The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-05-16

on WiGnouG greater expense than could be
made to pay. Still these prairies present
the most attractive feature of the scene, be-
ing fresh and green-looking, and covered
with grass and wild flowers. ir,os.-y, .a1.5li
b yAe Brashesr'C City, where you find spa
cions tyharves, and several of Morgau's
large Texas steamers lying at them, with
warehouses worthy of large city, another
s'esmer IS waiting to take you up the Teche.
navigable stream for more than o hundred
miles of its length. But as the Bayo q; looks
like q small river, yet is not one exactly,
SO this steamer has its peculiarities. In
the first place it is very narrow for its
length in the second place it draws very
little water, not more than four feet, though
carrying heavy ofreights comparatively (;
thirdly, and lastly, its chief popularity is its
paddlewh heel, which is placed not at the side
of the steamer, but at its rear. Both wood
aud coal are used on board in fact the latter
has been found the cheaper In this region,
whose wood has been too we'll saturated
In water to- make. good fuel. Emparking
2n this email steamer, we prepare for orr
trip up the Teche to Avery's Salt Island,
d run Of twelve hours, provided We do not
stick in the mud, for the Louisiana bayou
seeming only $50 nnchs land 1eeEeEed by
water, not a 1onGif de conveyance. The
Bayou, at this point is to1erably wide. grad >
ually contracts as we proceed, narrowing
at some points to very ditch Ike tiimeh-
sions.;i These steamers run r4eguiarlyl up
aud down daily, stopping at, almost innnm-
cradle stations en- router / conated thirty
seven Of these stoppages from sunset until
retired to rest !; since arriving at about
two O'Clock In THE morning We slept Oh
board the boat, which has good accemoela-
ti0nlboth for sleeping and eating until she
next morning, The function ofthese boats
is to bring. The planters who live in, this
iaClafp6 NV hoy,
plies, and to take d6wh their crops and
produce to New Orleans by the railway
connection at Brashear City. AS the whole
of the country lying near the Teche is M
der high cultivation, and the sugar crops
thence are among the largest in the STATS,
made are perpetually appearing in view,
with anxious natives standing thereon,
with small parcels, or freight to send or re-
ceive. This steamer is thsir connecting link
with the out aide world, the Teche country
being a little world within itself. Before
the war the estimated sugar crop of this
region was full seventy thousand hogsheads.
AT this time it was noemore than one fourth
of that quantity, in consequence of labor
troubles, bad seasons, and oveI2ows for
successive years. -....- .-..--....--..--
As the small steamer, with her stern
wheel aud high smoke stack, puffs and
paddles along the Bayou, stopping fret at
a landing on the right bank, and then at
another on the left, full opportunity is given
for a survey of the scenery aud surround
ings. The houses of many of the planters are
in full sight, little retired from the banks,
and most OF them are comfortable looking,
many very imposing looking buildings, the
seat of old of An unbounded hospitality,
somewhat restricted now by diminished
means, but the welcome to the stranger is
as cordial as ever. In fact, q hospitality
almost as hound!ess and indiscTiminatipg
as that ofthe East is still EXERCISED in tins
region, wherein an hotel is almost a super
hnity, SD ready are the planters to invite
and entertain any presentabe stranger
who may be attracted thither by the shoot
ing and fishing, which are famous Some
of the planters have their shooting boxes,
and the shooting g ~ good az any in the
werld,r Mr.. PriDgle, who keeps his book,
showsd me his, entry for the day preceding
my visit to him, and the number of snipe
bagged had been go from sunrise to sun
set. You also see Smooth grassy lawns
stretched down from some OF these man
siOns to the rlandiug places, and welk
wooded demesne, AZ surrounding lii. The
plantation, with it's COLONY houses for the
labourers, is in the rear, at some stance
co that the residences are free from the Ia
convenieuces Shat would result from too
close proximity to the dusky sons taud
daughters of Africa, who still chiefly till
he soil, though neither SO well nor So pro,
htably (even to themselves) as in the bygone
days Or slavery. The style of living for
merly was more similar to that of the large
English landed proprietor than that of any
other class or community in the world :and
many had incomes almost as princely, |
which were disbursed with far more reck,
less liberaity. 81 .,.,...,o.
But it is only the outer aspect of things
On the Teche with which this paper has to
deal. After partaking of tie planters re.
either SOLID or liOuiff.s and Pea
turning on board about sunset, the; scenery
presented to the,s yoyaGer's teJ 9, is as charm.
ng as it is peculiar. ..-r
which remipdsyon of the Grand Canal at
Venice-though canal which nature, not
srt, has made--your small steamer ,glides,
md panoranfic pictures are presented sue
essivePy on either bank of fine old mansions
md cultivated fields, with occasional long
traight- stretches of placid water. before
,ou, on either, side of which, stand, s Min,
j. Like, the, giant wlarders of the banks, il,
l,o 81, an IA IF rlaH ala live I-o |