Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-09-12
OVERFLOW OF RED RrvER.-The Alexandria
Lao Republican, Extra, Of the 2lst ult., says:

Overflow OF RED RwER.-The Alcxandris
(La.) Republican. Extra, Of the 2lst u,., says:
The extraordinary and unheard of Hood of Re.
River has put it altogether beyond our power {,
continue the regular weekly issues OF our paper
To print this extra, giving a brief account of the
calamity, terrible, awful and overwhelming as il
most truly is, it will he necessary for us to work il
water three fee, deep on one Of the highest frs
flOurS in the town.
/ The oldest Inhabitants of the country, men OF
sixty and seventy, who were born and raised h ere
say that the water has never been as high as it is
now during their existence. As far as we have been
able to learn it extends from hill to hill every here
covering. except few high spots, all the auval
lands ON both sides ofRed River, ON Bayous Robert
and Rapides, and perhaps Bayou BGuf Even a
large portion Of the lands of the Plasance settle
ment, which have been considered perfectly secure
against high water, are partially inundated.
The loss has consequently been very great. In
this parish in the crops of cotton aud sugar alone
estimating the former at $4,000 bales and the latter
at 10000 hogsheads. with the usual amount oT mo
lasses it will exceed 81 100000, and if we inc de
corn, stock and damage done 10 property, it must
approximate to IS 600 .00C.
Our from, pruprleiprs leveed against an 1914 rise,
and many Of them felt SO secure behind what they
conceived their invincible breastworks that they
made no preparations at all for moving until the
water, rising as it did with extraordinary rapidly
completely COVERED them. Hence some places
only part of the stock was saved while ON others it
was all lost
The accounts Of the suffering above. represent it
To be even worse than it is here. Having no hirh
lands to fly to, the inhabitants have had to huddle
with their cattle upon their highest grounds, and
either stand in water waist deep, or climb Gp into
trees and wal, for a boa, 10 rescue them.
1t is impossible To estimate the lass by the flood
in the valley Of Red River. Instead of upwards of
$4,000, this parish will not produce 1000 bales I'm
off arls NJ loo
10000 will he made. The toss in this one article
will consequently be $5,000.000, which is nothing
TO the loss ot the corn crup. of stock, of farming i'm
pemenls, the destruction improvements and pen-
eral breaking mp of plantations. To these too are
to be added the loss of credit no mean item which
we must nieasuraby suffer. Truly it is sad fx
that this country is in.
The damage done to the town cannot now be es-
tma,ed. hut il is considerable, Many of the houses
are partially undermined. and others probably will
be before the water leaves Until ii does so. at
least until il leaves floor, our readers we fear
will not again hear from us.
A LADy's ACCOUNT OF GEN. T.YLoR.-The
following is of letter written by Lady
in Meadvlle, Pennsylvania, to "a gentleman in
Washington. giving an account of Gen. TAYLoR's
visit to the former place:
If the General should not exhibit oratorical pow
er, 1t does not arise certainly from wan. of sense,
thought, or emotion. Tor, III conversation, he is tru
y eloquent, If the of this faculty 10 he
regulated by the efIect-alI hung upon his words,
land all was brightness where they fell" be-
lieve oratorical powers, however, are not always
concomiiaht with greatness, for could put into my
thnble the names Of all distinguished in oratory
since the flood, and in the eye Of my bodkn all pro
dnced in any age because not gifted with it Meth
er Miltun Shakespeare, nor Newton suffered, nor
have ever heard qualification Of their praise by
auson to their rhetoric. lie greeted each in
dividual i'm kind unaffected manner his keen but
mild and benevolent eye dispeng that uncumfurt-
able feeling Of oppression attendant upon temporary
association with greatness After our interview as
stood an observer little retired thousand agree
able reflections crowded upon me. FELT that a
camp-liie had not hardened his heart 10 the tender
sympathes of olr nature though, Of the mothers
aid children at Monterey, of the wounded he
'would not leave behind" AS he stond surround
ed with beatty could not call to mind one single
act Of his life To dark shade the back ground. felt
that while, during life of singuafy hard service
wherein his submission as a subordinate was only
equaet by hrs moderation as superior, he who
had preserved such character for temperance and
purity, and pussessed such sympathetic soul must
haze MIND, and one unaffected by and su peror
To the ordinary circumstances OF life the purity
of the gem is unsulied by the grosser elements en-
bodying it. | knew he had been as brave as Caesar
and humane as Marcellus and if all hearts were
popular as Trajan wherever he goes.
4 French Exploring Expedition has partially as
cended the Grand Bassam river in Africa, and has
discovered it to be continent of the Niger. Capt
Roilet, the commander of the Expedition, writes
that he has discovered two magnificent Lakes
where palm-o is SO abundant that the ship had not
vessels enough To hold it. Now, according to the
dealers themselves, palm-o gives profit OF so per
cent, whilst gold only yields 80 or 60. The adj
Joining villages are said to overflow with produce
of all sorts Capt. Bullet has, however, visited
unknown regions, and established relations in the
midst of country the very centre oYlhe gold trade,
the only commerce hitherto carried on at Grand
Bassam II being the dry season, the want of wa
ter prevented its entire exploration but in the rainy
there SIX feet of water and the river may
be assembled as far the catar acts of Abunesson.
Al that place the traveller is within 60 leagues of
SeIo, and the course of The Niger is continued
When the steamer Guet;ander proceeds to Grand
8assam. that vessel, which only draws two feet of
water, Will entirely solve the problem. Thus
well-armed and wellsupplied vessel will penetrate
of which Captain Boet has seen part himself
and which is the entrepot and The passage for the
caravans of the gold and silk merchants, and where
the gallant Capt. discovered and inhabited for two
days, city more ancient and more important than
Iimbucoo. 81 must write vOlume," concludes
the letter, ''were TO attempt To relate the dangers
and adventures OF the expedition"
CLUrcHING THE SPotIS-The late act of the
Legislature, in giving the Governor some pa ronaUe
not hitherto coDiided to him, has shapened the APP
petite of the Democrats and one Of the Valley edi-
tOrs is pointing out the various local Offices that
I 4 Sol al