100 



width, and fourteen or fifteen in length. Twenty- 

 five miles further up is the confluence of Black 

 river, which is large at its mouth, and coming 

 from a northerly direction. 



The first settlement on Red river, called Ba-\ 

 keSs station, at the commencement of Avoyelles] 

 is about seventy miles from its mouth, as the river 

 runs, although not more than one third of the] 

 distance, on a straight course. Above this station 

 is a prairie thirty or forty miles in circumference. 

 It is entirely destitute of trees or shrubs, but 

 produces an excellent grass for fattening cattle.^ 

 The beef is said to be of an excellent quality, and 

 nogs find ground nuts and other food, on which 

 they thrive, and become good pork. The inhab- 

 itants are settled in the outer skirts, on the border 

 of the woods. This prairie has the appearance 

 of a good soil, but is found to be too cold for! 

 cotton and Indian corn, which thrive much better' 

 on land where there has been a growth of wood.; 

 Little or no wheat is raised, as they have no mills 

 to grind it. The inhabitants are a mixture of 

 Spaniard, French, Irish, and Americans, who 

 are generally poor, and extremely ignorant. 



A few miles above this prairie, the landi 

 begins to be moderately hilly. Near the river,: 

 the timber is oak, hickory, and some pine, but? 

 back from the river the growth is mostly pine for 

 thirty or forty miles. 



Holmes' station is about forty miles above 

 Baker's, where there is a settlement. The hnd 



