My eyes having acquired sufficient strength to endure the open day-light, I set off from Pearl island, for Manchac on the Mississippi, in a handsome large boat with three Negroes to navigate her. Leaving the friendly Mr. Rumsey’s seat on Pearl Island, we descended a creek from the landing near his house; this creek led us about a mile, winding through salt sedgy marshes, into Lake Pontchartrain, along whose North shores we coasted about twenty miles, having low, reedy marshes, on our starboard: these marshes were very extensive between us and the far distant high forests on the main: at evening the shore became bolder, with sandy elevations, affording a few dwarf Oaks, Zanthoxylon, Myrica and Rham. frangula. We came to in a little bay, kindled a fire, and after supper betook ourselves to repose; our situation open, airy and cool, on clean sand banks; we rested quietly, though sometimes roused by alarms from the crocodiles, which are here in great numbers, and of an enormous bulk and strength.
Next day early we got under way, pursuing our former course, nearly Westward, keeping the North shore several leagues. Immediately back of this high sandy strand, (which is cast up by the beating surf and winds, setting from seaward, across the widest part of the lake) the ground suddenly falls, and becomes extensive flat Cypress swamps, the sources of creeks and rivers, which run into the lake, or Pearl River, or at other places; the high forests of the main now gradually approaching the lake, advance up to the very shore, where we find houses, plantations and new settlements: we came to at one of them charmingly situated, set sail again, and came up to the mouth of the beautiful Taensapaoa, which takes that name from a nation of Indians, who formerly possessed the territories lying on its banks, which are fertile and delightful regions. This river is narrow at its entrance, but deep, and said to be navigable for large barks and perriauguas, upwards of fifty miles: just within its capes, on the leeward shore, are heights, or a group of low hills (composed of the small clam shells, called les coquilles) which gradually depress as we retreat back from the river, and the surface of the land is more level; these shells dissolving and mixing with the surface, render the vegetative mould black, rich, and productive. Here are a few habitations, and some fields cleared and cultivated; but the inhabitants neglect agriculture; and generally employ themselves in hunting, and fishing: we however furnished ourselves here with a sufficiency of excellent Batatas. I observed no new vegetable productions, except a species of Cleome (Cleome lupinifolia); this plant possesses a very strong scent, somewhat like Gum Assasetida, notwithstanding which the inhabitants give it a place in soups and and sauces.
From Taensapaoa, we still coasted westward, three or four miles, to the straits that communicate with the lake Maurepas; entering which and continuing six or eight miles, having low swampy land on each side, the channel divides, forming an island in the middle of the pass: we took the right hand channel, which continues three or four miles, when the channels reunite in full view of the charming lake. We came to at an elevated point, or promontory on the starboard main shore, it being the North cape, from whence I enjoyed a very pleasing and complete view of the beautiful lake Maurepas; entering which next morning, a steady favourable gale soon wafted us nine or ten miles over to the mouth of the river Amite; ascended between its low banks; the land on each side a level swamp, about two feet above the surface of the water, supporting a thick forest of trees, consisting chiefly of Fraxinus, Nyssa aquatica, Nyssa multiflora, Cupressus disticha, Quercus phillos, Acer rubrum, Ac. negundo, Acer glaucum, Sambucus, Laurus Borbonia, Carpinus, Ulmus and others. The soil or earth humid, black and rich. There is scarcely a perceptible current: the water dark, deep, turgid and stagnate, being from shore to shore covered with a scum or pellicle of a green and purplish cast, and perpetually throwing up from the muddy bottom to its surface minute air bladders or bubbles: in short, these dark loathsome waters, from every appearance seem to be a strong extract or tincture of the leaves of the trees, herbs and reeds, arising from the shores, and which almost overspread them, and float on the surface, insomuch that a great part of these stagnate rivers, during the summer and autumnal seasons, are constrained to pass under a load of grass and weeds; which are continually vegetating and spreading over the surface from the banks, until the rising floods of winter and spring, rushing down from the main, sweep them away, and purify the waters. Late in the evening we discovered a narrow ridge of land close to the river bank, high and dry enough to suffer us to kindle a fire, and space sufficient to spread our bedding on. But here, fire and smoke were insufficient to expel the hosts of musquitoes that invested our camp, and kept us awake during the long and tedious night, so that the alligators had no chance of taking us napping. We were glad to rise early in the morning, proceeding up the Amite. The land now gradually rises, the banks become higher, the soil drier and firmer four or five feet above the surface of the river; the trees are of an incredible magnitude, particulary Platanus occidentalis, Fraxinus, Ulmus, Quercus hemispherica, &c. The Canna Indica grows here in surprising luxuriance, presenting a glorious show; the stem rises six, seven and nine feet high, terminating upwards with spikes of scarlet flowers.
Now having advanced near thirty miles up the Amite, we arrived at a very large plantation, the property of a Scotch gentleman, who received me with civility, entreating me to reside with him; but being impatient to get to the river, and pleading the necessity of prosecuting my travels with alacrity, on account of the season being so far advanced, I was permited to proceed, and set off next morning. Still ascending the Amite about twenty miles farther, and arrived at the forks, where the Iberville comes in on the left hand, ascending which a little way, we soon came to the landing, where are ware-houses for dispositing merchandize, this being the extremity of navigation up this canal, and here small vessels load and unload. From this place to Manchac, on the banks of the Mississippi, just above the mouth of the canal, is nine miles by land; the road straight, spacious, and perfectly level, under the shadow of a grand forest; the trees of the first order in magnitude and beauty, as Magnolia grandiflora, Liriodendron tulipifera, Platanus, Juglans nigra, Fraxinus excelsior, Morus rubra, Laurus sassafras, Laurus Borbonia, Telea, Liquidambar styraciflua, &c.
At evening arrived at Manchac, when I directed my steps to the banks of the Mississippi, where I stood for a time as it were fascinated by the magnificence of the great sire[[54]] of rivers.
The depth of the river here, even in this season, at its lowest ebb is astonishing, not less than forty fathoms; and the width about a mile or somewhat less: but it is not expansion of surface alone that strikes us with ideas of magnificence; the altitude and theatrical ascents of its pensile banks, the steady course of the mighty flood, the trees, high forests, even every particular object, as well as societies, bear the stamp of superiority and excellence; all unite or combine in exhibiting a prospect of the grand sublime. The banks of the river at Manchac, though frequently overflowed by the vernal inundations, are fifty feet perpendicular height above the surface of the water (by which the channel at those times must be about two hundred and ninety feet deep); and these precipices being an accumulation of the sediment of muddy waters, annually brought down with the floods, of a light loamy consistence, continually cracking and parting, present to view deep yawning chasms, in time split off, as the active perpetual current undermines, and the mighty masses of earth tumble headlong into the river, whose impetuous current sweeps away and lodges them elsewhere. There is yet visible some remains of a high artificial bank, in front of the buildings of the town, formerly cast up by the French, to resist the inundations, but found to be ineffectual, and now in part tumbled down the precipice: as the river daily encroaches on the bluff, some of the habitations are in danger, and must be very soon removed or swallowed up in the deep gulph of waters. A few of the buildings that have been established by the English, since taking possession of the colony, are large and commodious, particularly the warehouses of Messrs. Swanson & Co. Indian traders and merchants.
The Spaniards have a small fortress and garrison on the point of land below the Iberville, close by the banks of the river, which has a communication with Manchac, by a slender narrow wooden bridge across the channel of Iberville, supported on wooden pillars, and not a bow shot from the habitations of Manchac. The Iberville in the summer season is dry, and its bed twelve or fifteen feet above the surface of the Mississipi; but in the winter and spring has a great depth of water, and a very rapid stream which flows into the Amite, thence down through the lakes into the bay of Pearls to the ocean.
Having recommendations to the inhabitants of Batonrouge, now called New Richmond, more than forty miles higher up the river, one of these gentlemen being present at Manchac, gave me a friendly and polite invitation to accompany him on his return home. A pleasant morning; we sat off after breakfast, well accommodated in a handsome convenient boat, rowed by three blacks. Two miles above Manchac we put into shore at Alabama: this Indian village is delightfully situated on several swelling green hills, gradually ascending from the verge of the river: the people are a remnant of the ancient Alabama nation, who inhabited the East arm of the great Mobile river, which bears their name to this day, now possessed by the Creeks or Muscogulges, who conquered the former.
My friend having purchased some baskets and earthen-ware, the manufactures of the people, we left the village, and proceeded twelve miles higher up the river, landed again at a very large and well cultivated plantation, where we lodged all night. Observed growing in a spacious garden adjacent to the house, many useful as well as curious exotics, particularly the delicate and sweet Tube-rose (Polyanthus tuberosa): it grows here in the open garden, the flowers were very large and abundant on the stems, which were five, six or seven feet high, but I saw none here having double flowers. In one corner of the garden was a pond or marsh, round about which grew luxuriantly the Scotch grass (Panicum hirtellum, gramen panicum maximum, spica divisa, aristis armatum, Sloan, Jam. Cat. p. 30): the people introduced this valuable grass from the West India islands: they mow or reap it at any time, and feed it green to cows or horses; it is nourishing food for all cattle. The Humble plant (Mimosa pudica) grows here five or six feet high, rambling like Brier vines over the fences and shrubs, all about the garden. The people here say it is an indigenous plant, but this I doubt, as it is not seen growing wild in the forests and fields, and it differs in no respect from that which we protect in green houses and stoves, except in the extent and luxuriancy of its branches, which may be owing to the productive virgin mould and temperature of the climate. They however pay no attention to its culture, but rather condemn it as a noxious troublesome weed, for wherever it gets footing, it spreads itself by its seed in so great abundance as to oppress and even extirpate more useful vegetables.
Next day we likewise visited several delightful and spacious plantations on the banks of the river, during our progress upwards: in the evening arrived at my friend’s habitation, a very delightful villa, with extensive plantations of Corn (Zea), Indigo, Cotton and some Rice.