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Show 94 planters are occupied at home, and w.ould .m~ke no use of the riYer were there no obstructions m 1t; but at anY rate, the navigation of the river is clear a longer proportion of the year tl;an the rivers_ in the nor.ther.n countries are clear of 1ce. But th1s obstructiOn IS certainly removable, at a very trifling expense, in comparison to the in1portancc of having it done; and nothinO' but the nature of the government we have lattly ~merged fron1, can be a signed as a reason for its not having been drccted long ago. After passing the Rap ides there are very few settle. ments to be seen, on the main river, for about 20 miles, though both sides appeared to me to be capable of making as valuable scttle1nents as any on the river; ·we arrive then at the Indian Yillages, on both sides, situated exceedingly pleasant, and on the best lands; after passing which you arrive at a large, beautiful plantation of Mr. Gillard; the house is on a point of a high pine ,\·oods bluff, close to the river, 60 or 70 feet above the common surface of the country, overlooking~ on the east, or opposite side, very e·xtensive fields of low grounds, in high cultivation, and a long reach of the river, up and down; and there is an ex· cellent spring of water issues frmn the blufft on which the house is situated, from an apperture in the rock that sec1ns to have been cloven on purpose for it t.o flow, and a small distance, back of the house, there ts a lake of clear water, abounding with fish in summer and fowl in winter. I have seen in all my life, very few more beautiful or advant.'lgeously situated places. Six miles above Gillard's, you arrive at the small village of Boluxa Indians, where the river is divided into two channels, forming an island of about fifty miles in length. and three or four in breadth. ~he right hand division is called the Rigula de Bond1e~t, on which are no settle1nents; but, I am informed, WI.ll admit of being 'rell settled; the left hand division IS the boat channel, at present, to Natchitoches: the other is likewise boatable. .A.scending the left hand branch 95 for about 24 miles, we pass a thick settlement and a number of wealthy inhabitants. 'fhis is called the River Cane settlement; called so, I believe, from the banks some years ago, being a remarkable thick cane-brake. Af~er pas~it~g this se~tlcment of about forty families, the nver divides aga1n, formin o· :.tnothcr island of about thirty miles in length, and fi·o:n t\\'O to four in breadth, ~al~ed .th~ Isle Bre'Vcl, ai'tc:r a reputable old man now hvmg 1n It, who first ~cttlcd it. This island is sub-divided by a bayau that cotnnHmicates from 01:e river.t~ t.he other, c:tlled also Bayau Brcvel. The ~m?dle ~I VISion of the river, is called Little river, and It IS thickly settled, and is the boat channel: the westward division of the river is called False river is navigable, but not settled, the banks are too low;' it pas.ses through ~lake called Lac Occassa. When you arnve at Natchitoches, you find it a small, irregular, and 1ncanly built ~illage, half a dozen houses excepted, on the "vest side of that division of the river it is on, the high pine and oak woods approach within two or three hundred y~r?s of the river. In the village are about forty fan11hes, twelve or fifteen are merchants or traders, nearly all French. 1'he fort built ?Y ~ur troops since their arrival, called fort Claiborne, IS s1tuated on a small hill, one street from the river, and about thirty feet hio·her than the river banks. All the hill is occupied by ~he fort and barracks, and does not exceed two acres of ground. ~rhe southern and eastern pr?spe~ts from it are very beautiful. One has an e~tens1ve v1ew of the fields and habitations down the nver, and the other a similar view over the river and of the whole village. This to,rn thirty or forti Y.ears ~go, was much larger than at present, and s~tuated on a hill about half a n1ile frmn its present ~Ite. Then most of the families of the district lived 1~ the town, but finding it inconvenient on account of t e stocks and farms, they filed off, one after another, and settled up and down the river. The merchanMt "' |