The Arkansas advocate., 1835-08-07
IE EATHE85FoNHAUGH's REPORT.
Coaeluded.

1 beime close this descriptive pofton
 ot my report, shall ask to present few : remarlsszan the Arkansas and Red rivers
 winch trust will be found somewhat inter-
 estlng. Both these streams. are renafsa-
 ble for their tortuous and serpentine course. 4 and for the important dehections from their courses, which can be. sometimes traced. 1.-The history of Red river illustrates well
 movements of this latter class. From the fpolnt where Il turns to the east, a little north
 ot 3l degrees north latitude, it appeared 10 1 have once flowed ina south direction down the line of fhe Atchafalaya, into the bay bearing that name, II the Gulf of Mexico. There Is chain of lagoons on that line stll rafted up with timber, and no doubt, when head was formed capable ofresistinr the current, it gave the river it's present eastefiy direction into the Mississippi. In those remote periods whenthe False Washi- ia and the other tributaries of Red river were working out its channel, the deposites ot timber must have been immense, not on- y filling its channel 10 the Gulf of Mexico. as have supposed, but rafting up it's pres ent ekannel as low down as it's present mouth in the Mississippi. The remains of those ancient rafts are still 10 be seen near is mouth, adhering to it's banks, the main body having roited away, and passed down with the current. to the point where the ope- cations commenced of clearing out the pres ent raft. But even now, such is the abfa- sion produced by the river. that the annual accumulation of timber at the head of the great ratt Is very great, and the consequent Inundatlons from back watervery injurious.
 "Nhen the great work of cutting the raft out IS accomplished, an immense quantity ofrich lands will be brought to their true va lue, and the salubrity of the country much improved.
 .sIhese chains of lagoons are found both on the north and south sides af Red river. and are amongst the immediate causes of the insalubrify of the climate during certain months. fhe past summer was intensely hot and dry, and one of these large lagoons. near Lost Prairie, on the Mexican side of Red river, q beautiful tract of land over which ] passed, had experienced so much. evaporation that it could not preserve its fish; the water became glairy, and incapa- Ole of sustaining them, and they were float tlng dead on the surface.
 he course of the Arkansas is, in like manner, subject to constant change, as a small circumstance will lead to the dellec- ton ot this noble but too uncertain stream.
 The Judgment of tree will be the com mencement ef bar that wililhrow the cnr- rent to fhe other side, which, beating against low and weak part of the opposite alluvial bank, will, in short tine, If the bank hap pens 10 form reach there, wear is way through, leaving an island and q chain of lagoons in it's former bed
 "inlhe vicinity of the Mammelle noan-l tam IS aa immense swamp, through part of which passed, and which contains perhaps thirty thousand acres. The timber on each side being much killed by the water, stands dead ininnumerabIe lofty bare inasts, form ing picture of perfect desolaton. The cypress, the cotton wood, and the popultts nlosikfesa, the blackberry, the triple fhorned acacia, and many other trees attain aB ifn- mense size here. The lagoons in this swamp extend for several miles where the old bed oi, the river was; wild geese, ducks and other aquatic birds are here in ncredi- bic numbers, as also swans occasionally. Nothing can be more singular than the as- pect of the trees in this wild place. Their trunks appear to be painted red for about fifteen feet from the ground; at that height q perfectly red line extends through the whole forest, marking the rise of the waters al he last great inundalion, which occurred in June, 1883, when the Arkansas rose 30 l feet. Millions of acres of rich bottom land of these countries are thus rendered use- less, and can never he brought to thelr in- trinsic value but by levees, constructed at particular points, to keep out the waters from the direct course of he river. and the back waters of the bayous that empty into lrt Until measures of this kind are ta- i ken, these districts will be a nuisance to the settlers, both in respect of their insalubrity, and their beng the resort of the numerous gangs of wolves which infest the country. l spent one night in the swamp alluded to, that of the 22d November last. The ther- mometer had fallen to 24 degrees Fahren- heit, and strong ice was making. The
 noise made by the incessant bowling of these animals exceeded any thing 1 had ever hea:d--some barking In one tone, some screaming in another, as if each was suffering bodily pain. This uproar Is gen erally loudest just before the approach of day, and appears intended as signal for
 stragglers to come into the wilderness,
 where they usually crouch during the day.
 'sFrom this point of the river down to its mouth, distance of about 300 miles, fine