Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-04-27
FRIDAY. APRIL 81, 1927.
The .8rkaasag, lis Grapes and Cypress s'oampS
From Flint, Valley of the Mississippi

From Flints Valley OF the h'ss''''PP''
WE continued 10 floa, through this deep
and inundated forest, when at righ' anS'eS ~
our course we discovered ano'her opening
was the Arkansas, moving on WIN '''"I '"'
current of waters OF the color "i arnot'o oie'.
This is, next TO the Missouri, me ,"rSes' anu
mos, interesting tributary Of the Mississippi,
and from It's mouth BY its meanders 4" the noun
,,ins, is commonly computed abou, 1000 miles
It's course has been traced IN these mountains
a, least five hundf.d miles, and II IS believed
tha, the source or the Arkansas have not vel
been explored by our people Oae singuiari'y
distinguishes this river from any other of the
Jyni,rd STATES Where il wines along among
the mountains, all agree that i, is broad and
deep river, aud carries great volume OF wafer.
But no sooner does IT emerge from the shei'er
Of woods ana mountains into boundlesS ana
arid plain, composed TO great depih OF quick
sands, ,hant bel gins 10 Disappear and IN hun
dred n,,,.s from the very elevated mountain,
near which il enters upon the plain, it is 'orda-
hle during the summer. Still! lower down II Is
q stream, according 10 the well known phrase
Of the country, "sunk IN the sand;" that Is. II
trickies amids, the banks Of sand and pebbles,
so as in many places TO exhibit dry hannei
ofburnIng sand from bank 20 bank
Here on these vast sandy pans, which viii
y a,
eIks and buff. Toes, ar. the Wild fields of those
rich native grapes, that all travellers IN these
regions have spnkrn Of in terms OF such admira-
ton They are said to BE- conicai in shape,
large, Of beautiful blue, and transparent. The
diving sands rise round the stem. that advan-
ces s,in above the sand This sand performs
the hes, Office Of pruning, covering the super
Huous growth and foliage, infli ting no wounds,
nd IF. A. inc adm blr mn OF ri
pcnin:ng the clusters in the highest perfection
BY tn rrflt ion of the sun from the sand In
the expedition OF Mai Long, the extreme sweet
ness OF these grapes is recorded, and other ira
yeers have borne the same testimony. They
speak of vast tracts covered with these rich
clusters. | shall have occasion elsewhere tn
speak Of the classes oflhis native grape, which
are so mech extolled in the internal PROVINCES Oh
S65:fs OF i.oIi,iaia, md Known BY The name OF
the pine woods grape
This grape ripens in June. II would proba-
bly, he adr, ,rab!e grape TO cultivate mere
are also varieties of autumnal grapes, and won
drrful al counts are given Of the immense quan'
,iuc> of grapes that ripen on the Sand plains at
the sources Of Red river. The hunters assert
that tacy are richer than any cultivated grape.
A, distance Of mile or two from the river.
there art frs thick Cane brakes, then series OF
lakes, exactly resembling the river IN their
points aud bends, and in the color OF their wa
ters These lakes are covered with the large
leaves, md in the proper sea,on, the flowers OF
the "nvmphea nelrmbo," the largest and most
splendid flower that have ever seen have
Sc, n them Of the size Of the clown of hat; the
external leaves OF the most briiiin' white and
The internal Of beautiful yellow. These lakes
are so entirely covered with the large conical
leaves, nearly Of the size at a parasol, and a
smaller class Of aquatic plant, Of the same form
of leaves, but with yellow flower, that bird
NIGH, walk from shore to shore, without Dip
ping its fee, in water; and these plants rise rom
all depths of water, up TO ter feet.
Beyond these lakes there arr immense swamps
ofcypress, which swam2s constitute vast por-
ton of the inundated lands Of the Mississippi and
its waters. No prospect on earth an be more
gloomy The pacific S,x or Achero" had not a
greater union Of dismal circumstances We'll
may the cypress have been esteemed funeral x
lugubrious tree. When The tree has shed Its
leaves for il is dCcidpous, a cypress swamp, with
its countless in,erlaoed branches, OF hoary prey,
has an aspect of desola,ion and death, that Oft
en- as have been impressed with 1t, ] cannot
describe. In summer its fine, short, aud deep
green leaves invest these hoary bran, hes with a
drapery of Grape. The water IN which they
grow i, vast dead level, two or three feet deep
SIN leaving the innumerable cypress "knees as
they are called, resembling circular beehises,
throwing their points above the waters. This
water is covered with thick coat OF green mat
Ter, resembling green buff velvet The mus
oui,oes swarm above the wa er in countless
millions. A very frequent adjanc' TO this nor-
rible scenery, is the mccSason snake with his
huge scalv body lying in folds upon the side OF
cypress knee; and if you approach too near,
law aud reckless as he is, he throws the upper
law Of his hu ge mouth almos, back 10 his neck
giving YOU ample warning of his ability * Will
10 defend himself l travelled forty miles a
lon, his river swamp, and a con. iderabie part
OF the way in the edge Of it; IN which the horse
sunk a, every step half up to his knees was
enveioped for the whole distance with cloud
of mosquitoes Like the ancient Avernus, DO
not remember TO have seen single bird IN the
whole distance, except the blue jay. No'hing
interrupted thedsathlike silence, but the hum
of mosquitoes.
Their. cannot be well imagined another Tea
ture to the gloom of these vast and dismal tor