable
sugsr has been made in 'Tuckepa, but I have
not been able to ascertain' the noantlty but
in exsm'rr ing that partof Louisiana that will
answer the cultivation of. sugar, via. on tha
Misshtsippi, for CO miles below NeVr-Orleana,
and 60 miles above It, whb Tcrre Bcruf. ami
the bayan St.' John's,1 the bayan La Fosh,
Tnckcpa, and QuelqOecbose at least, 1000 su
. gar plantaOnns may be made equal tothoso
now ucdauch, which might tarn out sn
Dually 75,000ihotrshcads, - of 1000 pounds
weight each, besides a proportionable qusn
tity of rum and molaaeea.
The lands on Red river alone, are capable of
produrlng more tobacco than is now made in,
all the United States, and at less thsn one
fourth part of the labour- and m sU Lou Ul
an s, I think more than (en times as mucW
cotton might le nude as in the United States
The extreme fertility of this country, ther
vast quantities of fioor,bef, . pork,' tobacco
sncsr, kc. which it would yield with the pro
-dualoMf.f Ksmmc-s Indrpenrtfnt of tht diu
posut of vait qt aoiities of vacant Isnds under
no claims, render the acquisition of it to the
VMicfl Mates ol importsnce almost exceed,
infl calculation. ' a -' ' . '
Ths wtatem boundary of I Wialana is not
ascertained, and there are various opinions
about It, The jurisdiction of the Governor of .
IeuUisia at present ends,' and that of thd
Spanish province of Texns brfins, about 40
milrswtat of the port of Natchitoches on the
Red River and it does not appear that there,
ever wes any agreement between tht t
Vemments or France and Spain, concerning
It. -This Is a mstterof conaidcrsble hnpor
Isnct I for Wherever the line is, it must run
through a remark ally rich and fertile coun
try t and a few miles either wsy of so long a
line, Is of consequence. ' -s
In taeisiana (as in all 5pnib eountrlr )
the .Roman Catholic religion Is tht only one
ttdrrsted. Home among them (who are
Strongly attached to that rtttgkn) have tt
preied to me their bars, ' that when the A
merirsn government Isestshlithed over them'
they will not be permlited to worship tsthtrt
plesatf but t bsve Ivwjrtd tfcrm iliSr frars
are gmnndleia. They art quite bappy with
their priest at Natch'iicbea,- who was for,
merly an abbot lit France, and i one of the
few who, during the latt r1lturbancr ther,
sared bis lie by fltinsj In r.hp.Uixl, though nt
Without a broken bstt, wtUh l S'ill srtxiUi
V
t i
1
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9
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