The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-08-22
i1';sfioa e The Ricsr 1fiGpSi, and is Data, 4vi.5
f8af Of tie adjacent parts af LoMiana. BY Ei!y;qm
Dunbar, Of TIE Matebes, communicated BY . hlbO-,
a 1Nf"7S'r eftSe Society; through tie PreGdsnt.
CON TINUED.

The inundation takes place during the feafon that
the crops are under cultivation and in the precfe time
when required for Perfectng the culture of rice whh
isthereore mott conveniently placed in the of tile
Plantation nor is the nundation neceHary for any
other fpecies OF crops, but the contrary is often ex
tremey injurious by its excefs the embankments are
frequently ruptured and the crops of many plantations
are totally lott the lives of the inhabitants are fome
times IN danger from the drupton of their levees in
the night time; this however is but rare cafe The
planters poieiS great experimental knowledge in the
art OF arreting the progres Of this devafaton and
even entirely ihuttng up the breach which has been
made by the torrent of the Mlifipp. They begin
their operations fome difance from the extremties
OF the breach at found parts of the embankment and
advancing IN form of crelcent towards the MARGIN
OF the river, where they know the land to be moG e.
!evated, they are often enabled TO fut out the river
by this procefs the greater part Of the work being
thus carried on in comparatively fill whereas
every inch of the breach is aaed upon bv fur;ons
torrent, becoming every infant deeper and wider
very great breach happened during Governor Miro's
admnhtration about three leagues above New-Or-
leans; an mmenfe body of water advanced Cd its rear
and threatened to drown the city the people were
aged-The governor calledout all the afGance
which could be fpared from town and country and
placed himief in the of labourers tranf-
ferrng his fod from hand to hand to thofe who from
their hyperion knowledge in this ipecies of hydraulic
architecture, were employed in contributing the pro-
ViiIonai embankment they did not fucceed in conn
Pletely ihutting up the breach but the quantity of
o'eff0wifg water reduced to one quarter, and
the extremities of the levee were fortified until
the retiring OF the waters; va quantities of fifth were
PreclPitated upon the land, which corrupted and filed
the air with a peRilential hench The town was
mutually ficl,ly that Ieafon.
The Miiililippi is already celebrated on account of
the ialubrlty of its waters in which repecl no doubt
rivals the Nile 1t feems to be admitted (perbans
without due nvegation) that it poiTefIes properties
favorable to the multiplication of the human ipecies
by promoting tecundity; it is probably more certain
thar the uie of its waters contributes to bani feveral
dDoTders common in other countries the gout would
be unknown were il not introduced by Rrangers and
inances OF the itone and gravel extremely rare
The Creoles who drink this water are corev race
both male and female, of middle Failure, and hand |
iore perOns; the males are ingenious active bold &
enterpriimg fond of hunting and other Iaborjo,,s
amuiemens, and capable of enduring great fatigue
the graeeiulnes and beauty of the ladies are unive
Gally Acknowledged
The water Of ;he MifIi1ippi drunk in great puri
y by che iirt clas Of French planters and nhab;tap
oil New-Oreans it is fuifered to depofit by remote
I'm large earthen jars containing hundred or more
gallons) its iediment and fecuencies the precjpit1ti
on IS iometimes accelerated by brued peach nones &
Kernels Voney lays that in Egypt bruilcd bitter
almonds are applied to the fame Purpoie certainly
the procels Of the Chncfc is much neater by means
alum. The inhabitants generally employ two lars
IN order that may be iledwlie the other Is in e
by which means they always drink the pureR water |
thoie who are long in the habit Of drinking the Nf
iihpp water, cannot Immediately reconcile ten,felvas
to the tate Of any other
When the river is low and the current ev,remslv
gentle, the water policies buta very flight degree cf
the current is however at all times mE-