parts of the new world, have no parallel in the eastern continent. The following description of the prairies of Louisiana is extracted from Niles' Register, a work not exceeded in this country for the extent and value of its communications.

The districts of Attakapas and Oppelousas, which stretch along the Mexican gulph, from the Attchaffallaya to the Sabine, are scarcely known to geographers, though they form a most interesting portion of the republic. The fertility of the soil, the value of its products-the immense natural meadows which cover five eighths of the country, and their peculiar fitness for feeding cattle, are all worthy the attention of the shoals of emigrants who are seeking wealth or liberty, to the west and south. The accounts published by Brackenridge and Darby are most to be relied on; but neither of those writers have been sufficiently explicit, though each enjoyed opportunities of acquiring better information. The following statement may, perhaps, be perused with some interest by such as are pleased to note the rapid march which our country is making to power, and give the reader some idea of the vast resources of Louisiana.

About the year 1755, a few French traders commenced a traffic for peltry with the Indians, who inhabited those prairies. They were soon followed by others, who, remarking the great profits to be realized from stock raising, introduced horned cattle into the country. Their success encouraged others to adventure; and we find from the census of 1785, that Attakapas and Oppelousas then contained 2408 inhabitants. In the year 1801, their population was rated at 7250, of which 3500 were slaves. Up to the last named epocha, stock raising formed the almost exclusive occupation of the inhabitants. They supplied New-Orleans and the Mississippi coast with beef, at the rate of one cent and a fourth per pound; but even at this price, many had amassed money enough to purchase slaves and commence farming establishments. The American government, which took place early in 1804, gave new stimulus, and induced the inhabitants to turn their attention more to planting.

The soil and climate uniting with their exertions and

industry, have secured to the first planters of those districts a most enviable independence. A few years ago they were a horde of shepherds, consequently a hardy and virtuous race. Of late their plan of life has changed, and their means rapidly increased, without introducing the thousand fictitious wants, which usually travel in the train of wealth. Even now it is no uncommon sight to see a planter of those countries, owning, perhaps, seventy or eighty slaves, clad in the product of his wife's loom, attending to his horses, oxen, or crop, with more assiduity and attention, than characterizes a Carolina overseer:-yet, if a stranger visits him, he will find his table crowded with the best wines of the world, and no lack of intelligence or any thing else which forms good cheer.

Riches here, appear to add only to the comforts of their possessor, without forming the invidious distinctions among men which exist in other parts of the world. The ease with which they are acquired, may be the reason of this-but the detached situation of the country accounts for it more rationally. Besides the population is as yet quite thinly scattered over an immense territory, and wherever this is the case, we do not usually find so many of those little presuming animals, wearing the shapes of men, which are such great nuisances in thickly inhabited countries.

In 1810, Attakapas and Oppelousas, contained 13,774 souls. For two years after the census was taken, there was a great emigration to the country. It was stopped early in 1813, by the pressure of the war; but since the peace, it has recommenced. At present, (Sept. 1817,) I feel confident the population would be estimated too low at 20,000.

It is the custom for the rich and gay young people of Louisiana and Mississippi, to spend their carnival at NewOrleans. The health enjoyed by the young ladies of the prairies, added to their active and industrious habits, gives them bloom and beauty, which cast the belles of other districts into the shade. It is a singular fact, that for thirteen winters past, the reigning toast in the Orleans ball rooms, has been almost always from Attakapas or Oppelousas.

The topography of those countries are pretty accurately delineated in Darby's map of Louisiana. His book is a very inferior production to his map, and not much to be relied on as useful information. I will here add a few words concerning the soil and its productions; but as these vary in an extent of country, containing about 300,000 square miles, I will consider the districts separately.

Oppelousas, lying to the northwest of Attakapas, is well calculated for a grazing country. Its prairies are very extensive, and the greater parts of the land second and third rate. The lands of the best quality in this country, are in its southwest corner, consisting of a strip about twenty-six miles long, and eight wide. In this tract are situated many large plantations, which yield immense profits to their proprietors. The northern part of the country, bordering on Rapide district, is poor land, and the western section, which skirts the gulph and the River Sabine, is little better. Those lands, however, produce tolerable corn, and a coarse luxuriant grass, which can feed cattle enough to supply the home and West India markets.

Attakapas is divided into two parishes, St. Mary and St. Martin. The Vermillion River rises in Oppelousas, and on entering St. Martin's, becomes a considerable stream. The lands on its banks are high, and generally of the best quality. After a course of ninety miles in this parish, it falls into the bay of the same name, near the 30th degree of north latitude. Between the Vermillion and the Minton, (the western limit of Attakapas,) lies a prairie country, which in soil is nothing remarkable, but affords excellent pasturage.

The Tesche, likewise, rises in Oppelousas, near the source of the Vermillion. Its general course is to the south east, piercing the western sections of St. Martin and St. Mary. It meets the Attchaffallaya at Berwick's Bay, and is navigable for seventy miles from its mouth for the largest boats, and for smaller craft almost to its source. From the line of Oppelousas to Berwick's Bay, a distance of more than ninety miles, there is no soil on its banks which is not first rate. As it approaches the

sea, however, the land is thought to improve, and the climate certainly becomes more favourable to the culture of sugar. Between the upper part of the Tesche and the Vermillion, in the parish of St. Martin, lies a rich tract of country, principally prairie. It is as yet very partially settled, owing to the scarcity of wood.

This cannot form a permanent impediment, as trees, when planted in those meadows, and shielded from the vernal burnings of the grass, thrives faster than any soil I have ever seen. Several persons have already tried the experiment, and find four or five years sufficient to grow any supply of firewood they may want. Besides, there is not any part of the rich meadows of Attakapas more than five miles distant from plenty of wood. The climate is, at the same time, so mild, that fuel is little wanted but for the kitchen.

The good lands of Oppelousas and St. Martin's are best adapted to the culture of cotton. They sent to NewOrleans last year 6,000 bales of fine cotton; and if the whole of their rich soil was cultivated, might produce annually more than sixty thousand bales. About five thousand steers are each year exported from those districts, which sell at home for twelve dollars each.

The parish of St. Mary's, being the southern part of the tract of country under consideration, is well adapted for the culture of sugar. This was doubted, until some of the enterprizing American emigrants tested it, in the last two years, by the most successful experiments. It is found to succeed as well, if not better, than on the Mississippi, and the cane is certainly brought to maturity with less labour. Cotton also succeeds remarkably well, but will soon give way to sugar. In the year 1816, this parish, with a population of about 3,000 souls, sent to mar-. ket 2,500 bales of cotton, 900 hogsheads of sugar, and 800 beef cattle, which sold for 350,000 dollars.

Some sugar has been cultivated in Oppelousas and St. Martin's, but, owing to mismanagement or the climate, it has not succeeded well.

The parish of St. Mary is in no place more than ten miles wide, having the sea on one side, and Lake Platt and the Attchaffallaya on the other, which may have an

influence on the early frosts, and protect the cane crop till it reaches maturity.

The Tesche lands lie mostly from ten to fifteen feet above the highest swells produced by the Mississippi floods. In the year 1813, and 1815, when there were very great freshets, the lakes between the prairies and the Mississippi, and with them the Tesche, rose about eight feet above their common level. But a recurrence of this can scarcely be expected, as the levees on the Great River are rapidly extending, which will prevent its waters from flowing into the lakes. But even if the levees should be demolished, the prairies are too high ever to be 'inundated.

The Vermillion is never affected by the Mississippi. The lands on its banks (and, indeed, in every other part of the country except the Tesche) are from 30 to 100 feet above the level of the sea.

Sloops of 100 tons can ascend the Tesche to Nova Iberia, 600 miles from its mouth; though the produce of the country is seldom carried direct to the ocean, the Tesche, and Attchaffallaya communicate with the Mississippi by the Lafourch and Plaquamine; a voyage from any part of those rivers can be easily made to New-Orleans in nine days.

Along the coast of Attakapas are found four islands, viz. Belle Isle, Cole Blanche, Grand Cote, and Petite Ance, which bear no resemblance to the main land, and appear to be remnants of some ancient continent. They rise several hundred feet above the tides, and I would suppose originally belonged to a high diversified country

Be this as it may, they have a very fertile soil, and produce the best sugar and cotton of Louisiana. The four islands contain about 7000 superficial acres of good land. There are sugar establishments on all but Belle Isle. There are other islands lying in the Attchaffallaya, or Berwick's Bay, which have a very good soil, but once in ten or fifteen years have been liable to be overflowed by the heaviest swells of the Mississippi.

In Oppelousas about one third of the population is Americans. In St. Martin's one fifth, and in St. Mary's more than a moiety. The rest are principally French.