Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-12-02
Interior OF LOuisiana---TrIp from New q.
leans to Opel0usas.


q.
Editors State Josrnal
wrote few days since, GIVING ro,, 81,
details of the sharp conflict at Baro, p
beaux in which the 23d Wisconsin,
volved. The une1pectedness of the conaio.
gave an entire new direction to nv oo-,.-,-
nication, which it was my purpose sborI,
describe the country, its products. scen.,-
and Typographical features generally from,
New Orleans TO Opelousas Such is the mr.
pose of this writing We have no fnrtbau
news of the 18th army corps, save that II has
gone to Atchafalaya Bay, or ''Chafalavs"a as II
is called here.
From this city to Brashear, IS miles the
whole country along the railroad, NAV be de-
scribef generally as jungle. The soil is
rank in every element of fertility. black. deem
and oozy. The trees are not renarkahla to-
size, but literally loaded with vines
creepers and moss, and cast their dark sbad.
ows over the ground so completely that the
sunlight rarely ornever penetrates the gloom.
Plantations of immense extent have at inter
walls been literally hewed out in these soIi-
tudes; and the immense chimneys of the
sugar mills are seen ct intervals all along the
road. There is nothing pleasant to the eve
or inviting-while there is much that is hate
full and repugnant throughout this long reach
of swamp. Further inland, northward, the
country is higher and better still it is about
a dead level, but a trife elevated above the
waters of the Gulf There are no villages of
any size on the route. La Fourche and Thibo-
deau, places of 500 to a 1000 inhabitants each
are about four miles distant from the road
Brashear City is miserable dirty village
of a dozen houses, located upon Atchafalaya
Bay, about forty miles from the Gulf Oppo-
site Is Berwick, better built and far hand
somer place. The ordinary name here is
Berwick Bay The bay at Brashear CITY is a
most beautiful sheet of water, almost exactly
resembling the river at Detroit, and is about
a mile in width 1t Is estuary, with brack-
lsh water, and is connected with Lake Ches-
timacha which is about one hundred miles in
length, and is, in fact, part of the BAY. The
waters abound IN oysters, crabs, and all the
characteristic moL1lSca and fish of warm seas. S.
But the most curious typographical feature
of the country is its bayous. These are lone
channels penetrating the country, having the
appearance and general width of canals are
destitute of current, and are of great depth,
ordinarily from seven to forty feet. The tide
rises and falls about foot, and their waters
obey the impulse, showing that their level is
that Of the Gulf How could such channels
be plowed out forty feet below the GuIfIe
unless this section was formerly considerably
elevated, and these running streams The
evidence OF modern submergure is found in
the enormous stretch of marsh and lagoon all
along the coast, and the destruction of mil
lions OF acres OF timber by the brackish Wa
tiers of the sea.
These bayous are everywhere nayigable as
high up as the point where the width of the
steamer Is not greater than the channel and
the oyer-hanging trees will allow passage.
Their banks are well defined, often appearing
as II produced by artificial labor Their
course Is generally straight, having in that
respect, little resemblance to a river. which.
indeed, they do not at all initiate Over
their quiet waters a covering of plants, look
ing unwholesome enough, is spread 1t is as
II you sailed into green narrow meadow.
between walls of forest trees. No water is
visible. The wheels of the boat tear ont
great patches, which float about, looking like
islands, and speedily re-unite behind hiding
the channel from view. We steamed up the
Tesche about 20 miles through one of those
strange channels to New Iberia, and could
have gone 80 further had the boat been mar
rover. II runs through the richest section,
OF Louisiana. Sugar plantations abound all
along on both sides, some Of which EMPLOYED
a thousand slaves and the negro quarters
gave the appearance of line of villages. 1t
was strange and novel scene.
The bayOus abound in animal life-fsh and
fowl. Alligators literally swarm in them.
They have an amiable and open expression of
countenance, and palate that kindly inclines
to young pig or niger baby, and is not over
tastidlOus at fish or fowl, deeming quantity as
essential as quality-keeping one eve upon
the bank and the other upon the bottom for
stray tit-bits, terrestrial or marine They
possess a tail about the length of the body
which serves as propeller in the water or a
Hail to keep off intruders on and,-while their
splnes are serratef the whole length an ar
rangement probably ornamental if not use
ful. In pleasant days they compose them
selves upon the banks, allowing the hot sun
to warm up their scaly carcasses, and give
zest and complete comfort to their siesta In
this condition 1t often happens they are per-
turbed by some Of Uncle Sans blue coats.
who cannot resist the temptation of a phiIo-
sophlcal experiment-the visible effect of
LmpIngIn9 lead upon tough, horny hide.
The product is about uniform-a shocked al
lgator, and a sudden plunge into the stream.
they possess about as much beauty as grace
of motion, and are evidently well adapted to
ornament the sections of country in which
they most abound.
From New Iberia to Y ermillionvile and One
lousas, about fOrty-fve miles, the country Is
prairie, cut up, however, into small sections
by thin lines of timber, which invariably fol-
low the bayous and water-courses. 1t il
gently rolling, looking SO exactly like por-
lions of Illinois that it was almost impossible
to believe we were dozen degrees of Iati-
tude south of you. Parts Of it has evidently
been cultivated, but the fields have long since
gone to waste-reverted to their original
wildness. 1t IS now stock country. Innu-
merable cattle and horses are met with run
ming about wild, with without owners and
can be readily had for the picking up. There
is no winter a moderate frost is regarded
arctic visitation, and may happen about
January. Grass Is green and fresh the year
round, and the inhabitants, nearly all French.
have little or no labor to do and invariably
do as much less than little as the human sys-
TEN will bear. The communities are isolated.
outside the active world, and take to villages
for society's sake. Their houses are gener-
ally wretched looking affairs, without window
glass, or marks of neatness or taste about
them-mere blemishes upon the beautiful
landscape-and the villages are not much
better The universal language is French,
used by both negroes and whites There are
few if any schools. 4 Jesuit college, at
Grand Coteau, is the only educational build
ing met with. Ignorance, superstition and
idleness are in the ascendant They are,
moreover, traitors and spies as far as their
capacities 90.
This section of the State IS decidedly
healthy 1t is cooled by the Gulf and enjoys
a most desirable climate, possessing every