Camden gazette. (Camden, S.C.) 1816-1818, June 30, 1817, Image 4
Tt OHTUz MHTIOXAL i.
VIEW OF LOUISIANA,
T>y II. M- Brackcnridge, Ksf.
Wc are not well informed as to
the progress of settlement westward
during the la^t year, ""but we knew
that the emigration thirher liar, been
lately much greater than it cvdr wa*
before, since the first colonization of
Our continent ; and that a^reat part
of it ? perhaps much the greatest
part, has been directed to that coun
try whicbr this book describes ; that
is, to the immense regions formerly
. denominated the Territory of Lou
isiana, including the present Srateof
Louisiana and Territory of Missouri.
Those countries, naturally so in
teresting on account of the infinite
varieties they present in soil, land
scape, climate, and .productions, and
important for the fertility of many
portions,' and facilities of commu
nication that most -of them enjoy,
have a new adventitious claim to at
J
tfntion, and a political consequeiKe,
from a concurrence of some of those !
changeable causes that determine
the fate of nations.
iVhile the extension of our ter
ritory has been a subject of geneial
felicitation, there are some " dream
ers of dieams," who, unable ro cal
culate, must 'prophecy; and fear
possible, dangerous changes to arise
from it Which "not even they them
selves can distinctly immagine. ?
There arc even some of your sober
plodding politicians alarmed for the
effect of every new impulse given |
to public sentiment; men like the
hypoondriac who thought himself
made of glass; still heartless tinder
the late panic caused by the horrible
brood whiclv unprinciple innova
tion east upon the worki. 1 he per- -
fection of a system, with such peo
ple, is th? quietness of its operation,
and the highest effort $f their wis
dom^ patriotism and courage, is to.
endeavor to keep things stationary
by opposing the current of tjie
world's perpetual and inevitable
changes. Rc it so ? there can be no i
? ? ?
change of condition for us so great !
as that of sinking into a state of
tranquility and cifcumscribcd ex-,
pfcetation. Our present habits like
?our i nmcval ones, arc migratory
r A adventurous t mnd hence arise
L cility in resources, and versatility
skill? and, above all, the spirit
of liberty artd independence which
characterize the nation. Our poli
tical institutions have grown up un -
der the influence of those disposi
tions of th? public mind, a r,d are
suited only to such. We have lit
tle to apprehend while our people
havefoomto wander and speculate ;
our greatest danger mus t arise from
that refinement? *hat effeminacy of
civilization, which the fanciful, chc
tnical French politician said wast!#
result of the fermenting and clarify
ing processes caused by the com
pactness of population.
. We are therefore not only pleased
tt the magnitude of the changeful
prospcct which the present condi
tion of the country presents, , but
consider it an important duty incum
bent on us to use every effort in our
humble power, to cast light upon
the path of that multitude pf random
sojourners that are forsaking our
cheerless ,\ea- board? flying F??m
scenes of stagnant commerce and
starving manufactures. As Mr.
Brackenridge's * View of Louisiana*
is incomparably the best geographi
cal and topographical account of
that country which has yet been
published* we can do nothing het
trr, ar present, than refer such of
our readers as may be iutcresteil on?
: rliC v~'h}?&?+ to rhi! comprehensive
and interfiling 1 Lrtle volume.
I The first fifty pages of the work
i are occupied by the history and ex
| planacion of the Spanish territorial
claims ; but as it is, of course, mul
tifarious md very much condensed,
it would be impossible, within our
limits, T) give even a tolerable
sketch of it ? but of the topogra
phical descriptions which follow we
can av.nl ourselves with m#re ease
m
and propriety. The fourth chapter
commences with the following\den
, lincauon of the grand appearance of
| the cojintry : ? /
(< This entensive portion of North
! America has usually been described
' from the inconsiderable part which
is occupied by the settlements, as
though it were confined to the im
mediate borders of the Mississippi,
as Egypt is to those of the Nile. ?
By some, it is represented in gene
ral description, as a low, fiat region,
abounding in swamps and subject to
inundation ; which is the same thing
as if die Netherlands should furnish
a description for all the rest of !?u
' rope. Others speak of Louisiana as
one vast forest or wilderness ;
" Missouri ru?he< through this world of woo<K"
Bmlow.
Which is far from being the case :
'for excepting on the banks of this
river, and that n6t more than one
half its course, the country through
which it passes, is deplorably defi
cient in woods. If then, we are to
describe Louisiana, not from a small
district, important because already
the seat of population, bu: from the
'?appearance of the whole, combined
in a general view, we should say,
that it is an extensive region of open
plains and meadows, interspersed
with bare untillable hiHs, and wKh
the exception of some
in the vicinity of the grew fiftr- by
which it is traversed, ftffcmbling
the grasiy itef^pes ?f Tarrary or the
Sahara* 6f Africa, bu: without the
numerous .fnbrasses rnd dull unifor
mity of th* one, or the dreary ste
rility of the other. The tortile tracts
are chieflyro' -be found in the nar
row valiies of the grea^rjyers Mis
souri, Mississippi, Arkansas, Keti
River, and some ot i heir principal
tributaries: the two be dies
of fertile 'soil are the delta of the
Mississippi, which is much i Mers
prrsed with lakes, marches rrk ^
larjds, that will require a^es to r.
clai iny and the terr^corv ot the
souri, as limited by the boundaries
lately agreed on with the Indians,
which bears a strong resemblance
to the We^tf Tennfcs^ee in some ot
its features/* ?
In order to give a systematic view
he adopts an expression of Volneyi
and call a the country between the
Apal aehian or Alleghany mountains,
, and the mountains of the Missouri,
r< the vjUcj of the Mississippi." ?
From that father of- American ri
vers, it is observed that the section
of rhe valley on the western side is
twice the extent of that on the east
em side ; and in most respect* en
tirely lUtFercpt* He explains the
regub.' ry of the great western chain
of mountains, which he regards as
a continuation of the Annahuac, or
Andes of South- America, and whichf
at the heads of those western rivers*
presents a range of table land, far
more elevated than any other part of
our northern cfcntinent:. After show
ing the connection of those heights
along the head \faters of the Was
hita with the Cordilleras, or dividing
mountains between the Rio del
Norte and the Red River, and the
other spurs between that and the Ar
kansas, he remarks : ?
" A remarkable feature in this
Western side of the great valley, is
its deficiency of. wood, while the op
posite, (with the exception of i-oiuc
par:s on che north side of the Ohio,
where the woods have been burnt)
a close and deep fbresr. T tie
woods continue for a short distance
up the Mississippi before they dis
^ appear, and the grassy plains begin.
The banks of the Missouri are
cloathed with luxuriant f:rest trees
Tor three or fotx- hundred miles, af
ter which, they gradually become
bare, and the frees diminish in size ;
at first we find thin groves of the
kind of poplir called cotton wood,
but of a diminutive growth, inter
mixed with willows ; next the same
tree, reduced to half its height, an
resembling an orchard tree ; afte
this, a thin border of Shrubbery is
.almost the only ornament of the
margin of the river. The sam
thing may be said of the Arkansa
and Red River.
<f Takir.g the distance to th
mountains to be about nine hundre
miles, of the first two hundred th
larger proportion on the Missouri 1
and its waters, is well adapted to \
agricultural settlement, its soil and
conveniences are equal if not supe
rior to those of Tennessee or Illi
nois ; this tract will include the
greater part of the White andOrangc
rivers, the lower Mississippi, and for
at least one hundred and fifty miles
north of this last river. Th* pro
portion of wood gradually lessens ro
the west and still mot to the north,
with ihe adduion that the lands be
come of an inferior qualify* For
the next 'three hundied miles, the
courttfy will scarcely admit of com
pact settlements of any gjeat extent ;
. the v;ohded parts from trifling ex
* ccpti'ons to its gen<*rai surface, and
are ncvef met with but 6n the mar
- gin of the .river*. We may safely
lay ic down, that after the first two
hundred miles, no trees are found on
?J the upland^, save stinted pines or
j cedars : the rest of the country con
j sists of open plains of vast magni
tude, stretching, beyond the boun
dary of the eye, and chequered by J
numerous waving ridges, which en- I
able the traveller to see his long and I
wearisbitie journey of several days I
before him Yet, it does not seem I
j to m*f that the soil of this tract i* J
anywher- absolutely unproductive ; j
it h uniformly covered with herbage, I
rrho rgh not long, and luxuriant like J
rhac of the plains nearer the center of J
die v a\u v ; it is short and close, but I
more Mmritious to the wild herds I
ch*n the c< arse grass of the common I
prairit. '? his tract has not the drea- I
rv bartennt ss described by Johnson I
io his toiSV to the Herbrides ; the I
. green caTpet which covers, and the I
beautiful shrubberies which adorn it, I
afford relief to the eye. but again, I
it is very doubtful whether tree* j
could be cultivated ; for I observed I
that the trees which by accident are
permitted to grow, are but dwarfs ; I
the oak, for instance, is not larger I
than an orchard tree, the plumb is I
nothing more than a shrub, in some I
places not exceeding a currant bush. I
There are, however, scattered over J
the immense waste, a number of I
spots which greatly mppassinbeati- 1
k ty any thing I have ever seen to the I
east of the Mississippi. But there I
are others again, barren in the tx- I
. treme, producing ?r*hing in the 6est 1
soil but hysopandthe prickly pear. I
The next four hundred miles stretch- I
ing to the mountains, partake of the I
same character with the last, e*>
cepting that it is still more barren i
and rugged, more deficient in water, I
and the tfpots capable of receiving I
settlements so distant froth each I
other, that great difficulties wUl be I
encountered by those who may think |
of living there* An exception '
however, to ur n a in f.i\ror c{ t.,2
country ab :ut ili.tr sources of r'ic
principal rivers, winch rise in th^
Missoori -mountains ; for some dis
tance down these rivers it.is much
beccer^suited to settlements than the
parts which 1 have just described ;
about the heads of the Missouri, the,
Yellow Stone, the Platte, The Ar
kansas, &c. settlements might be
formed, bfit unfortunately these arc
too remote.
(To be Continued.)
< SUMMER RETREATS. *
TI1L Subscriber is willing to dispose
of a fc-w LOTS of liAN|) of one
atre each, lying Southwardly from the
summit. of the Last end of Hobkirk's Htl)%
with i he perpetual u?e rf the Springs or*
the north side of Mortimer'* Sfiring BrancS
to a desirable extent. 4 r
The Sites for Building are v.?ry elevat? . \
ed, the xater pure, light, palatable and
healthy.
M Health to my friends'* after such eon* \
tinurd rains as we have experienced, being
a principal object ; t lie terms will be made
as easy and accommodating as possible. ? ? ,
Be please to apply to F. S. Lee, Esq )
or to
- ? JOHN KERSIIAW. \
Ju*w? 23. 63?* , ,
\ baking KUsiNhss.
Til K Subscriber who has lately arrived
lrom En to/it, informs the inhabitants
of Camden, that he is commeninj^ .hii
BUSINESS at the house formerly efccu*
pied by Mr. BunlloQ, back of Mr. Muge?
on York-street. Where fresh Bread may
be had every day at IS o'clock ; except on
Monday* when it may btfhad before break
fast time.
His Bread will be told there, And at J?
Sc A. Smith's, on Broad-st.
DUNCAN MLAUCKLTN.
June 25. tf , ?
- r - , - V
M
GIN MAKING,
Aext door to Mr ? J. B. Mathleu, '
ESSRS. ALLEN JONES* DRtJ.
RY CAMPBULL having enter
ed into Partnership in the Gin Ma
king flusinew under the firm of Jones U
Campbell, offer their services to the in
habitant* of Kershaw District avid Its vicin
iiy Any order in - their line will be ex
ecuted with neatnei and ditfiateh , any
Gin coming from theii shop will be war
ranted, and any sent for the purpose of be
ing repaired will meet with no delay.
June 33. 63? tf t
M"
COTTON SAW GINS.
THE Subscriber* wish to inform
those whom h may concern th*^ they
have established themselves in King street 9
Camden* next door to the Printing Oflvre,
for the purpose of Making |nd' Repairing
SAW'MKS. .I'V.tZ '. ^
The# shop in Winisbofougn h in fihl
operation^ Ti i
They have also a constant Buppjy
]iaitni\c\itting Knirocw - *
WM. ATKINSON,' ,
. Sons WORKMAN.
June 23 < L '
COMMITTED
TO the Coal of Lancaster District, ofi
Saturday the J 1st May tftft?^?Nfro
says his name is Monday f a^pEsrs to
he About 13 or 14 years of aye* dark com
plexion, had on blue cloths* it lame of the
left leg which he says was occasioned byr
tne wheel of ? waggon running over him *
says he beloogs to Capt. JotajgNUm, Jivi
near to Manchester, S. C. flfte owner ^
requested to come forward N prove hie
June 1 6
1
FOR SALE,
FOUR u; and a Commodity*
Dwelling Hitpqtt in the town ofCam
dem belonging to of Captain,
Isaac Dubose, deceased ; fr^ptisf
and Market-streets, will bs ? sold
the Court House, in said \own, on MotKk>*
the T4th of July next, on a credit until
the 1st day of January ne*t.
Purchasers to give good seetority an<|
pay for titles which will be made but nc$
delivered until the pureNKt money i*
paid. ? 5 ? ' '
J. CARTER Co**. Eq. C. t>.
Commissioner's Office,"
,13d June 1*17, '4\ ?' 63? tf
? ? - -? ??*'??! 1 ,,
? mm
I^AKEN up by ftie ?bovit the 26th M*;.
* a red Cow, speckled with white, and *
rrd Calf. TjM above 1 ow i* marked in thq
right ear wiWft crop slit and under bit.-~
In the left with a figure 7.
DAVID CAREWni I ?
June *3 f /" 63 ?4