BOUNDARIES, SURFACE &c.— BOOK II. 
165 
3. The alluvion tract of Red river — dvoyelle—Land around 
the mouth of Red river - dtchafalaya. 
The alluvion lands of Red river are remarkably distinguish¬ 
ed from those of the Mississippi, by their deep red color, arising, 
as is supposed by Dr. Hunter, from the decomposition of pyrites, 
or a mixture of some metallic substance. The lands on the 
Atchafalaya, and on numerous bayoux at present fed by the wa¬ 
ters of the Mississippi, are of this description* the sediment 
brought down by Red river, appears to predominate through a 
very extensive portion of the alluvion soil west of the Missis¬ 
sippi. 
If it is difficult to give an idea of the country bordering on 
the Mississippi by a mere description in words, it is still more 
so with respect to the valley of Red river. Its irregular and con¬ 
fused shape, “ if shape it ©an be called,” baffles every attempt 
to compare it to any known figure in mathematics or in nature. 
This irregularity is principally caused by the strange and ec¬ 
centric course which that river pursues. Instead of flowing in 
a regular channel, it divides its waters into a hundred streams, 
separating and again uniting so as to render it difficult to trace 
the principal river. Large tracts of primitive ground, or up¬ 
land, in the ever changing course of this river, have been cut 
off from the main body, stand perfectly disconnected with it, and 
surrounded by alluvion; the current having in time entirely 
worn away the primitive ground. There are a great number of 
bayoux, or refluent streams, which show incontestable proofs, of 
having been at different periods, the beds of the river. It is to 
be observed, that on the N. E. side, the Red river is almost in¬ 
variably bounded by the primitive land, and the irregularities 
just mentioned, occur chiefly on the S. western side: from this 
it would appear, that this river, like the Mississippi, is progress¬ 
ing in its general course eastward, and that it could never have 
been much further in that direction than at present. Red river* 
would be almost as bold a stream as the Mississippi, but for the 
great diminution of its waters by subdivision and the forma¬ 
tion of lakes; it has had the good effect of rendering the lands 
in its vicinity more free from inundation, than those of the Mis¬ 
sissippi. About lat. 32° 40, long. 96° 15, Red river separates irf- 
