Our accommodations consisted of a cabin with sixteen births; behind this were two ladies cabins, of which, as there were no ladies on board, we took possession, so that we might be located at the greatest possible distance from the engine. We met three steam-boats, and several keel and flat boats, which were laden with cotton, meal in barrels, bacon, hams, birds, &c.
We passed the whole night without receiving any damage, although we suffered some heavy blows from floating trunks of trees. The next day the dwellings were more scattered, all of them, as well as the sugar-cane fields about them, appeared in good condition. The banks on both sides we found mostly covered with wood; the cypress had ceased, and green-leaved trees, such as ash and poplar took their place. At first the shore was very low, and we could observe from the marks on the trees left by the water, that at a high stage of it the surrounding country must be overflowed. Towards midday we passed the small town of Baton Rouge, which lies upon a height, and may contain about twelve hundred inhabitants. It was the first town we had noticed. In passing, I remarked upon the eminence two brick barracks, two stories high, and good looking, which are inhabited during the summer by the garrison of New Orleans, on account of their healthy situation. Baton Rouge is one hundred and thirty-one miles distant from New Orleans, and owes its name to an ancient Indian trunk of a tree, which was so denominated by the first French settlers. We did not stop here, but made our first halt after sunset, at Bayou Sara, one hundred and sixty-three miles from New Orleans, for an hour, to take in wood for the engine. Above Baton Rouge the banks were steep, especially the left. Such solitary elevations are termed here bluffs. The islands in the Mississippi are numbered as they occur from the junction of the Ohio down. The last is No. 97, we came this day up above No. 94, and found all these intermediate islands low and covered with wood. Towards the rising of the sun, we had passed by at the mouth of the Bayou la Fourche, the little town of Donaldsonville, where as it is said, the seat of government of Louisiana will be established.[II.12] We saw three large alligators lying on the shore sunning themselves, the largest must have been from six to eight feet long. The weather was fine the whole day.
We did not lie by again in the evening, but went on through the night, and still received several blows from the drift wood.
The next morning produced nothing novel; some tortoises only passed us, sailing on pieces of wood. The river made many and considerable windings. The banks are every where woody, and for the most part so low, that from the water-marks on the trees, they must be inundated at high freshes. There were several high bluffs on the left bank, of which those called Loftus Heights, appear to be the most remarkable. There is a small settlement there called Fort Adams, from a fort that formerly stood here. Scattered, but considerable plantations, are situated on the shores. The sugar plantations have ceased, and the cotton fields have taken their place. We stopped at one of these plantations to take in wood; I embraced this opportunity to land, and look round about me in the neighbourhood of the plantation. The soil appeared to be of a dark colour, and very productive. The trees were chiefly of ash and poplar, of which one was sixteen feet in circumference. Upon all the trees, wild vines branched aloft, partly from thick trunks; also many locust trees grew about here. In the garden of the plantation, there stood a large bush of the champagne rose, as it is called, which appeared very beautiful, as it was in full bloom, and diffused a delicious odour. The raising of bees was carried on at this plantation. The vegetation was as far advanced almost, as it is in Germany about June. The right bank of the stream still belongs to Louisiana, the left side however, is in Mississippi. Before we reached Fort Adams, we saw to the left of us the broad Red river, emptying itself into the Mississippi two hundred and thirty-two miles from New Orleans.
I take the liberty of inserting the following account of this river, which is given in the “Western Navigator,” a work which is published with charts of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers: “The Red river falls into the Mississippi a little to the south of the thirty-first degree of north latitude. At its mouth it is about five hundred yards wide, and its general breadth is between two hundred and fifty and three hundred yards. The main branch of this majestic stream rises in the Mexican range of mountains eastward from Santa Fé, in nearly the thirty-sixth degree of north latitude. It flows about one hundred miles in a north-eastern direction, unites itself with another broad branch coming from the north-west, makes then a great circuit towards the south-east, and follows this direction to the Mississippi for the distance of fifteen hundred miles. The country about the lower half of the Red river is pretty well examined, and found equal to the other part of Louisiana in fertility, except about fifty miles from the Mississippi, which district is exposed to annual inundations. The cotton and the tobacco raised about Natchitoches and at the Rapids, are of the best quality, and command the highest prices. Besides many small craft, the trade employs several steam-boats at Natchitoches. The bed and shores of this river consists of clear red sand, mixed with clay and gravel, the same colour is imparted to the water.”
On the morning of the 29th March we reached Natchez, and made a stop of some hours, to repair a leaky boiler. I employed this leisure in writing some letters of thanks to New Orleans. This occupied so much of my time, that I was not able to look about in Natchez. Several of our company did so, and informed me that the city was regularly and well built, and situated upon an eminence on the left bank of the river, removed a short mile back from it. Upon the bank itself, are some few streets of wooden houses, with shops for provisioning and supplying the steam-boats, which mostly make this a station. Back of these streets, rises a sand-hill, upon which the city stands, and a very laborious ascent through deep sand carries one there. Natchez is two hundred and ninety-eight miles distant from New Orleans.
At half past eight o’clock we proceeded: the banks were very low, and bluffs were to be seen only now and then on the left side. Only one solitary plantation on a hill covered with grass appeared well cultivated. It was situated upon a point called Petit gulf, where the river makes a remarkable bend, and is three hundred and forty miles from New Orleans. Besides this, we took notice of several little plantations which are exposed to inundations, and have only wretched log-houses. They are fixed there by poor people, who seek to acquire property in this unhealthy district. We stopt at two of this kind of plantations to take in wood, and I went ashore both times for exercise. At one of these places, the owner had put fire to all the trees that were not hewn down, to make the land arable, and to change the wood into cotton fields. The day passed over in the same way: our travelling party was increased by a woman from St. Louis, who had waited for us with her three children at one of the plantations. She was the wife of a mechanic in St. Louis, who also was engaged in trade, having been to Santa Fé, in Mexico, and from there had brought mules for sale to the state of Alabama. He appeared to have staid away rather too long; his wife, and her three little children, had travelled after him, but not being able to find him, she now returned home.
During the night we passed the little town of Warrenton, on the left bank of the river, three hundred and ninety-eight miles from New Orleans, and afterwards another, on an eminence on the same shore, called Walnut Hills, ten miles farther. About midday, on the 30th of March, we passed the mouth of the Yazoo.
Concerning this river, the Western Navigator makes the following remarks:—“The Yazoo rises in the state of Georgia, takes a south-westerly direction, meanders through a fertile country, and empties itself into the Mississippi, in the latitude of 32° 30´. At its mouth it is about one hundred and thirty yards wide.”
The country was again very monotonous, low banks, partly covered with water, covered thickly with trees, of which the fresh green leaves were very much hidden by the disagreeable Spanish moss: some inconsiderable plantations, where cotton and Indian corn were raised, and the dwelling-houses, miserable little log-cabins, which are built on a sort of grate, on account of the overflowing water. We stopt at one of these places for wood, on the left bank. The labourers discovered among the wood prepared for them, a snake two feet long, green and yellow striped, with a white belly. They considered it poisonous, and killed it; I believe, however, that it was not, for at a dinner in the habitation of Mr. Andry, the sons of our host brought a similar snake, which he had found in the garden, into the chamber, and I permitted it, (to the terror of the ladies,) to creep into my sleeve upon the naked skin. Although the head of this snake had been cut off, yet the body still had life, and wound itself so fast upon my finger with the tail that I could carry it a considerable distance. There are many bears in the woods here, as the wife of the planter assured me, which make great havoc among the hogs of the inhabitants, but do not attack men. The islands in the river are very low, and covered thick with timber.