Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-01-23

TIE following letter extracted from the Bulletin
Will he interesting 10 many citizens In this Parish.
In consequence Of seeing in ont. Of your papefsa
movement Ia the Legislature for the purpose Of
improving Tue navigation Of the BaynV Man
chac, [ ain Induced 10 trouble you with . faw lines
Tor publication.
Between, tho Amits and Mississippi rivers.
there Ii a large body Of low ground Of swamp,
subject 10 inundalion by a fiss ID either OF tl.ess
r~isptf. and, previous to tho sttppegs Of the Bayen
Maufhae, tho waters Of both lneeiiag. this wstsr
hacked up IN The rear Of numerous plantations,
%stuptrit,g nir ifaits, rendering our grounds per-
iee. mud. and destroying oil vegetation except
| uasiaiis weeds, which, Oh liz refedliE, To'ttes
poisoning The OH and destroying the health 81 the
inhabitants. Tho AHite rising aud falling IN
aaiek succession, say In A general way tising for
three days and ,hse falling fot three days 10 the
Haffs degree, does Us comparative little injury, but
The Mi.Hissipfi rising snd continuing up s'
II, tnt},s, te'sss The atssleEt distress, by iaes OIL
crops and causing piehns7s ani dea',. For mo
pafp3se Of guarding against saess aVitH NJ Tar a.
aa rantd, the inhabitants Of Baton Rouge ana
Ibtfviile. who were he greatest suti ffFs, DO, W
voluntary subscription, with The saattion Of tho
t.sa i4iatuts stop HE i,,fb4 If water 10TH tbs Bayou
from HE Misri#- iasi, ny thtonteg Al stolatk"
tnstt abi making the public road 10 cross h+A
/ ttp tsty IN n gent measure giving relief 10 all ms
Inhabitants (foin tho tnvh Of Baton Rettse To
all those on Tho isinne si6s Of EbeEyiile and satie
II Ascension. reetaiming the land md admitting
II numerous sn}ttpl enta on Rev River, 10 the
parishes Of thef vile mid Ascension.
That Bayou never was, md never will bs q
r~ayiEabIs streatn. There an#, and ever would be,
loo much danger and difficulty IN ssethdihs and
tetehl,ug III. thuapd with dtlis ihas from shT
Mississippi as il ever was, End would be again u
IN opened, aafrpw mud crooked. aud with rapid
currents both II aud the Ansite. when The waters
are high. For tho inhabitants u Baton Rouge,
in the rear Of The taNs, IL 10 far easier 10 haul
.kesf produce put. and by The Same npeana lake
their ]supplias ho ne. fhosa hel,s tbs fttk4 IT tao
Bayou, (abou. nine mites from The Mississippi
always have water communication 10 Now ORE
leans. They have, ard always must have. rugged
seaseis 10 carry tbeis wood cotton, Gel 10 market,
aud these vessels require ballast TO e'sabls thutn
10 fetufht how much mora cheap and eaay is II
then to get their supplies 10 Now Orleans. a mar
ket which affords every thibg thsy can want.
Ifad The Bayou been kept open TO Tho present
time, tho Lskos would mol now he oasigable, nv
they would have been llisd up with deposit from
the Mississippi. In The Bayou aud mite. where
The eutfent lie strong, there would have been no
deposit; the deposi, only tskes place whom the wa'
Ter meet. with eon,a obstruction. M ffon coulter
currents or agitation finn winds, as Is exumplifed
III the Bslisr, tho psss Of Msnehae st Lake Pont.
chaftfatn, ard even at the entrance Of Bayou
Mnnetae with tho Amite. The wafee on tho
Lake, by agi,aliBg the watef, has tho same effect,
and were fast filing previous 10 the stopphga OF
The Mississippi water through tho Bayou Man"
ebae. Az 10 this fact. | have The sanction Of The
ablo Engineer, Mr. Powell. who. a number Of
yeats ugo, tepetted hat the deposit from The river
III tho lakes, had this Bayou no, been stopped,
would, at that time, have ruined their navigation.
Thua far. | ailudo 10 .he bayou Msnefac as II
waa. but 10, il be fairly opened-Ie. The Missis"
sippi have fair excess down, aud .he Whole island
would be put under water, Tho surface Of tho
fiser nj ito junction with the Bayou Manehae, Is
az high as the tops Of the houses in ". Orleans,
(watar always seeks is Iesel'); the Lakes in the
rem, of he town Is only f few feel lower than the
town, and ,his large quantity Of Mississippi water.
IN addition to that Of Me numerous rivers empty
ing into the Lake., would bring II on a lssol, and
II II should stop there (shouid the Lakes and
awamps take w The rcst) wI,a. would be the fate
af The city il a gale from the East, or n crevass
above. any where from st James down, should oc.
cur during high water.
PHILIP WINFRfE.
IbcfviIle, 18th January, ls4l.