The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-03-25
fcorrespondencv Of the South Western

wrote 70 you Oy the hlWUaii cstciaas n.o.
ing. which hope was duly received. Alter
leaving Natchitoches, crossed Old River and
came down Cane River. So callei suppose
from cane brakes formerly in existence. though
nothing of the sort now appears. The road
follows the meanderngs Of the stream along
what is sometimes called the old French coast,
and truly the name is well msrlted, for by tar
the larger portion Of its inhabitants speak that
| language. / was introduced to an old man
whose are was informed was seventy who
said he had been born upon the place he now
owns and cultivates. I think he must be that
'odest inhabitant'' Of whom we some times
read. This coast extends along the road some
/ forty miles, when the road crosses the river
lust below the reunion Of the two rivers and
makes in straight direction towards Alexan-
Edria. The soil is of alluvial formation and
some what inferior to that fthe present he'd k1v-
er. which these French call bayou Bon Dleu,
still insisting that Red River runs IN the rear
Of their coast. The present inferiority inspro
duction is probably the result OF long cultIya-
ton, for no cause of difference can be perceiv-
| ed. Be thatas il may, it is certainly one OF
the most beautiful countries / have ever seen
/ The surface is almost perfectly level, beng a
] little higher upon the river bank and descend-
ing very slightly back toa swamp,Wlnch Is ever
!. TO be found at 1.-THE distance OF halt mile from
1.-The river. The dwellings are, some OF them,
elegant. and all conveniently built In many
Instances the front yard is converted into How
ergardens as beautiful as the Imagination could
conceive, yieing even with the far-famed lower
Mississippi coast, with which we were SO much
/ pleased. stopped one night at one OF Ma
Il p,c tyr 1act X,
and the present temporary tenant showed me
a hollow tree out Of which they chopped fve
thousand dollars, besides some in larger guam
titles elsewhere after the old mans death
The place is now overrun with coco, deserted
and for sale, and fine brick building rapidly
going to decay. The flowers have all disap-
peared and the front yard is now covered with
Il rich grass carpet. scarcely less beautiful
There is but one drawback to a travellers
solourn here, and that is the great scarcity o.
/ accommodations. There is. | believe. but one
house Of entertainment on the above forty
miles, and that kept BY free negro woman,
and supplies can scarcely be obtained.
! | have oftenheard strangers wonder where
all the cotton came from that poured out @
Red River, but could they see these two splen
did, though almost hidden coasts much OF then
surprise would abate. Formerly all these were
cane growing lands, bu, now no one attempts
its cultivaton: # ST. ars@ a@s5
have heard it stated that clover would not
grow in this country, but have found along the
levee and upon all waste ground between this
and Natchtoches, species of dwarf clover
growing very thnftily, of which cattle are very
fond. From some point between this coast anc
A ,lr..
description of the ntervening country, busnoN
as it is getting late, must say adieu. P.
| @555@ IA N-4-.~v-~~~<-~~1~-~>~>,~- RI
AMERICAN ENTERpR1sE.-Two vessels, now
being fitted out at Philadel phia. will sail dur
ing next month for Scbastopol, to raise a mum
! Der Of national vessels which were sunk in tina
harbor during the war between France, Eng
land and Russia The car, during the siege
Of Sebastopol had sunk to prevent them falling
into the hands of the enemy, 1o6 vessels, in
GLIDING fifteen ships ofth line, seven frigates
fifteen steamships and ten briggs of war. Th'
| engines and machinery of the steamships were
carefully covered with a preparation of tallov
and beeswax to prevent injury from rust, before
large augur holes near the water line. Afte1
peace had been made, Mr.. John b. Gowen, 0
Boston, visited Sebastopol, examined the yes
sells, and drew plans for getting them ahoa
again. Against thirty competitors from Eng
land and France he obtained from the govern
ment the contract to raise the feet, the vessel:
composing which are valued by the Russian:
at sky millions of dollars. Mr.. Gowen ha.
engaged in this country $50 persons, who ar.
to accompany him to Sebastopol together will
a colossal hydraulic engine. He has eighteen
| months in which to accomplish the job, tbt
Russian government furnishing him 1000 mer
to aid him in the work. At Kertch, there ar.
which are to be raised, and in the harbor 0
Sebastopol there are some 100000 worth O
anchors and chains which the French and Bri
fish fleets and transports threw overheard from
inability to carry them of. This contract i
one Of the heaviest ever entered into. and bill
is now before the Pennsylvania legislature in
cooperating company for the purpose of pro
scouting the work DR.. Morris, John Tucker
S. Wickersham and Mr.. Presbury, are the &C
tive movers in the enterprise.
5~-~~~-~e-~-~> = - s>4~>~o>-
UsuRy LAws-Bils have been introduced
into both houses of the Pennsylvania legisla
ture 70. repeal the usury laws of that State
Public opinion everywhere seems to be grow
ing in favor Of having money operations un
trammeled BY restrictive laws. like all othe
commercial transactions. We incline to til,
opinion that this will ere long become the set
tied policy of all the States. The laws ar,
even now everywhere dead letter. They ar,
evaded every day alike by debtor and creditor
without the slightest computations of consci
ence, as they think that the legislature nigh
as we'll undertake to regulate the price of corr
/ or cotton as the rate Of interest the borrowt
should pay TO the lender. Such matters tn,
laws Of trade alone can regulate. They ar,
higher laws" than any the legislature can en-
1 force on the subject
N @