Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-01-04
NJ | S c f l. l. A N Y .
LIFE IN LOUISIANA.

from an eight weeks rustcaion in the Pa
IRISH Of CaIcaseu,a locality redeemed from
the shallow waters of the Gulf Of Mexico,
still almost upon level with il, without
hlllock within its limits as high as GO
pher sand hill. Before we go any further
in description, we will tell how to get there.
Pass down the river TO where the liking Of
streams" disembogucs his multitudinous
waters into the jolly punchbowl of the
Cult There, at the extremity, seward
Of the Southwest Pass, you sail off west
ward towards Texas, the moderate distance
Of two hundred and fifty or sixty miles,
when you will come TO the lovely and
transparent outlet Of Lake Calcasieu, flow
ing over white sands and green grass unto
the Gull, that reciprocates the favor by
an atfectionate interchange Of waters every
time the tide comes in. This beautiful
lake hangs in the middle of the parish,
like huge lobster suspended by bright
silvcry thread, formed Of that gent.est of
all streams, the river CulcasIeu, which
comes in a straight course from the north
part of the parish, to feed the lake of its
own name-a lake thirty miles long and
five or six broad. In the extreme south
west corner Of the parish hangs the Sabine
lake, fed by the boundary river winch d.
vldes the United States territory from lex
as. la Calcaseu there are thousands Of
praires-One in particular, running cen
traIIy, but diagonaIly, through the parish,
called the Mammoth Prairie, which is sixty
miles in length and from one to three miles
in width through and along the centre Of
4 Lo
road, with not tree TO shade it or fence
10 enclose it, Here feed HE "BulIs Of
Bashan" by the thousands and tens Of
thousands; and in large public pasture or
domain, aeG amidst these countless swarmS
Of cattle, the rights Of property are only
preserved by the owners marks upon the
ear, inflicted while they are calves, be
fore their anxious mothers know they're
out" AS for knowing where their own
crs live, or where they should go and bel
low for fodder in case that perennially
green prairie shonli fail them. they are
"alI unknowing and unknown"
Those who sail from the Balize need not
shuddcr over the "deep, deep sea-" from
whose coral covered dceps they are scpa-
rated only by plank. Six feet Of water
is all that can be made along the coast,
which stretches away from the Southwest
Pass, passing the watery Laforche lnteri-
or, the Terrc Bonnie, and Lafayette, plump
into Cacasicu lake. There is MssiSs-
ipp editor who could ght his :" long nine"
cigar, and wade the whole distance; and
Porter, of the Spirit of the Times, could
do it without wetting the tail Of his coat.
We come TO the inhabitants of this far
famed parish. The old French residents
are trul y "jewes in the rough" Their
knowledge, with few exceptions, extends
not as far as New Orleans. They live
there in Calcasieu and live there forever,
as the country is too healthy to admit of
any decay, save that produced by the wear
and tear of centuries. Probably the veal
thieSt man in the Parish is one Of these old
French creoleS, who has once or twice,
during long life, visited the lower part
of the city of New Orleans. He believes
| in his commission merchant, who lives
| there, and looks upon him as little less
| than the creator OF those articles for which
| he annually sends, and which inevitably
came in a sloop at his bidding. His con-
| fdence in his merchant is shown by the
Il idCt mat, III tue course Oh I'VE years, lie
has loaned him more than 500, 900.
| This planter of Calcaseu has three large
plantations. and has his mark on more
than sixteen thousand head of cattle. He
has an only chiId-a daughter of sweet
nineteen. Our friend, the lawyer, had de-
signs upon her. He wished through her,
\ u become joint owner of all those broad
lands, those swarms Of negroes, and those
herds of cattle. He paid visit. He is
| good looking, gentce, and speaks elegant
| French. As he approached the house, he
saw her sitting in the middle of the room;
but as he passed into the passage his quick
eye saw her leap from her chair, and rush
behind the door which opened into the room
in which she had been sitting. He passed
in at the door and shut it, thereby bringing
the beautiful creature full into view, and
completely cornered." He bowed TO
her, addressed her in the sugared accents
of his French, but all in vain. She an
swered not. Once more he paid the COM
pments his gallantry prompted, land looked
lnSnuatinS. Still she was silent. She
had her pretty finger in her mouth-her
hair al uncombed, in lovely diShabWe-
her little (mus, say IT'D dirty feet all
bare, as well as half the handles to them,
for the longitude of her dress was aconic.
I He turned to take seat, and when he