93 



The bayau la Fourche, on the same side, is 

 about thirty miles further down, following the 

 meanders of the river, and eighty from the city of 

 Orleans. From this bayau the course of the 

 river is nearly south east, and much more direct 

 to the city. Bayau la Fourche is a large outlet, 

 forming a considerable river, which communi- 

 cates with the sea to the west of the Balise. la 

 old maps it is called La Riviere des Chetamaches. 

 When the water is high it will admit of craft of 

 sixty or seventy tons burden. On its banks are 

 rtumerous settlements, one plantation deep. The 

 iand is rich and gradually descends from the 

 banks to the swamps, which are generally covered 

 with water, and incapable of cultivation. The 

 culture is principally cotton. 



From this outlet to the city, the land will ad- 

 mit of only one plantation deep, and is rarely 

 capable of cultivation, more than one mile from 

 the bank of the river. It then becomes low and 

 swampy to the lakes and the sea. The swamps 

 are immense, intersected by creeks and lakes, 

 extending more than one hundred miles to the 

 high lands of Atacapas. But the swamps gener- 

 ally abound with large cypress trees. Great 

 quantities of this timber is sawed by mills, erect- 

 ed on streams formed by cutting sluices through 

 the Levee. These mills are worked with great 

 rapidity nearly half the year. What has been 

 said of the situation, soil, and culture of the 

 plantation below Iberville, on the eastern side of 



