Vacant Lands. 
ill 
eral private parties in this quarter are willing to sell at moderate 
rates. 
In the plain of the Artibonite, over an extent of sixty miles, 
from Verrettes to la Riviere Salee, there are a good many unoc¬ 
cupied State lands. These lands are fit for all sorts of cultiva¬ 
tion, particularly of cotton, corn, and provisions. Towards 
Riviere Salee the deposits from the Artibonite have covered the 
lands with mud. They are easily cultivated, and can be used 
also for raising stock. There are ponds there which only re¬ 
quire to be kept in order to furnish good water during the 
whole year. Private parties would also sell cheap large quan¬ 
tities of land. 
In order to bring back to this arrondissement its ancient 
prosperity, the water-courses would have to be opened as for¬ 
merly, and the channels which are now filled up would require 
cleaning. 
The commander of this arrondissement makes this observa¬ 
tion, that the principal inconvenience which he has met with 
here is the want of houses. You can go a long distance with¬ 
out meeting a single cabin, and experience has shown him that 
this is a serious obstacle for men who, on arriving, are obliged 
to spend considerable time to build themselves a shelter. I do 
not hesitate, President, to point out to you the arrondissement 
of St. Mark as one of the most important points for emigration. 
Here are vast tracts of land thinly peopled, and of known fen- 
tility, large rivers, easy communication, an open port, a town 
at an easy distance from two great commercial centres, easy 
communication with the arrondissements of Mirebalais, Lasca- 
hobas, and Marmelade; there are in this locality all the ele¬ 
ments necessary to bring back its ancient riches. The only thing 
which is wanting is a population in proportion to its magnificent 
position. Emigration can supply this. We have already seen 
a certain number of Louisianians take this direction, and others 
are announced. 
