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From the National Intelligencer.
The following IMPORTANT TRACT
was on Monday communicated to Con
gress by the Pretident of the United
bftates.
AN ACCOUNT OF
Louisiana,
Being an ablfraft of Documents in the offices of the
Departments of (fate and of the Trcafury.
The objeft of the following pages is to consoli
date the intermation respecting the present
state of Louisiana, furnished to the Execu
tive by several individuals among the best
informed upon that subjefl.
OF the province of Louisiana no gen
eral map, fufficiently correft to be depen
ded upon, has been published, nor has
any been yet procured from a private
source. It is indeed probable, that sur
veys have never yet been made upon so
extenlive a scale as to afford the means of
laying down the various regions of a
country, which infomeofits parts, ap
pears to have been but imperfectly ex
plored.
Boundaries.
The precise boundaries of LouiCana,
wcftwardly of the Miffiflippi, though very
extensive, are at present involved in some
obfeurity. Data are equally wanting to
assign with precision its northern extent.
From the source of the Millillippi, it is
bounded eaftwardly bv the middle of the
channel of that river to the 3 1 ft degree of
latitude: thence, it is afierted upon very
itrong grounds, that according to its lim
its, when formerly poflefled by France,
it llrCtches to the East, as far, at least, as
the river Perdigo, which runs into the bay
of Mexico, eastward of the river Mobille.
It may be confident, with the view of
these notes to remark, that Lonifiana, in
cluding the Mobille fettiements, was dis
covered and peopled by the French, whose
inonarchs made several grants of its trade,
in particular to Mr. Crofat in 171a, and
some years afterwards, with his aequief
cence, to the well known company pro
jected by Mr. Law. This company was
relinquiflied in the year 1731. Byafe
crct convention on the 3d November,
1762, the French government ceded so
much of the province as lies beyond the
MilfilEppi, as well as the island of New
ortr»n», and. by the treaty of
peace which followed in 1763, the whole
territory of France and Spain eastward of
the middle of the Miffiflippi to the Iber
ville, thence through the middle of that
river, and the lakes of Mauripas and Pon
chartrain to the Sea, was ceded to Great
Britain. Spain having conquered the
Floridas from Great Britan during our re
volutionary war, they were confirmed to
her by the treaty of peace of 1753. By
the treaty of St.” lidefonfo, of the ift of
OClober, 1800, his Catholic Majesty pro
mises and engages on his part to cede
back to the French Republic, fix months
after the full and entire execution of the
conditions and stipulations therein con
tained; relative to the Duke of Parma,
the colony or province of Louisiana,
with the fame extent that it actually has
in the hands of Spain, that it had when
France polfelled it, and such as it ought
to be after the treaties subsequently enter
ed into between Spain and other states.”
This treaty was confirmed and enforced
bv that of Madrid, of the 21st March,
1801. From France it palled to us by
the treaty of the 30th of April last, with
a reference to the above clause, as deferip
tive of the limits ceded.
Di visions of the province.
The province as held by Spain, inclu
ding a part of Weft Florida, is laid off in
to the following principal divisions: Mo
bilie, from Balife to the city New-Orleans
and the country on both Tides of Lake
Ponchurtraiu, firft and second German
coasts, Catahanofe, Fourche, Venezuela,
.Iberville, Galvez Town, Baton-Rouge,
J’ointc Coupee, Atacapas, Opeloulas, Oua
chita, Avoyelles, Rapide, Natchitoches,
Arkansas, and the Illinoife.
In the Illinoife there are commandants
at Now Madrid, St. Genevieve, New
Bourbon, St. Charles and St. Andrews, all
übordinate to the commandant general.
Baton-Rouge having been made a gov
ernment, subsequently tothetreatv of lim
its, &e with Spain, the posts of Manchac
and Fhompfon's Creek, or Feliciana,
were added to it.
Chapitoulas has sometimes been regar
ded as a separate command, but it is now
included w ithin the jtirifdi&ion of the ci
ty. The lower part of the river has like
wise had occalionally a leparate comman
dant.
Manv of the present eftablifliments are
separated from each other by immense and
tracklets deierts, having no communica
tion with each other by land, except now
and then a solitary instance of its being
attempted by hunters, who have to swim
rivers, expose themselves to the inclemen
cy of the weather, and carry their provi
fion9 on their hacks for a time, propor
tioned to the length of their journey.
This is particularly the case on the weft
of the Mifliftippi, where the communica
tion is kept up only by water, between the
capital and the distant fettiements; three
months being required to convey intelli
gence from the one to the other by the
Mifliftippi. The usual distance accom
plished by a boat in alcending, is five
leagues per day. The rapidity of the cur
rent in the spring season especially, when
the waters of all the rivers arc high, facili
tates the defeent, so that the fame voyage
by water, which requires three or four
months to perform from the capital, may
be made to it in from twelve to sixteen
days. The principal fettiements in Lou
isiana are on the Miffiflippi, which begins
to be cultivated about twenty leagues from
the sea, where the plantations are yet thin,
and owned by the poorest people. As
cending, you fee them improve on each
fide, till you reach the city, which is situ
ated on the call bank, on a bend of the
river, 35 leagues from the sea.
Chapitoulas,first and second German coasts
Catahanose—Fourche and Iberville.
The best and mod improved are above
the city, and comprehended, what is there
known by the Paroifle de Chapitoulas,
Premier, and Second Cotedes Allemanas,
and extended 16 leagues.
Above this begins the parish of Cataha
nofe, or the firft Acadian settlement, ex
tending eight leagues on the river. Ad
joining it and still afeer.ding is the second
Acadian settlement or parish of the Four
che, which extends about fix# leagues.
The parish of Iberville then commences,
and is bounded on the east fide by the ri
ver of the fame name, which though dry
a great part of the year, yet, when the
Miffiflippi is raised, it communicates with
the lakes Maurepas and Ponchartrain, and
through them with the sea, and \hus forms
what is called the island of New-Orleans.
Except on the point just below the Iber
ville, the country from New-Orleans is
fettled the whole way along the river,
and presents a feene of uninterrupted
plantations in fight of each other, whose
fronts to the Miffillippi are all cleared, and
occupy on that river from 5 to 25 acres
witha depth of 40; so that a plantation of
5 acres In front contains 200 acres. A few
sugar plantations are formed in the parish
of Catahanofe, but the remainder is devo
ted to cotton and provifians, and the
whole is an excellent foil incapable of be
ing exhausted. The plantations are but
one deep on the island of New-Orleans,
and on the opposite fide of the river as
far as the mouth of the Iberville, which is
35 leagues above New-Orleans.
Bayou de la Fourche — Atacapas. and Opelou
sas.
About 25 leagues from the last men
tioned place on the weft Gdeofthe Missis
sippi, the creek or Bayou of the Fourche,
called in the old maps La Riviere des Chi
tamaches, flows from the Mifliftippi, and
communicates with the sea to the weft of
the Balile. The entrance oftheMiffif
fippi is navigable only at high water, but
will then admit of craft of from 60 to 70
tons burthen. On both banks of this
creek are fettiements, one plantation deep,
for near 15 leagues, and they are divided
into two parishes. The settlers are nu
merous, though poor, and the culture is
umverfally cotton. On all creeks ma
king from the Miffiflippi, the foil is the
fame as on the banks of the river, and the
border is the highest part of it, from
whence it defeends gradually to the
swamp. In no place on the low lands is
there depth more than fuffices for one
plantation, before you come to the low
grounds incapable of cultivation. This
creek affords one of the communications
to the two populous and rich fettiements
of Atacapas and Opeloufas formed on and
near the small rivers Teche and Vermil
lion which flow into the bay of Mexico.
But the principal and fwtfteft communi
cation is by the Bayou or creek of Pla
quemines, whose entrance into the Mif
fiifippi is seven leagues higher up on the
fame fide, and 32 above New-Orleans.
These fettiements abound in cattle and
horses, have a large quantity of good land
in their vicinity, and may be made of
great importance. A part of their pro
duce is sent by sea to New-Orleans,
but the greater part is carried in batteaux
by the creeks above mentioned.
Baton Rouge and its dependencies.
Immediately above the Iberville, and
on both Gdes of the Miffiflippi lies the pa
rish of Manchac, which extends 4 leagues
on the river, and is well cultivated. Above
it commences the settlement of Baton
Rouge, exteuding about 9 leagues. It is
; remarkable as being the firft place, where
the high land is contiguous to the river,
and here it forms a bluff from 30 to 40
feet above the greatest rife of ttie river.
Here the settlements extend a considera
ble way back on the east fide; and this
parish has that of Thompson’s creek and
Bayou Sara subordinate to it. The mouth
of the firft of these creeks is about 49
leagues from New-Orleans, and that of
the latter 2or 3 leagues higher up. They
run from north-east to and
their head waters are north of the 31st de
gree of la itude. Their banks have the
best foil, and the greatest number of good
cotton plantations of any partofLoui
fiana, and are allowed to be the garden
of it.
Pointe Coupee and Fausse Riviere.
Above Baton Rouge, at the distance
of 50 leagues from New-Orleans, and on
the weft fide of the Miffilfippi is Pointe
Coupee, a populous and rich settlement,
extending 8 leagues along the river. Its
produce is cotton. Behind it, on an old
bed of the river, now a lake, whole outlets
are closed up, is the settlement of Faufle
Riviere, which is well cultivated.
In the space now deferibed from the sea
as high and including the last mentioned
settlement, is contained three-fourths of
the population, and seven eighths of the
riches of Louisiana.
From the settlement of Pointe Coupee
on the Miftilfippi, to. Cape Girardeau
above the mouth ol the Ohio, there is no
land on the weft fide, that is not overflowed
in the fprtng to the distance of 8 or 10
leagues from the river with from 2 to 12
feet of water, except a finall spot near
New-Madrid ; so that in the whole extent
there is no pollibility of forming a con
siderable settlement contiguous to the river
on that fide. The eastern bank has in this
refpeft a decided advantage over the wef
lem, as there are on it many situations
which effefrualiy command the river.
Red-rivet and its settlements,
On the weft fide of the Miliilfippi, 70
leagues from New-Orleans, is the mouth
of the Red-river, on whose banks and
vicinity are the settlements of Rapide.
Avoyelles and Natchitoches, all of them
thriving and populous. The latter is
fijuate 75 leagues up the Red-river. On
the north fide of the Red-river a few lea
gues from its |un£tion with the Miflillippi,
it the Black-river, on one of whose bran
ches, a considerable way up, is the infant
settlement of Ouachita which from the
richness of the foil may be made a place of
importance. Cotton is the chief produce
of these settlements, but they have like
wile a considerable Indian trade. The
River Rouge, or Red-river, is used to
communicate with the frontiers New-
Mexico.
Concord— Arkansas — St. Charles, and St.
Ctfc.
There is no other Icttlement on the
Mifliffippi, except the small one called
Concord, oppofire to the Natchez, till you
come to the Arkansas river, whose mouth
is 250 leagues above New-Orleans.
Here there are but a few families, who
are more attached to the Indian trade (by
which chiefly they live) than to cultivati
on. There is no settlement from this
place to New Madrid, which is itfelf in
considerable. Ascending the river you
come to Cape Girardeau, St Genevieve
and St. Louis, where, though the inhabi
tants are numerous, they raise little for
exportation, and content themselves with
trading with the Indians and working a
few lead mines. This country is very
fertile, especially on the banks of the
Miflouri, where there have been formed
two settlements, called St. Charles and
St. Andrew, mostly by emigrants from
Kentucky The peltry procured in the
Illinois is the best sent to the Atlantic mar
ket ; and the quantity is very considerable.
Lead is to be had with ease, and in such
quantities as to fupplv all Europe, if the
population were luificient to work the
numerous mines to be found within two
or three feet from the furface in various
parts of the country. The settlements
about the Illinois were firft made by the
Canadians, and their inhabitants ftilj re
semble them in their avertion to labor,
and love of a wandering life. They con
tain but few negroes, compared to the
number of the whites; and it may be taken
for a general rule, that in proportion to
the distance from the capital, the number
of blacks diminifli below that of the
whites ; the former abounding moil on
the rich plantations in its vicinity.
General Description of Upper Louisiana.
When compared with the Indiana terri
tory, the face of the country in Upper
Louisiana is rather more broken, though
the foil is equally fertile. It is a faft not
to be conterted, that the weft fide of the
river poflefles fomeadvantages net general
ly incident to those regions. It is eleva
ted & healthy, & well watered with a varie
ty of large rapid streams, calculated for nftjlfs
and other w ater works. From Cape Girar
deau, above the mouth of the Ohio, to the
Miflouri, the land on the east fide of the
Mississippi is low and flat, and occaficnally
exposed to inundations; thatontheLouifi
ana fide, contiguous to the river, is gener
ally much higher, and in many places
very rocky on the fliore. Some of the
heights exhibit a scene truly pifturefque.
They rife to a height of at leaf! 300 feet,
faced in a perpendicular line andfree stone ,
carved into various ihapes and figures bu
the hand of nature, and afford the appear
ance of a multitude of antique towers.
From the tops of these elevations, the land
gradually slopes back from the river, with
out gravel or rock, and is covered with
valuable timber. It may be said with truth
that, for fertility of foil, no part of the
world exceeds the borders of the Mif
filfippi; the land yields an abundance of
all the neceflaries of life, and almost spon
taneously ; very little labor being required
in the cultivation of the earth. That part
of Upper Louisiana, which borders on
North Mexico, is one immenfe/>r<*«;V ; it
prouuces nothing but grass; it is filled with
bufifaloe, deer, and other kinds of game ;
the land is represented as too rich for the
growth of sorest trees.
It is pretended that Upper Louisiana
contains in its bowels many silver and cop
per mines, and various specimens of both
are exhibited. Several trials have been
made to ascertain the faCt ; but the want
of (kill jn the artists has hitherto left the
fubjeCt undecided.
The fait works are also pretty nume
rous : some belong to individuals; others to
the public. They also yield an abun
dant fupplv for the consumption of the
country ; and if properly managed, might
become an article of more general expor
tation. The usual price per hufhel is 150
cents in cajh at the works. This price will
be still lower as soon as the manufacture
of the fait is aflumed by government, or
patronifed by men who have large capitals
to employ in the business. One extraor
dinary fa£t relative to fait must not be
omitted. There exists about 1000 miles
up the Miflouri, and not far from that ri
ver, a Salt Mountain ! The existence of
such a mounrain might well be questioned
were it not for the testimony of several
refpeCtable and enterprising traders, who
have visited it, and who have exhibited
several bufiiels of the fait to the curiosity
of the people of St. Louis, where some of
it still remains. A specimen of the fame
fait has been sent to Marietta. This moun
tain is said to be 180 miles long, and 45 in
width, composed of falid rock-salt, with
out any trees, or even shrubs on it. Salt
fprings are vere numerous beneath the
lurface of this mountain, and they flow
through the Allures ad cavities of it. Caves
offalt-petre are found in Upper Louisiana
though at some distance from the settle
ments. Four men on a trading voyage,
lately discovered one,feveral hundred miles
up the Miflouri. They spent 5 or 6 weeks
in the manufacture of this article, and re
turned to St. Louis with 400 weight of it.
It proved to be good and they fold it for a
high price.
The geography of the Mississippi and
Missouri, and their contiguity for a great
length of way, are but little known. The
traders assert, that 100 miles above their
junction, a man may walk from one to
the other in a day ; and it is also asserted,
that 700 miles (till higher up the portage
may be eroded in four or five days. This
portage is frequented by traders, who
carry on a considerable trade with some
of the Miflouri Indians. Their general
route is through Green bay which is an
arm of lake Michigan ; they then pass
into a small lake connected with it, and
which communicates with the Fox river j
they then cross over a short portage
into the Ouifconfing river, which unites
with the Mississippi some distance below
the falls of St. Anthony. It is also laid,
that the traders commucicate with the Mif
liifippi above these falls through lake Su
perior ; but their trade in that quarter is
much less considerable.
[to be continued]
LONDON, OClober 2.
The magnitude of the preparations
which are making in France and Holland,
for the invasion and conquest of our coun
try, exceeds, we are told, every idea that
seems to be entertained of it here. This
information, a paper of Saturday favs, has
been obtained from a gentleman now in
this city, who left Havre de Grace so late
ly as the 19’hofSept. aftd deferibes the
plan, projected by the Corsican Tyrant
for our subjugation, as immense beyond
conception. He states, that at Havre onlv, *
the number of vefTels intended for the
•enterprize, amounted to several hundred ;
that each' veflel is one hundred feet long,
2°
