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Show -- !)0 the highest, handsmne oaks, swamp! hickory, ash, grape vines, &c. I made my calculation of our rate o~ ascent and distances up the river, .by my watch, notmg care~ully with my pencil the mn1ute of 0ur stops and s~ttmgs off, the inlets and outlets, retnarkable bends m the river and whatever I observed any v;ay remarkable. Abo~t six n1iles fron1 the mouth of the river, left side, there is a bayau as it is called, comes in, that com. municates \~ith' a lake called lake Long, which, by ~mother bayau, communicate.s again wi!h the r~ver, through which, when there 1s a swell 1n the nver, boats can pass, and cut off about SO miles, being only 14 or 15 through it, and about 45 by. the cou.rse of the river; and through the lake there 1s very httle or no current; but the passage is intric~te ~nd difficu.lt to find· a strano·er should not attempt 1t Without a pilot; peop' le have bb een lost in it for several. days; b.ut not difficult for one acquainted; we, havmg no p1lot on board to be depended on, kept the river. From the mouth of Red river to the mouth of Black river, I made it 31 miles: the water of Black river is clear, and when contrasted with the water of Red river has a black appearance. From the mouth of Black river, Red river tnakcs a regular twining to the left, for about 18 miles, called the Grand Bend, forming a segment of nearly three fourths o.f a circle ; when you arrive at the bayau that leads mto lake Long, which, perhaps, is in a right line,, not exceeding 15 miles fron1 the mouth of the nver. From Bayau Lake Long, to Avoyalllanding, .calle.d Baker's landing, I made 33 miles, and the nvcr iS remarkably crooked. At this place the guns at Fort Adams are distinctly heard, and the sound appears to be but little south of east. We came through a bay~u called Silver Bayau, that cut off, we understand,. SIX mile:5; it was through the bayau about four miles. Until we arrived at Baker's landing, saw no spot of ground that did not overflow; the high water mark 91 generally from 3- to 15 feet above its banks. After passing Black river, the edge of the banks near the river are highest; the land falls, from the river back. At Baker's landing I went ashore; I understood, from Baker's landing, cross the point, to Le Glass' landing, was only 3 or 4 miles, and by water 15; but I found it 6 at least, and met with some difficulty in getting from where I landed to the high land at Baker's house, for water, though at low water it is a dry cart road, and less than a mile. I found Baker and his family very hospitable and kind; Mr. Baker told me he was a native of Virginia,. a.nd had lived there up'~ ards ?f 30 years. He was hving on a tolerable good htg~ ptcce of land, not prairie, but joining it. After lea~mg Baker's house, .was soon in sight of the prairie, which, I understand, IS about 40 miles in circtnnfe. renee, longer than it is wide, very level, only a few clumps of trees to be seen, all covered with good grass. The inhabitants are settled all around the out edge of it, by the woods, their houses facing inwards and cultivate the prairie land. 1.,hough the soil: when turned up ?Y the plow, has a good appearance, what I could discover by the old corn and cotton stalks. they made but indifferent crops; the timber land th~t.I ~aw cleared and I?lanted, produced the best; ~he p~aine IS better f?r grass than for planting. The mhabitants have considerable stocks of cattle, 'vhich ~ppears to b~ their principal dependence, and I was I?forn:ed then· beef is of a superior quality: they have hkewise good pork; hogs live very well; the timbered country all round the prairie is principally oak that. produces g~od mast for hogs. Corn is generally scmce_; they rmse no wheat, for they have no mills. I .was mformed that the lower end of the prairie that I d1d n~t see was much the richest land, and the inhubi. ta~1ts hved better, and were more wealthy; they are a mix~ure o~ French, Irish and Americans, generally poor and 1gnorant. Avoyall, at high water, is an 1sland, elevated 30 or 40 feet above high water mark |