Washington telegraph., 1851-01-29

! for itself several channels. The princ1-
pal one of these appears to be that
through what is called Dooleys bayou,
connecting with the pass between Clear
aud Soda Lakes. above Ferry lake. 1t
is very direct, is enlarging very rapidly
and will. il properly assisted, soon super
sede all the others.
1t is already sufficient in capacity to
admit the passage of the largest sized
boats running to Shreveport, at high
or medium stage of water. Extensive
bars covered with willows are encroach-
ing upon Lake Soda on the east and on
the north. The water being confined to
a narrower space by each years forma-
ton. is deepening. The same is the
case with Cross Lake. Cross bayou, (al-
ready wider and deeper than Red river
itself,) at low stage of water is twelve
feet lower than the level of Cross Lake,
and divided from it by ridge only twen-
ty-five hundred feet wide. The current
has already made considerable progress
i'll cutting through this ridge. and with
the assistance that is now being given to
it in the shape of ditch, will probable
complete the same during the next peri
cd of high water. The area Of Cross
Lake being from twenty-five to thirty
square miles. it will readily be perceived
that should it be drained ten or twelve
feet below the usual low water mark, the
period of good low water navigation in
Red river will be much extended. Cross
Lake will act as a reservoir, aud supply
water to Red river every year at the
time it is most needed.
The distance by way of Dooly's bayou
from Red river at Casaat:a Bluffs, to
Shreveport is about forty miles. BY the
river, between ths same points it is sew
enty. l am convinced that the whole
river can be made 20 adopt this route
through Dooly's bayon. and abandon en-
tirely the old channel. The work re-
quired to open and improve it would be
heavy; but we should have the assistance
of powerful current. caused by fall of
nearly afoot per mile. The Cut-of (as
l will term this route) completed, we
should have reclaimed the whole valley
to The east, and contributed much to-
wards the reclamation OF the lower part
of Bossier parish. BY leaving the raft
where it is, we preserve the river below
in good condition and are enabled to
free it entirely from snags.
The head Of the raft is at present about
four miles below Dooly's bayou-this
four miles would accommodate from two
to three years raft. In the bend oppo-
site and below Dooly's bayou there is
large lake, divided from the river by
strip of low land about one hundred yards
wide. BY clearing the banks we can
throw the drift into this lake, and 1t is of
sufficient size to accommodate ten years of
raft Above we have MANY lakes. some
very large, capable OF being made reser-
voirs TOR drift. Several lakes adjoining
Dooiy's bayou, as well as Shlftai and
Soda lakes, can be made to receive raft
Ii is sufficient to say, that all the raft
that ever will! come down can be dis
posed of SO as TO prevent Injury TO the
route recommended Our next step
would be to lessen the quantity of DRIFT
from above. This could be accomplish
ed by clearing the banks above for a dis
tauce of iour or five hundred miles, and
deadening the timber still further back.
for the same distance. by The time the
river would cave its banks through, the
cleared land to the deadened timber,
said timber would be SO much decayed
as to be harmless. The lands on upper
Red river Tor hundreds of miles are
equal to any III the world; a navigation
which can be relied upon is all that is
required to induce settlement The
whole valley above is peculiarly adapted
to the cultivation OF cotton more So per-
haps than lower Red river. Every plan
tation cleared lessens the quantity of tall
lug timber, and confidence once estab-
lIshed that navigation will be maintained.
ten or fifteen years will place the river
out of the reach of danger from the raft
Provided the raft is removed in prefer
ence to opening the route TO the west,
it would be indispensable to clear the riv-
er above and below perfectly Below,
that it might be enable TO pass Oft the
drift, and above, to lessen the quantity.
Ii is susceptible of proof from the ex-
perience gained by the removal of the
old raft that the removal OF the present
one would not materially improve the old
chaLnel; and further, that it would not
prevent the largest portlon "t water from
taking the route through DooIy's bayou
aud the lakes. | Will premise, however,
that in consequences OF the water leav-
lug Red river only on the west, Dooiys
bayou is much farther advanced as a
channel, than Bayou Pierre was at the
time tne original rait was removed.
Mr. Shreve when he removed the old
raft, followed all the old bends with Two
exceptious) aud closed all the outlets.
wl,tr4he expectation that the river would
enlarge itself sufficiently to carry OFT all
the water. From ten 70 fifteen years
have failed to accomplish this; i: is true
he RIVER Is much Iarver Than IL was. but