New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-02-01
lFof the Grcscantl
The Environs of ke.y Orleans.
NUMBER sHlRTEEN.

NUMBER eHIRTEEN. |
The locality of tho battle ground being situated
bout five English miles below the city proper OF
New Orleans, and the walk on the high river levee
II dam in fair weather being very easy one,
We have very often made this excursion in the
winter season as we'll as in the midst ofsummer. In
he istter case we would naturally select the early
loSrs of the morning in commencing our peregrina-
tt,ns, and inasmuch as this distance can easily
be performed in 4 couple of hours, we would al
ways be at some place of refreshment by the time
of breakfast, and often before. In this season OF
the year, say the month of January, the best time
is after breakfast, upon some braciug day; then
the exercise is of the most recreative kind ana
most inyigorating for the bodily system. Upon
these, our examining jaunts, We would always hna
matter for reflection and observation the more so,
that many objects naturally struck us ny 1helF
novelty or styangeness, we coming from a north
ern country, 1.-THE North of Europe,) and from
unite differently organized people and society.
What struck us at that time, when no railroads,
M steam communication, had altered the then
old fashioned ways of the country people, was
tba manner in which the small farmers or planters
;nhah;tine tine tract called Terre aux BGuis,"
inland from the English Turn, would bring their
country produce to the New Orleans market. 1t
ia we'll tn inform the reader that the then living
generation of people have entirely disappeared
frou the country, although their children, their
descendants, have taken their place; but these
ao no more resemble their fathers at the time
that we are writing of, than the then transporta-
tim mode in the huge ox-carts resembles the
present railroad communication which has taken
tracts of land upon a bayou called, as stated
already, "Tewe aux Bnuf," or the overland
bayou, were originally from the Canary Islands
and hence speaking the Spanish language.
During famine that now and then visits these
islands, the Spanish government after the transfer
of Louisiana and its taking possession, about the
year 1863 or 20, had sent over number of tam
lies of these poor islanders called slenos in their
yernacular, and these successive arrivals had been
forwarded, some to the Bayou Lafourche, some to
the Avoyelles, some to the Bayou Teche, and
lastly remnant of these colonsts had settled in the
vicinity of New Orleans, upon the above mentioned
strip of land below the English Turn, called the
"Terre aux Beuf." Here these farmers cultivated
mostly corn and vegetables for the city consump
ton, and every Saturday one would see their slow
ox-cart vehicles, laden with these products, wend
ing their way along the river road to the city
These carts were of the most primitive construc
ton, clumsily made, heavy, and almost without q
piece of iron about the whole concern. Theil
teams of oxen had strong leather thong through
their nostrs and around their head, and the driver
was armed with a long pole, pointed at the end
with which now and then, when the verbal en-
treaties of the Spanish lingo would not make thei
steers advance brisker step, he would punch ant
poke them in their sides.
These active measures of coercion woulp gener'
ally have for their results swaying to and frc
of the cart and team from one extreme side nf The
road to the other but there would be no alteration
in the gait of the obstinate steers, who would per
sst in walking quite leisurey along with thei
strange burthen at their tails These OK cart
were constructed somewhat after the fashion o
| huge ambulances They were covered with raw OK
| hide in the form of bowers, and besides tn
freight, consisting of the above said vegetables
corn, maize, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, sugar
canes, and half dozen individuals of all sizes an
sex would be seen located above or around tn
| country products. These were the members of TIL
family going to the city for the store necessarie
and clothing, according to the respective seasons
True, atheir awants in this respect were no
very great, for homespun cottonades supple
nearly all their habiliments, and a capote
heavy wooden ''couyerte' was the principal ite1
of their costume or wearing apparel, still som
other little fancy articles would be purchased b
each one of the circle, out of the proceeds of tn
common labor of the family union
These gongs and returnngs to town would tax
these people fully two days, nay sometimes hal
week, from their dwellings 10 the city and bacl
again their teams had their fodder with them
and their carts and :" atterage" would form gram
display along and around the market places
| Generally Saturdays and Sundays were the tim
that they would mostly select to come to the cit
with their supplies, just the plantation negroe
had also chosen these days for bringing in thei
own private country productions, only with thi
difference, that the negro expeditions would b
performed in their perogues upon the Mississippi
| river, much more expeditions way of communi
cation or transportation. Xsince the establishment
of the Mexican Gulf Railroad, which traverses tn
entire of the Terre Bnuf settlement, these tw
wheel OK cart vehicles have ceased to make thei
| appearance in our market places; for the muc
easier way of sending their products by the RAJ
transport has supplanted the former mode of con
veying their products to market. This section o
our city and neighborhood furnishes considerabl
quantity of farm products life necessaries to ou
INDECENT population, more particularly in the Thir
District; for, during the hard times of the cit
| blockade, when the necessares of life, sue
as -four, corn meal, rice, etc, began to bt
| sought after by the multitude, (those families tha
live as it were from hand to mouth the arrivals O
the mornings car train by the Mexican Gulf Rail
road, were awaited with the greatest anxiety, mas
much as from that quarter, an almost inexhaustibl
storehouse, the people of the lower district woul
look for relief. Happily that part of the popula
ton there, which forms its bulk, the free colore
people, can do with surprisingly small quantity G
| food; like the Indians, a mere handful of rice,
single sweet potato, is quite sufficient for a Who'll
days ration, and if mother can but give to he
| child the accustomed sweet roasted potato, the
will jump, play and run all the rest of the day
This is far different with children accustomed t
the heavy, substantial, Northern fare but whe
we reflect that in country like Iceland people d
nothing but eat and drink all the time, an
whenever on board of our river boats we Sc
tables being always spread for, either luncheon
meals or eatings, we cannot refrain from comm
to the conclusion that it is habit which restrain
or enlarges the physical appetite of man.
Now it is worth while for strangers who desir
to see the interior of the country, without goin
too ar from the city environs to make trip b
the cars Of the Mexican Gulf railroad of cours