Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-12-03
Interior Of Louisiana---Trip from New Or
leans to Opel0uSas.

AalAers State Journal.
WYE lew days since, giving you full
details OF the sharp conflict at BAYOU Rorr.
oeaux In which the 2ad Wisconsin was in
Tolved. The une1p.ctsdness of the conflict
gave an entire new direction r. nv COMM,
nication, which it was my purpose should
describe the country, its products scenery
and typographical features generally from
New Orleans to Opelousas Such is tho NM
pose of this writing. We have no f,r+bau
news OF the loth army corps, save that il has
gone, to Atchafalaya Bay, or "Chafalaya"a s' It
is called here. as IL
From this city to Brashear. SO miles Aha
whole country along the railroad, NAV he do
serlben generally as jungle The soil i
rank in every element of fertility, black daar
and oozy. The trees are not remarkable for
size, but are literally loaded with vines
creepers and moss, and cast their dark sbsd,
oWs over the ground so completely thai the
sunlight rarely ornever penetrates the gloyn
Plantations OF immense extent have at inter
walls been literally hewed out in these soil
tudes; and the immense chimneys of the
sugar mills are seen at intervals all along the
road. There is nothing pleasant to the eve
or inyltlng-while there is much that is hate
ful and repugnant throughout this long reach
OF swamp. Further inland, northward. the
country is higher and better; still it is sbont
dead level, but 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 1000 inhabitants each,
are about four miles distant from the road.
brashear City is miserable dirty village
OF dozen houses, located upon AtcbafsIaYa
Bay, about forty miles from the Gulf Onno.
site Is Berwick, better built and far hand
somer place. The ordinary name here is
Berwick Bay. The bay at Brasbear Citv Is .
most beautiful sheet of water almost exactly
resembling the river at Detroit, and is about
mile in width. 1t is an estuary. with hracl-
ish water, and is connected with Lake Cbes-
tlmacha 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 motLasca and fish of warm seas,
But the most curious typographical feature
OF the country Is its bayous These are lono
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 Gulflevel
unless this section was formerly considerable
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-
Ihese bayous are everywhere navigable as
high up as the point where the width of the
steamer is not greater than the channel, and
the over-hanglng trees will allow passage.
Their banks are well defined, often apnearino
as if 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 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 I'm the
Tesche about 70 miles through one of those
strange channels to New Iberia, and could
have gone so further had the boat been mar
rover. 1t 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. II
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 inclineg
TO young pig or Niger baby, and is not over
tastidious 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. Tbev
possess tail about the length of the body
which serves as propeller in the water or a
fail to keep off intruders on lane, while their
spines are serrated the whole length. an ar
rangement probably ornamental if not use
full. 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 philo-
sOphlcal experiment-the visible effect of
lmplnglng lead upon tough horny hide.
The product is about uniforms shocked al
ligator, 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 Vermillionvile 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 it
gently rolling, looking so exactly like por-
lions of Illinois that it was almost impossible
to believe we were dozen degrees of lati-
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 or without owners, and
can be readily had for the picking up. There
is no winter. A moderate frost is regarded
as an 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-
tenn 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
,hem-mere blemishes upon the beautiful
andscape-and the villages are not much
better. The universal language is French,
1sed by both negroes and whites. There are
ew if any schools. A Jesuit college, at
Grand Coteau, is the only educational build
ng met with. Ignorance, superstition and
dleness are in the ascendant. They are,
moreover, traitors and spies as far as their
capacities 60.
This section of the State is decidedly
ealthy. 1t is cooled by the Gulf, and enjoys
L. II