The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-05-16
y ,rning Star and Catholic Messenger.
LOUISIANA.
Avn RSsL1sHMAN's DESCRIPTION or THE
- rEcHE CoUNTRY. p'ao 1t.2s
5s,-HAH,. SUNDAY. MAY Is is7s.
lFr..er,s Magauine, for January.l

sed. but which the Anglo Shx"n sueeeeded
in wrestling from botf',' there are many
arrange sights to be seen, which liz ont of
the route of the toarists travel. Louisiana
IA an exceptional place altogether, ,aod it's
nafnraI features are as varied as its history;
fh0nos, tbe latter reads more like romance
than reality. There is a foreign aspect
about it's capital city, whose name indi-
cstes its French alliances and afinities,
which the appearance and language of
many of it's Inhabitants impress yet more
upon the stranger and it is probably the
most un- English place owned and chiefly
populated by Americans, to be found in
the United States. Leaving the city, and
taking the railway to the south western
portion, of the State, the traveller. finds
himself in a most peculiar region, wherein
land and water seem to strive for mastery
until is is difficult to decide which wins!
The bayou region Of LonisiaDa, covering a
very large area Of the sonthern apd south
western portion of the State, ois composed
Of the low lying lands below the level OF
the Mississippi river, which are intefsected
and rpartialfy ovgTiowed by the nnuntefa-
ble small" streams, or bayoas, which fia6f
their outlet ins the Gulf or some Of it's small
hays; forming territory seemingly fitted
to be- the haunt Of the amphibie only,
such as the alligator and the swapping tur-
tIe with shiny snakes and humming mus
ouitoes, and other blood sticking dpiagues
of man. nAs the forlOrn traveller travefsee,
by railway carriages. this region which
looks all swamp, with pools of ~stagpant
water interspersed, over which the sombFe
cypress and sparsely -Ieafed live oak wave
arms, ghostty looking III the twilight from
the long testUons gray moss hanging
pendent from them likeaa drapery, which
grows as a parasite plentifully on these
trees, the outlook is by no means cheerful.
For many weary miles you may travel thus
over what appears an endless bog, although
full of rank vegetation and the sombre
and weird aspect of the place Expresses
your spirit, however: cheerful naturally.
The shrlll shrek of the hurrying locomo-
tive, and the rattle of the rail carriages, are
the only sounds that disturb the hushed
stiffness of these swamps except an oc-
casonal splash when the ungainiy alligator
slides into the water from the mud bank
whereon he has been summing his lazy
length, dragging his scaly bulk slowly
over the brink, and disappearing with a
plunge. OF cultivation the traveller sees
little or nothing from the railway carriage;
and hence hastily judges this whole region
to be waste OF swamp and jungle. ,t.t-
But this is a great mistake, for these
lands, wherever redeemed and drained (as
large spaces of them have been), are among
the richest and most productive in the
State-perhaps in the world. ''.r. O."
Twelve years ago, in an English maya
zine, the present writer put on record his
experiences of a passage through the lower
and more swampy bay Gus, which lie be-
tween Barrataria Bay (the ancient haunt
of Lafitte. the famous pirate of the Gulf
up to the Mississippi river and New Orleaua
in an experiment at blockade breaking, at
an early period of the war, before it was 10
duced to science. Even under less ex-
ceptional and more ordinary Giro mstances
that transit must be the reverse of agreea-
BILE ore comfortable, though ceasing; to be
extra Hazardous. ~ Vet IL cannot be denied
that at all tines if bias its attractions, and
IL, the season of early, spring the protusion
OF Towering vines and green water plants,
with lbng open water reaches, makes pleas
log pictures Co the eye7 p though cultivation
be4iupossi bic, where all mature, animate
or isapi mate, snNst be amphibisus OF semi |
aquatic The: Fegiop, and the travelling
over it, which the reader now is invited to
SEGA uhd. rtake, differ Very widely from
those formerly described. 'o'-f. s'''a |
FOT there DIRE bay Gus andn bayous: ,tbose 1
of Barratapia and Southern Louisiana. reps
resenting tie most unfavourahle specimeps, !
while those of the Teche country, the |
garden Of Louisiana,' represent the most
Pleasing. The former vIVidlS recall the !
memories Of that antediluvian world, with |
ts mud monsters and bide0us amphibiae, |
reproduced to bannt modern .imagInations !
ID the, groves of Sydenham j, the latter
bring back to recollection the more modern |
instance of the love-lorn Evangeline, solac-
ing her sad soul with tho melodies of the
hooking bird, and the green lovehness of
the prairies which skirt these bayous,
While following, the footprints of her fugi-
1--WE lover, destined to be found only in his
Death hour far away from this. southern
land, and its images of joy and love.
Let US then take a trip up the Techs,
Whichis easily accessible from New Orleans
"a Jaqnt now made with perfect ease And
com comfort by rail apd steamer And occupyfhe
only t few day 3 tipe, even should the. wish
t .Sr hnger little on the road, ITO partake of
sae h0spitslitiea jof, the planters, whose
nomes and plantations of sugar eane,and
corn lie thickly strewaI. over the Teohe
Sceo61,ntf5,| aas 1t fs' called! There are other
; oay9ns of,sirnilar character and surround.
,ngs IN the same section Of the State !, but
arS'St'-to one. will convey q perfect idea of
At AlgeIs Won t tai ,.. e 70; end ona
rayense the eighty miles, TO ,BrsshearI City
IM t1tE hours, over a steady road, which is
apparently, for most of'its len 9Th, over