Jenks' Portland gazette. Maine advertiser. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1802-1803, 1803-05-09

ibberville downwards, dilfance BE-
tween two and three hundred miles,
has originated from the illuvioss and
depolits of this muddy iream. Ii mutt
require Comfortable time ere this new
land can become ufeful. Where the
prefent Baltic is erected, the ground was
10 low, that earth was brought to ele
vate the fountain for the beacon, guard
and pilot houfes The fcite of the old
Baltic, which was built in 1884 and at
the mouth of the river, is now mole
than two miles above. The prefent
Balife was contributed in 1886, by Don
Antonio D'Ulloa, on fmall iaand
near the fouth eat entrance of the river
OF which about thirty years before there
was not the leaf appearance. In con.
Verfation with an experienced officer in
the SPanifh navy, colonilf of Louiia
IA, On the fubjed of this prolongation
of the continent, he informed the .riter
of thefe obiervations, that in the fun
mer of 1890, he remarked new inand
at The mouth of the river. That not
many years ago, when lying at Point
La Hache, between the Baltic and New
Orleans, feaman died on board his
thip-they fept on fhore to make
grave, but could nor find fnfficient firm
earth TO bury him. This place is fince
become fold land. He could afo re
collect when Pla4uemines, where the
fort now nands, was quagmire. NJ.
VANDERBILT, formerly governor Of Loui
fiana, in letter, dated Sept 2. I7s7,
remarks, "There is infinite difficulty in
fsttling towards the month Of the river
MifiGppi, on account of the immenfe ex.
penfe 10 banking againa the inundation
Of The Tea and fand floods. / au1againll
fettling It as yet,and for waiting until the
ground be more and more raiied by the
acretion of foil, as il hath been three
feet within the fpace of fifteen years"
Every thing concurs TO prove that
this river has enlarged the continent
nearly one hundr ed leagues. Not Fin
gle fone, nor even pebble is to be
found in all the new made ground.
The fea rePe!ling that prodigious qnan
,ity of mud, leaves, bougks and trunks
Of trees, which the Mil1iGppiis con0ant.
ly wafhing down all thefe materials
eonaantly pulhed backward and forward
ccllea and bind themfllves in fold
MATS, which thus tends to prolong this
vaa continent. Another (triking Gneu.
larity, no where elfs to be inst with, is
that of the waters of this great river,
when once they overflow its banks,
never return within its bed again. The
reafon is this The MiGiippi is annu
ally fweiled by the melting of the fnows
in the north, which begins in Match,
and continuesabout three months. This
river lies very deep at the upper part,
and does not overflow on the eat fide
until within one hundred leagues of the
mouth ; that is TO fay on the low lands
fuppofed TO be new ground. reThefe
muddy grounds like all others which
have not yet acquired their due confia
ence, bear a prodigicus quantity of large
reeds, which aop and entangle all ex.
traneous bodies thar are waihed down
the river. The collection of all thefe
fragments, with the 1ime that fills up
the intermediate fpaces, RATES. 10 procefs
Of time, the banks higher than the ad
jacent ground, 70 that the waters once
overlooked, are prevented by this oblfa-
Gle from the poGbility of returning to
their natural channels, and are there
fore compelled to force an outlet into
The Tea by another courfe. The new
land and illands at the mouth of the
MifIifppi are faid to rife and fall with
the fwelling and abating of the waters.
This Rory, however, wants con6rma
ton. '''t H
From the altonifhing length of the
MiG6ppi. and the watt bodies Of water
that fiow into ii, one is led to imagine,
thar il NUT be proportionably broad.
Every traveller ismuch furprifed to End
the dire6 contrary. InRead Of entering
an open extenGye bay, the mouth of the
river is very narrow and contradict
and through its whole courfe. to New
Orleans, after pafing La Loutre, j,
fcarcely exceeds halfa mile in breadth
OPpof.e the city the river takes con.
fderable fweep, forming beautiful
ctefent, along which New.Orleans il
ftuated. At this place it may be about
three quarters of mile wide. The lev
Ell, or embarkment which defends The