USA > Louisiana > The history of Louisiana : from the earliest period, Volume I > Part 5
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The land, at the mouth of the Catahoula is evi- dently alluvial. In process of time, the river, shutting up its ancient passage, and elevating the banks over which its waters pass no longer, communicates with the same facility as formerly. The consequence is, that many large tracts, before subject to inundation, are now exempt from that inconvenience.
There is an embankment running from the Cata- houla to Black river (enclosing about two hundred acres of rich land) at present about ten feet high, and ten feet broad. This surrounds four large mounds of earth at the distance of a bow-shot from each other; each of which may be twenty feet high, one hundred feet broad, and three hundred feet long at the top, besides a stupendous turret, situated on the back part of the whole, or farthest from the water; the base · covers about an acre of ground, rising by two steps or stories, tapering in the ascent ; the whole surmounted by a great cone with its top cut off. This tower of earth, on admeasurement, was found to be eighty feet perpendicular.
The Tensa is a creek thirty six miles long, the is- suc of a lake of the same name, twenty-four miles in
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length and six in breadth, which lies west from the mouth of the Catahoula, and communicates with Red river, during the great annual inundations.
To the west and northwest angle of this lake, a stream called Little river enters, and preserves its channel of running water during all the year : mean- dering along the bed of the lake, the superfices of which, in all other parts, during the dry season from July to November. and frequently later, is complete- ly drained, covered with the most luxuriant herbage, and becomes the retreat of immense herds of deer, of turkeys, geese and crane.
The Tensa serves only to drain off a part of the waters of the inundation from the low land of the Mississippi, which communicates with Black river du- ring the season of high water.
Three miles up the Washita and on the right side, comes a stream called the Haha, one of the many pas- sages through which the waters of the great inunda- tion penetrate and pervade all the low land ; annihi- lating, for a time, the current of lesser streams in the neighbourhood of the Mississippi.
Five miles above is the prairie Villemont, thus na- med from its having been included in a grant from the French government to an officer of that name.
In the beginning of the last century, the French projected, and began here extensive settlements, but the massacre in 1730. and the subsequent destruc- tion of the Natchez Indians, broke up all their un- dertakings, and they were not renewed by the French.
The timber, on both sides of the Washita to this prairie, is chictly the red. white and black oak, inter- spersed with a variety of other trees.
The plains of the Washita lie on its east side, and sloping from the bank, are inundated in the rear by
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the Mississippi. In certain great floods, the water has advanced so far, as to be ready to pour into the Washita over its margin.
On approaching towards bayou Lowes, which the Washita receives from the right, a little below its first rapid there is a great deal of high land on both sides of the river, producing the long leaved pine.
At the foot of the rapids, the navigation is obstruct- ed, by beds of gravelly sand ; above the first rapid is a high ridge of primitive earth, studded with abun- dance of fragments of rocks or stone, which appear to have been thrown up to the surface in a very irregu- lar manner. The stone is of a very friable nature, some of it having the appearance of indurated clay; the rest is blackish. from exposure to the air; within, it is of a greyish white. It is said that the strata in the hill are regular and might afford good grind- stones.
The other rapid is formed by a ledge of rocks cros- sing the entire bed of the river : above it, the water appears as in a mill pond and is about one hundred yards wide. .
Twelve miles higher, a little above a rocky hill, comes in the bayou Aux Bœufs. The river is here, at low water, about two fathoms and a half deep, on a bottom of mud and sand. The banks of the river ap- pear to retain very little alluvial soil : the high land earth which is a sandy loam of a grey colour, has streaks of red sand and clay. The soil is not rich ; it bears pines, interspersed with red oak, hickory and dogwood.
A third rapid created by a transverse ledge of rock, narrows the river to about thirty yards.
Similar rapids occur as far as the settlement. It is a plain or prairie, which appears alluvial from the regular slope of the land from the bank of the river,
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the bed of which is now sufficiently deep to preserve it from inundation. Yet, in the rear, the waters of the Mississippi approach, and sometimes leave dry but a narrow strip of land along the bank of the Washita. The soil is here very good, but not equal to the Mississippi bottoms ; it may be estimated se- cond rate. At a small distance to the east, are ex- tensive cypress swamps, over which the waters of the inundation always stand, to the depth of from fifteen to twenty-five feet. On the west, after passing once the valley of the river. the breadth of which is from one quarter to two miles, the land assumes an eleva- tion from one hundred to three hundred feet, and ex- tends to the settlements of Red river. It is there poor and what is called pine barrens.
On this part of the river, lies a considerable tract of land, granted in 1795 by the Baron de Ca- rondelet to the Marquis of Maison Rouge, a French emigrant, who proposed to bring into Louisiana, thir- ty families from his country, who were to descend the Ohio for the purpose of forming an establishment, on the banks of the Washita. designed principally for the culture of wheat. and the manufacture of flour. This tract was two leagues in width, and twelve in length, traversed by the river.
The town of M. nroe stands on the side of the Washita. and at high water is approached by large steam boats : but the navigation is interrupted du- ring a great part of the year by many shoals and ra- pide. The general width of the river to the town is from eighty to one hundred yards. Its banks present very little appearance of alluvial soil, but furnish an infinite number of beautiful landscapes.
A substance is found, along the river side, nearly resembling mineral coal: its appearance is that of the carbonated wood. described by Kirwan. It does not
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easily burn, but being applied to the flame of a can- dle, it sensibly increases it, and yields a faint smell, resembling that of gum lac, or common sealing wax.
Soft friable stone is common, and great quantities of gravel and sand are upon the beach; on several parts of the shore a redish clay appears in the strata of the banks, much indurated and blackened by ex- posure to light and air.
The land above the town is not very inviting, the soil being poor and covered with pine wood.
About thirty-six miles higher up is bayou Barthe- lemy. on the right. Here begins Baron de Bastrop's grant of land, by the Baron de Carondelet in 1795, obtained nearly on the same terms as that of the Marquis de Maison Rouge. It is a square of four leagues on each side, containing about one million of acres.
The bank of the river continues about thirty feet in height, of which eighteen from the water are a clayey . loam of a pale colour, on which the water has depos- ited twelve feet of light sandy soil, apparently fertile, and of a dark brown colour. This description of land is of a small breadth, not exceeding one half of a mile on each side of the river; and may be called the valley of the Washita, between which there is high land covered with pine.
The soil continues with a growth of small timber to the bayou des butes, which has it sname from a num- ber of Indian mountds along its course.
The margin of the river begins now to be covered with such timber as grows on inundated land, particu- larly a species of white oak, vulgarly called the over- cup oak, the wood of which is remarkably hard, solid, ponderous and durable. It produces a large acorn, in great abundance, on which bears feed, and which is very fattening for hogs.
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A few miles higher up is a long and narrow island. Here the face of the country begins to change. The banks of the river are low and steep, its bed deeper and more contracted. being from twenty-five to thirty feet in depth. The soil, near the water, is a very sandy loam, covered with such vegetation, as is found on the inundated land of the Mississippi. The tract presents the appearance of a new soil, very different from what is below. This alluvial spot may be sup- posed the old site of a great lake, drained by a natural channel, by the abrasion of the water-since which period, the annual inundations have deposited the · superior soil. Eighteen or twenty feet are wanting to render it habitable for man. It appears now well stocked with the beasts of the forest.
Mallet's island is above. Its upper point has been ascertained to be within 32 1-2 seconds to the northern line of the state. The bed of the river along this al- luvial soil is generally covered with water, and its navigation, uninterrupted. Near it is marais des Sa- bines, on the right. A stratum of dirty white clay, un -. der the alluvial tract. shows the end of the sunken and the approach of the high land. The salt lake marsh does not derive its name from any brackish- ness in its water; but from its contiguity to some of the lakes, generally found, on a clayey soil, compact enough for potters warc.
Opposite to this place is a point of land, forming a promontory, advancing within a'mile of the river, and to which the boats resort, when the low lands are covered with water.
Great salt lick creek. a stream of considerable length, and navigable for small boats, comes in above. The hunters ascend it three hundred miles and affirm that none of the springs that feed it are salt. It has obtained its name from the many buffalo salt licks discovered in its vicinity.
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Although many of these licks, by digging, furnish water, holding marine salt in solution, there exists no reason for believing that any of them would produce nitre.
Notwithstanding this low, alluvial tract appears in all respects well adapted to the growth of the long moss, or Spanish beard (tilansia) none is obtained in the thirty-third degree of latitude.
. The long leaf pine, frequently the growth of rich and even inundated land, is here in great abundance. " The short leaf pitch pine, on the contrary, is general- ly found upon arid land and frequently in sandy and lofty situations.
Some sand beaches and rapids are higher up; there are cane brakes on both sides of the river. The canes are small, but demonstrate that the water does not surmount the bank more than a few feet.
The river here begins to widen. Its banks show the high land soil, with a stratum of three or four feet of alluvion deposited by the river upon it. Their superstratum is greyish and very sandy, with a small admixture of loam, indicative of the poverty of the up- land and mountains in which the river rises.
At the distance of a few miles is the confluence of the little Atipouse, on the left hand. The navigation of the Washita is much impeded by numerous rapids and shoals.
Coal mines are to be found on the north west side of the river, at the distance of one mile and a half from its banks, and a saline was discovered by Dr. Hunter, in 1804.
It is situated at the bottom of the bed of a deep gully. The surrounding land is rich and well timber- ed, but subject to inundation; except an Indian mound, having a base of eighteen or one hundred feet in diameter and twenty feet high. After digging
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about three feet, through the clay, he came to quick sand from which the water flowed in abundance. Its taste was salt and bitter, resembling that of sea water. ' In a second hole, it required him to dig six feet before he reached the quick sand: in doing which, he struck several pieces of Indian pottery. The brine yielded a solid mass, by evaporation, of ten quarts or half a pound in weight, when dry. It is, therefore, of the same strength, as the water of the ocean on our coast, and twice that of the famous lick in Kentucky, called Bullet's lick, and Mank's lick, from which so much salt is made.
The part of the state lying north of Red river is interspersed with numerous lakes and water courses, and presents every variety of soil, from the low inun- dated land, to the highest hills in Louisiana. As in the lower region of the Mississippi, the margin of the rivers is (with the exception of a few tracts ofhigh cane brake land ) higher than that in the rear, taking a southern direction with that noblestream. The shores of lake Providence, the first high land that presents itself, are about three miles west from the river. That lake is evidently an ancient bed of the Missis- sippi; about thirty six miles due south, lake St. Jo- seph presents the same appearance. On Bruine's bay- ou, twelve miles south. part of the banks are sufficient- ly high for cultivation. Lake St. John is not far from Concordia. The shores of both these lakes are part- ly cultivated ; their features indicate also that they · formerly were beds of the Mississippi. From Con- cordia to the mouth of Red river, the land descends suddenly from the banks into what makes a part of the Mississippi swamp. The first water course of any importance running west of and in a nearly par- allel course with the Mississippi is the river Tensa
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which uniting with the bayou Mason runs into the Wa- shita. The Tensa and Mason might easily be made navigable for steam boats, which have already ascen- ded the Tensa upwards of thirty miles. In the upper part of those rivers, the land is high in many places, chietly on the Mason; the land is rolling, far above high water mark, but not sufficiently elevated to merit the appellation of hills. Beautiful specimens of cal- careous spath have been brought from that part of the country, found in ploughing. In the lower part of those streams the land is low and unfit for cul- tivation. Between the Mississippi and the Tensa, bayous intersect the swamp, always running west or southwestwardly ; lakes, joined the one to the other by those bayous, are scattered over it. The great- est part of those lakes becomes dry at low water, and in a dry autumn, except those which were formerly beds of the Mississippi. These retain invariably a considerable quantity of water. The same observa- tion. applies to the country between the Mississippi and Black river, which empties into Red river thirty miles above its mouth. When the Mississippi rolls on its full tide, those bayous, receiving an immense addi- tion from its waters, run with the rapidity of torrents; chiefly at their issue from the Mississippi into the Tensa and river Aux Bœufs, mixing their waters with the Washita and Black river, and carrying back in- to its bosom by Red river, what it had yielded to them above.
The head waters of the Tensa are at or near lake Providence ; the Mason heads higher up and wester- ly.
The next river west of these is the Aux Bœufs, thus called by the first hunters ( French) on account of the innumerable herds of buffaloes which then roamed in the large prairies bordering its banks. That river
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has its rise not far north of the thirty-third degree of latitude, in the territory of Arkansas. The middle part of its course presents high rich land; it gets low- er towards its mouth, near which it is overflowed to the Washita river. Between river Aux Bœufs and the Mason the land is low, with here and there a tract of high rich soil.
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West of river Aux Bœufs, Barthelemy river, (often called bayou) is a considerable stream ; it heads in the territory of Arkansas, and empties into the Wa- shita. thirty miles by water above the town of Mon- roe, the only re-union of houses or hamlets in the par- ish of Washita. The land on that bayou is high on both sides; its water pure, and its current brisk, even at the lowest stage of water. It is navigable for barges or batteaux, and could be rendered fit for steam boat navigation at a small expense. Among the numerous water courses, which either are or could easily bemade a medium of water communication, from the Mississippi to the northwestern part of the state, it will ultimately be this river. which will be found to afford the best, the easiest and the most important.
Among the numerous creeks and bayous which car- ry their tribute to the Washita river, bayou Louis ought not to be forgotten ; it is not on account of the extent of its course, but on account of the land on its borders or adjacent thereto. It comes out of a lake of the same name. the western and northwestern banks of which are inhabited. being high and fertile. That lake and bayou, the Washita, river Aux Bœufs . and Turkey creek surround the high land, called Si- cily Island. In it are found high hills, generally much broken, containing sand stones and some silex in peb- bles; that spot is the most remarkable for being the only one covered with slight hills between the Missis- sippi and Washita, and also, because it appears to
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have been among the first inhabited by the French, who settled in Louisiana, who probably abandoned it at the epoch of the massacre by the Natchez Indians. It is abont thirty miles from Concordia, in a west by north direction. French axes have been found there, canon balls, even mill stones and iron tools much dis- figured by rust, but evidently of French manufacture.
The next stream, to which all those mentioned above, are tributary is the Washita; that river has its source in the territory of Arkansas, in the rocky Mountains. In the vicinity of its head waters are found the celebrated warm springs. It runs almost parallel with the Mississippi. At the mouth of the Tensa, Little riveror Catahoula river, arrivesfrom the west. The Washita, running between the two, takes their additional supply at the same place, in its course, but there loses its name : from this place to its junc- tion with Red river, during a meandering course of about sixty miles, it assumes the name of Black river, an appellation probably derived from the colour of the soil through which it runs; the fertility of which often induced emigrants to settle on its banks: but they are too low; very few years elapse without seeing them inundated; they are now deserted. Many bayous emp y their waters into Black river, all rising in the Mississippi swamp, and at high water communicating with that noble stream. The largest is bayou Crocodile, which comes out of lake Concor- dia : when its current is considerable, the largest kind of canoes, have navigated it to Black river.
The Washita is navigable for steam boats of any burthen during six or eight months in the year, as far as the town of Monroe, a distance of about two hun- dred and forty miles from its mouth, or as it is there called the mouth of Black river. Steam boats of up- wards of one hundred and fifty tons have ascended it
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more than two hundred miles above Monroe. From its mouth to the Mississippi, the banks of Red river are low, and during high water offer nothing to the eye but an immense sea covered with forests.
The features of the country, west of Washita river, are very different from those of the eastern side : be- tween Washita and Red river, extensive pine hills, some of which are several hundred feet high, cover the surface of the earth. nearly as far south as the mouth of Little river, with the exception of the bot- toms of creeks ; some of which are fertile and above inundation-others, chiefly near their mouth, covered with water at every great swelling of the stream. On that side, the Mississippi has no effect ; no power, there ceases its dominion. except occasionally when at the highest stage, it recedes on Red river, and Black river, and consequently such of their tributary streams. the entrance of which are situated low enough to be affected by this retrograde motion. Such is Little river, which runs through a lake called Catahou- la. almost dry at low water. and which could be naviga- ted by crafts of heavy burthen, when the adjacent low land is inundated. That river has its head waters about thirty mile south of the 33d degree of N. latitude; its northernmost branch originates at 32 degrees and 35 seconds: it then takes the name of Dogdemene and forms the boundary between Washi- ta and Natchitoches parishes. Itretains that name to its junction with the bayou or rather creek Castor, thence it is called Little river. In the same manner as the Tensa. Washita and Little river, uniting at one point, form Black river.
The country, through which Little river (some times called Catahoula river) runs, wears not a uniform as- pect. sometimes reaching between hills bluffs and banks, then strongly dragging its waters through
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lands inundated from one and a halfto three miles on each side; in some instances, it flows through rich bottoms, not subject to inundation. Its navigation could be easily improved, and no doubt will be so, when its banks are more thickly settled.
Several large creeks flow between Washita and Little river, formed by innumerable branches, a great proportion of which are never failing springs; they ouly swell by rains; the water running with rapidity from the hills. subsides a few hours after the rain ceases. But few countries can boast of being better supplied with good water than the tract bounded north by the 33d degree of latitude west, by the Dog- demene.south by Catahoula lake and Little river, and east by the Washita river. That country is covered with hills, some of which are very good land, especial- ly about the head waters of bayou D'Arbonne a large creek, which empties into the Washita about seven miles above Monroe. Between its mouth and that place, the bayou Siard. has its entrance into the river. It may not be amiss to observe here in order to find the true meaning of the words bayous and creeks. in the state of Louisiana; the early French settlers in Louisiana called bayous, small bays; any water course, which at its mouth and even higher up did appear like stagnating water, was called, bay- ou. a diminutive of bay. The appellation would be correctly given to all water courses. having hardly any current, or the current of which would run some times to, and some times from, the river; as it is the case with a great many in this section of the state. When the river is lower than the low lands, those bayous run into the river : when those lands are dry and the river rising, they run from it with equal veloci- ty. Those low lands are like reservoirs; did they not exist, lower Louisiana could not be inhabited; it
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would yet be part of the dominion of the sea: they retain an immense quantity of water, which could be calculated, had we an accurate map of the state, show- ing minutely all the land overflowed and to what depth. The name of creek could be given (although its true signification is nearly the same as the one ex- pressed by bayou before) to all water courses run- ning with some velocity and always in the same direc- tion. Thus without any further explanation and by the bare inspection of a map, it would be under- stood, what sort of stream is delineated and even the elevation of the land it runs through. Thus we would say bayou Siard, Barthelemy creek or river, creek D'Arbonne until it meets the overflow, thence bayou D'Arbonne, &c. &c.
The bayou Siard has two entrances, one into Bart- helemy, about six miles east from its mouth, the other into Washita river, mentioned before. It runs to and from that river, according to the stage of waters in either stream; it is navigable for barges some dis- tance from the river and could be easily made so for steam boats; on the hills between Washita and Dogdemene, are occasionally very sandy stones, strongly impregnated with oxid of iron, siliceous pro- bably. Plaster of Pari- is found at a distance of about ninety miles below Monroe, and near the Washita, a few lime stones are scattered on the hills adjacent to those containing plaster of Paris. In the same vicinity and in the deep curbs formed by the swift run- ning branches, have been found petrified shells of several kinds of bivalves, also of belemita and cornua ammonis.
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The land between Catahoula lake. Little river, Black river and the lower part of Red river is almost an uninterupted overflow. not quite as low as the Mis- sissippi swamp, which is in many instances more than
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twenty feet below high water mark ; some lakes or ponds are scattered over that country. Those ponds are nothing more than overflowed land, without any timber. Several inundated (at high water) prairies more elevated than these ponds, are met with in this section of the state. always near the rivers, and often'- on their banks, particularly in the lower parts of Washita and Bœufrivers. Prairies never covered with water and bordering the banks of Washita higher up, existed formerly, such as prairie de Lait, (yet considerable) prairie du Manoir, de Brin d'a- mour, des Chicots, des Canots, (where Monroe is built) (names all nearly forgotten) prairie Chatellerault, prairie Bonde, on Barthelemy river. These are now cultivated, or covered with timber; a circumstance which never fails taking place as soon as the borders of the prairies are settled. Those named Merrouge, Galleer, Jefferson, alias 4th Prairie, are situated far from the river, about east north east, thirty miles from Monroe. Higher up, on the bayou Barthelemy, are several prairies of high but not first rate land ; they are not yet inhabited. In the parish of Catahoula, the . prairie of that name about fifteen miles south west from Catahoula court house, called also Harrisonburg, is some time inundated. It seems to have been former-
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