FARMERS' REGISTER— FLOOD IN THE MISSISSIPPI. 



ble liim to escape Irom the dreaded element. The 

 Indian quickly reniov^es to the hills of the interior, 

 the cattle and game sAvim to the different stripes 

 of land that remain uncovered in the midst of the 

 flood, or attempt to force their way through the 

 waters until they perish with fatigue. 



Along the banks of the river the inhabitants 

 have raits ready made, on Avhich they remove 

 themselves, their cattle, and tlicir provisions, and 

 which they then fiisten with ropes, or gi-ape \anes, 

 to the larger trees, while they contemplate the 

 melancholy spectacle presented by the cuiTent, as 

 it carries off their houses and wood yards piece by 

 piece. Some who have nothing to lose, and are 

 usually known by the name oC squatters, take this 

 opportunity of traversing the woods in canoes, for 

 the purpose of procuring game, and particularly 

 the skins of animals, such as the deer and bear, 

 which may be converted into money. They re- 

 sort to the low ridges, surrounded by the waters, 

 and destroy thousands of deer, mei'ely for their 

 skins, leaving the flesh to putrily. 



The river itself, rolling its swollen waters along, 

 presents a spectable of the most imposing nature. 

 Although no large vessel, unless propelled by 

 steam, can now make its way against the cun-ent, 

 it is seen covered "by boats laden with produce, 

 "which running out from all the smaller streams, 

 float silently towards the city of New Orleans, their 

 owners, meanwhile, not very well assured of find- 

 ing a landing place even there. The water is 

 covered Avith yellow foam and pumice, the latter 

 having floated from the rocky mountains of the 

 north-Avest. The eddies are larger and more pow- 

 erful than ever. Here and there tracts of forests 

 are observed undermined, the trees gradually giv- 

 ing way, and failing into the stream. Cattle, 

 horses, bears and deer, are seen at times attempt- 

 ing to swim across the impetuous mass of foaming 

 and boiling Avaterj whilst here and there a vulture 

 or an eagle is observed perched on a bloated car- 

 cass, tearing it up in pieces, as regardless of the 

 flood as on former occasions, it would have been 

 of the numerous sawyers and planters with which 

 the surface of the river is covered when the water 

 is low. Even the streamer is frequently distress- 

 ed. The numberless trees and logs that float 

 along, break its paddles and retard its progress. 

 Besides, it is on such occasions difficult to procure 

 fuel to maintain its fires; and it is only at very dis- 

 tant intervals that a wood-yard can be found which 

 the water has not carried off. 



Following the river in your canoe, you reach 

 those parts of the shores that are protected against 

 the overflowing of the waters, and are called levees. 

 There you find the whole population of the district 

 at work, repairing and augmenting those artificial 

 barriers Avhich are several feet above the level of 

 the fields. Every person appears to dred the open- 

 ing of the crevasse, by which the waters may rush 

 into his fields. In spite of all exertions, hoAvever, 

 the crevasse opens, the Avater bursts impetuously 

 over the plantations, and lays waste the croj^s 

 Avhich so lately AA-ere blooming in all the luxuri- 

 ance of spring. It opens up a neAv channel, Avhich, 

 for aught I know to the contrary, may carry its 

 waters even to the Mexican Gulf. 



I have floated on the Mississippi and Ohio, when 

 thus SAVollen, and have, in different places, visited 

 the submersed lands of the interior, propelling a 

 Ught canoe by the aid of a paddle. In this man- 



ner I have traversed immense portions of the coun- 

 try, overfloAved by the AA^aters of these riv^ers; and, 

 particidarly Avhilst floating over the Mississippi 

 bottom-lands, I have been struck AAath aAA^e at the 

 sight. Lhtle or no cuirent is met Avith, unless 

 the canoe passes over the bed of a bayou. All is 

 silent and melancholy, unless Avhen the mournful 

 bleating of the hemmed-in deer reaches j'our ear, 

 or the dismal scream of an eagle or raven is heard, 

 as the foul bird rises, disturbed by j'our approach, 

 from the carcass on Avhich it Avas allaying its cra- 

 A-en appetite. Bears, cougars, lynxes, and all other 

 quadrupeds that can ascend the trees, are observ- 

 ed crouched among their top branches. Hmigry 

 in the midst of abundance, although they see float- 

 ing around them, the animals on Avhich they usu- 

 ally prey, the)^ dare not venture to SAvim to them. 

 Fatigued by the exertions Avhich they haA^e made 

 in reaching the diy land, they Avill there stand the 

 hunter's fire, as if to die by a ball Avere better than 

 to perish amidst the waste of waters. On occa- 

 sions like this, all these animals are shot by hun- 

 dreds. 



Opposite the city of Natches, Avhich stands on 

 a bluff bank of considerable elevation, the extent 

 of inundated land is immense, the gi-eater portion 

 of the tract lying between the JMississippi and the 

 Red River, Avhich is more than thirty miles in 

 breadth, being under Avater. The mail-bag has 

 often been carried through the immersed forests, in 

 a canoe, for eA'en a greater distance, in order to be 

 fbrAvarded to Natchitochez. 



But noAv, kind reader, observe this great flood 

 gradually subsiding, and again see the mighty 

 changes which it has aflected. The Avaters have 

 noAv been carried into the distant ocean. The 

 earth is every Avliere covered by a deposite of mud- 

 dy foam, AA^iich, in diying, splits into deep and 

 naiTOAV chasms, presenting a reticulated appear- 

 ance, and from Aviiich, as the Aveather becomes 

 Avarmcr, disagreeable, and at times noxious exha- 

 lations arise, and fill the loAver stratum of the at- 

 mosphere, as Avith a dense fog. The banks of the 

 river have almost every Avhere been broken down 

 in a greater or less degree. Large streams are 

 noAV found to exist, where none Avere formerly to 

 be seen, having forced their Avay in direct lines 

 from the upper parts of the bends. These are, by 

 the naAdgator called short-cuts. Some of them 

 have proved large enough to produce a change in 

 the navigation of the Mississippi. If I mistake 

 not, one of these, knoAvn by the name of Grand 

 Cut-off, and only a feAV miles in length, has di- 

 A-erted the river trom its natural course, and has 

 shortened it by fifty miles. The upper parts of 

 the islands present a buhvark, consisting of an 

 enomious mass of floated trees of all kinds, Avhich 

 haA-e lodged there. Large sand banks haA^e been 

 completely removed by the impetuous Avhirls of 

 the AA'aters, and haA^e been deposited in other 

 places. Some appear quite neAv to the eye of the 

 naA'igator, Avhohas to mark their situation and 

 bearings in his log-book. The trees on the mar- 

 gins of the banks, have in many parts giA-en AA^aj^ 

 They are seen bending o\'er the stream, like the 

 grounded arms of an overAA'helmed army of giants. 

 Every Avhere are heard the lamentations of the 

 farmer and planter, whilst their servants and them- 

 seh^cs are busily employed in repairing the dama- 

 ges occasioned by the floods. At one crevasse, an 

 old ship or tAvo, dismantled for the purpose, are 



