Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1842-04-30
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, AFRIL 30, as4e,

the happy cmigrant will entertain his cbil
dren with nightly tales of the past, and re,
pose in soft slumbers undisturbed and withou'
apprehension ON the Bloody Prairie.
A few miles narrower a rolling and varia
gated country, and post oak aud hickory bar
rens, piney woods, hills of sand rock and val.
leys Of flowers, creeks of limpld water, an.
the river bottom Of four miles, making III al
45 miles from Shreveport, brings You to Wal
ling's Ferry on the Sabine. Those who wish
to go by Ramsdale's Ferry, q few miles lower
down, on their way West, can take a fork O
the road in the "B!oody Prairie and i've
miles travel will take them to the river.
Crossing at Waliing's we found ourselves
in the we'll known and much admired Chero,
kee country, one of the most fertile, healthy
and beautiful portions of Texas. 1t borders
upon Red River and Sabine, extending south
and west for many miles. 1t is quite andula.
ting, dry and we'll timbered, having a beauti.
ful growth Of every variety of oak and h,cko,
ry, and walnut, and sweet gum, ard holly, alac
mulberry, and pine, and cedar, &c. &c. with
a soil and climate that might satisfy the most
fastidious emigrant either from the South q
Europe or the Eastern States.--Ihe Cherokee
Creek, which is a large anddeep bayou, winds
through this region, and affords several yaln-
able mill sites, which might easily be made
available for manufacturing lumber, &c. to be
shipped or rated down the rive. The Sabine
is h re nayigable through the year and very
seautiiu and boatable, as you ascend to its
source.
Twelve or fifteen miles west of the river,
we saw a large lake or bayou, winding along
as far as the eye could reach, and across
which Ic Tho rorpoJnc pf tho larnasf jJpO IpT ,Iufu
to be found on the continent. 1t is we'll
worth the travellers notice.
Twelve miles further west is the site OF the
old Shawnee village, now the residence OF Gen.
Smith. 1t is ~prettIly situated and watered by
some of the largest and finest springs in the
country. On our way we saw the effects of
a violet tornado which had passed here SOM
years previous. Its track was about half a
mile wide, and every tree and shrub and flow
or lay PROSTATE beneath the power of the
whirlwind, which the sturdy oak of a century
even could notwithstand. They lie like
"reeds shaken by the wind and indicate al
once the weakness mortal man, contrasted
with the force and fury of the ''prince OF the
power of the air.
The distance from the Shawnee Village tt
Natchitoches ia about 45 miles. The road is
remarkably good. and for the most part leve
and easily travelled. 1t is by far the most
preferable route, and far better than the roat
from Natchitochss to the Sabine. Indeed, the
whole route from Shreveport either by Wal.
ling's, Brewster's, Ramsdale's, or Logan's
ferry, on the Sabine, is decidedly better for EN-,
igrants who are going westward as far as
Nacogdoches or the Trinity, and especially
those who design to settle On the Cherokee
lands, or about the Cross Timbers. The road
is shorter-always ~good-plain, dry. slightly
rolling, and far less fatlguing to man and
beast than either of the old routes above men.
toned, farther south. We have travelled it
and confidently recommend to all traveller:
and enigrants who are going to the country
to embark with bag and baggage for Shreve.
port.