m 
VIEWS OF LOUISIANA, 
dark color, and not reckoned very good for use. They are cbn- 
nectecl by streams from the lake Tasse. Schooners and light 
vessels may ascend in both as far as this place, from the Ver¬ 
million bay, or Berwick’s bay, into which these rivers are dis¬ 
charged. The Teche is a much larger and longer river than 
the other, being upwards of two hundred miles in length. The 
Tasse is a beautiful lake of clear water, about ten miles in cir¬ 
cumference ; there are plantations around it, on the eastern side, 
the other is entirely bare of wood. 
The principal settlements of the Attakapas are on each side 
of the Teche (though mostly on the western,) and on the Ver¬ 
million. Besides the culture of cotton, maize, &c. they have 
the advantage of those extensive natural meadows to support 
their herds; from the mildness of the climate, little or no trou¬ 
ble is requisite to keep them. The inhabitants of the Attakapas 
s\ve generally wealthy, and live as luxuriantly as the planters of 
the Mississippi. It is not considered healthy, perhaps, less so 
than on the coast of the Mississippi On the wiiole, it is destin¬ 
ed to become one of the richest districts of Louisiana. 
The immense tract of open plains or meadows,"which composes 
the Opelousas, boasts of advantages superior to all the riches 
of the Teche or the Mississippi, in the salubrity of its air and 
the beauty of its surface. Free from stagnant waters, with the 
exception of a few ponds in the prairies, the atmosphere is not 
poisoned by noxious vapours, and open to the breezes from the 
. gulph, it enjoys a cool and refreshing temperature, while the 
rest of the state is suffering from the effects of a close and sul¬ 
try air. Without fear of contradiction, I may pronounce the 
Opelousas to be by far the most healthy part of the state. No¬ 
thing can be more beautiful and cheering to the traveller, than 
the prospects and views which this country affords. There is 
nothing wild or savage, yet the scenery is not tame or monoto¬ 
nous ; there is a sufficient variety and succession of those scenes, 
which sooth the mind, or inspire with lively and pleasing emo¬ 
tions. I passed through them last May, when they appeared to 
great advantage. The distance of my journey was forgotten 
while I gazed with delight upon the waving surface of these 
meadows, now covered with deep green, and of extent, in some 
