LEVEES.—BOOK II. 
3r9 
which continued more than a day, made several breaches in 
the levee, doing much injury to the plantations. Had that 
storm occurred at the same season the ycfcir before, the Whole 
country wouid have been under water. A gentleman iiifdrm- 
cd me that he witnessed a storm that seasdn, but Which lasted 
only fifteen minutes; yet the effects Which it thi'eatened seem¬ 
ed to produce an universal panic; mati, wdmUn, tiiid Child, in¬ 
voluntarily ran to the levee as it were to support it with their 
hands. 
The Mississippi in its natural state, at least for one hundred 
and fifty miles above New Oiieahs, overflows its banks, com - 
inunibus annis , from two to three feet, and the descent to the 
swamps is very rapid, perhaps not less than four feet a riiile. 
Even in this state, it must flow over its banks with great velo¬ 
city; but the artificial embankments, by enclosing its waters, 
cause them to rise from two to three feet higher. The natural 
fall of the river itself, scarcely exceeds one foot per ! iiiile: we 
may now easily conceive the velocity-of a sheet of Water tv hose 
current is thus suddenly increased to five or six feet per mile. 
It rushes from the river with indescribable impetuosity, with a 
noise like the roaring of a cataract, boiling and foaming, and 
tearing every thing before it. To one who has not seen this 
country it is almost impossible to convey any idea of the terrors 
excited by a crevasse or breaking of the levee. Like the break- 
, ing out of fire in a town, where no one knoWs when his own 
dwelling may be assailed, it excites universal consternation; 
every employment is abandoned for miles above and below, and 
all hasten to the spot, where every exertion is made day and 
night to stop the breach, which is sometimes SO'cbessful, but 
more frequently, the hostile element is suffered to take its 
course.* The consequences are, the destruction of the croji, the 
* There are various modes of stopping a crevasse, the most common 
is the following; they begin on each side of the crevasse , to drife dou¬ 
ble rows of piles gradually falling with the current so as to meet less re¬ 
sistance, until they unite, and thus form a semicircle like a fish basket; 
in the next place the piles are interwoven with small branches, or slabs 
placed lengthwise between .them; branches of trees are then placed 
behind the piles, and some heavier materials, logs, &c. against them : if 
