18 Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &c. 
of wood.. These rafts of wood, in the course of every twe 
or three years, disappear under the sand and leaves. This 
operation alternately removes the bed of the Achafalaya 
sometimes four or five miles to the east, or two or three to 
the west, but more commonly towards the east. On this 
side, it has gained more than 10 miles already, since it has 
become an outlet of the Mississippi; indeed, in its length, it 
will soon fall into this river, and bring its mouth lower down; 
for it is evident that the Achafalaya was formerly the outlet 
of Red river, whose actual confluence with the Mississippi 
is two and three quarters of a mile from the mouth of the 
Achafalaya. When this was joined to the Red river, it 
formed a separate stream, running parallel to the Mississippi, 
without any communication. This communication has howev- 
er taken place in consequence of the encroachment of the 
Mississippi, whose bed constantly gains on one bank or the 
other, substituting, on the opposite side, glarle and sand, 
(what is called sand beach,) and thus forming bars, some of 
which are one mile broad, and from three to five miles long. 
~~ T will now return to the drift wood accumulated in the 
Achafalaya. Lest any one should hear with incredulity of 
the enormous quantity of wood spread over the country 
whieh that river every year inundates, I will give an abstract 
of my observations, made in 1812. Having landed at the 
mouth of this river, when it was at its fullest, I was surprised 
at the quantity _ wood leaping perpetually into the shoot. 
ite : 
~ 
will cover in twenty-four hours, particularly, when we con- 
sider how much gee large trees will eccupy with their 
limbs and roots. The reader will observe, that I have 
omitted to estimate the leaves, bark, reeds, &c. whose uni- 
ted quantity is, probably, equal to that of the wood; nei- 
ther have I included the sediment of the muddy water, as 
charged from the mouth of the Mississippi river, which 
roved, according to several elaborate experiments which J 
formerly made, to be equal to thirty-six cubic miles annually. 
* 
a a Se a Ns oe th Ae 
