214 
LETTERS FROM THE SOUTH.—NO. 9 . 
rest or change usurps so large an area; and these j 
are conditions which should have their full weight 
with intelligent minds, in inducing that close watch¬ 
fulness and observation, which will lead to the 
earliest detection of enemies to a crop, on which 
millions are annually staked, and which contributes 
so essentially to the luxury, comfort, and healthful¬ 
ness of the human family. 
Besides calling on Mr. Wilson, the intelligent 
editor of the Planter’s Banner, my limited time only 
permitted my visit to one plantation. This is situat¬ 
ed 6 miles above this place, and belongs to James 
Porter, Esq., who inherited it from his brother, the 
late Judge P., formerly U. S. Senator. The estate 
is large, and laid out with much taste, and still re¬ 
tains all the venerable live oaks which have given 
to it the appropriate name of Oak Lawn. A large 
and tasteful mansion occupies the highest elevation, 
while in front, the ground descending to the bayou 
is studded with various specimens of trees and 
statuary. A large cistern enclosed with brick and 
cement, and encased faith lattice-work fringed with 
the multiflora rose to shield it from the sun, receiv¬ 
ing the water from the eaves in winter, and being 
shut off in summer, leaves the reservoir at the lowest 
temperature possible in this climate. But I find 
that even here ice is regularly brought by the steam¬ 
boats from New Orleans, a distance of nearly 300 
miles by the route taken. Thus the Yankees, with 
their accustomed shrewdness, are indirectly driving 
a brisk trade in exchanging the congelations of the 
wintry north for the crystallizations of the sunny 
south. A brick dairy-room ensconced beneath the 
dense foliage of several large drooping oaks, and as 
perfectly barricaded against the admission of heat 
as possible, was filled with numerous vessels of 
Ayrshire milk, cream, and butter; and a large orna¬ 
mental and vegetable garden closely adjoining, fur¬ 
nishes all that is essential to gratify the tastes and 
senses. 
Mr. Porter and his late brother have exhibited a 
taste in their selections of stock, seldom manifested 
among Louisiana planters. Each has imported the 
Short-Horn, Devon, and Ayrshire Cattle; the latter 
especially in large numbers, and directly from 
Scotland. The substitution of the best milking 
Devons, while affording an equal value in milk, 
would furnish some of the choicest working ani¬ 
mals in the world. 
There was a large flock of Southdowns, derived 
from direct importations, and a better lot of wethers 
I have never met than are grazing on the premises. 
Mr. Porter’s taste has also led him to the importa¬ 
tion and breeding of some of the best English 
blood horses. Among these, Harkforward is con¬ 
spicuous, a full brother of Harkaway, so distin¬ 
guished on the English turf, 16 k hands high and 
every way well formed. From him he has been 
breeding for three years, and several of his tho¬ 
rough bred colts which I saw there, now two years 
old, already stand over 15 hands high. 
I observed here that manufacturing, among the 
supernumerary hands, was an object of attention. 
Both wool and cotton, the products of the planta¬ 
tions, are here prepared, carded, spun, and woven 
into substantial fabrics for domestic use. I saw 
here the most comprehensive yet simple little cotton 
machine that has yet been constructed, consisting 
| of a compact frame some 4 or 5 feet long by \\ 
wide, with half a dozen spindles at one end and a 
miniature gin at the other. It is easily put in mo¬ 
tion with a crank, even by a child ; and being sup¬ 
plied with the cotton as gathered in the field, it is 
ginned, cleaned, carded, and spun at one operation. 
One improvement has been here successfully 
carried out which I have never seen practised else¬ 
where. It consists of two immense sheds connect¬ 
ed with the grinding-house by a railway elevated 
as high as the eaves of the buildings, on which 
cars are placed containing the bagasse as received 
from the rollers, and run into the sheds where it is 
tipped out and allowed to dry. It thus furnishes at 
least two-thirds of tne fuel used for granulating the 
cane-juice. Franklin is the seat of justice for the Par¬ 
ish of St. Mary, and is a port of entry. Large num¬ 
bers of vessels of light draught annually come to 
this bayou and load with sugar and molasses for 
the north, bringing manufactured articles, provi¬ 
sions, coal, and other supplies in exchange. 
Thoughout the southern part of the county, sugar 
constitutes almost the entire product; but in the 
north, through the parishes of Lafayette, Vermillion, 
and the northern half of St. Martin’s, cotton, corn, 
and cattle are considerable articles of export. Ope¬ 
lousas, still further to the northwest, grazes innu¬ 
merable herds of cattle on her immense prairies; 
some have herds of more than 5000. The cattle 
there, like those in California and the pampas of 
South America, glean their own subsistence exclu¬ 
sively from the natural herbage of the fields. In 
seasons of severity, great mortality among the herd 
occurs. During the last winter, from deficiency of 
food and inclemency of the weather, one herdsman 
alone lost 500 head—more than half his whole num¬ 
ber. 
There are some peculiar features in this region, 
not before adverted to. The bottom of Lake Chicot, 
a small sheet of water near Grand Lake, and through 
which we passed, has apparently subsided; and 
the trunks of large cypress and other trees that only 
grow on firm land, which is mostly dry throughout 
the year, are to be found here in great numbers, 
with their roots many feet beneath the lowest wa¬ 
ter mark. They are still erect, though decaying 
and rapidly crumbling down. Perry Lake, in Caddo 
parish and some others, afford similar examples. 
Spanish Lake near Newtown, in St. Martin’s, 
some 30 miles in a northerly direction from this 
place, containing about three square miles of sur¬ 
face, is overgrown with thick moss and other com¬ 
pact vegetation to the depth of a foot or more for 
one-third of its area. Most of this may be travelled 
over in safety; and sportsmen frequently cut 
through the surface and catch all the varieties of 
fish to be found in those waters, apparently excavat¬ 
ing them like ore. 
Four large mounds intermixed with large quanti¬ 
ties of skulls formerly occupied the right bank of 
Berwick’s Bay. They were regularly placed at the 
cardinal points, and one still maintains an elevation 
30 feet above the surrounding level, and has become 
the burial ground for the proprietor’s family. Ske¬ 
letons, specimens of rude pottery, and other remains 
of a former race, long since passed into oblivion, 
are said to be found here. R. L. Allen. 
; Franklin , La., May 26, 1847. 
