Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/364

 *age, overtook two other boats for Natchez, met a large keel boat rowing up with twenty oars working, and the men were singing and shouting at a wonderful rate, I suppose the effect of their morning dram, being informed each man gets three every day.

At 12, we took our canoe and got a quantity of neat Bamboo canes, which we spent the day in trimming. At 5, after passing the mouth of Bayau Pierre, we entered the Grand Gulph, a place formed by a large bluff or high land on the east shore, and a short point of land on the opposite side. The river here is very much contracted, on each hand there are prodigious whirlpools, between which the current runs.

Feb. 13. The country is now a little more agreeable, being partly settled, nor are we in danger from sawyers, they being chiefly swept away by the large rafts of timber taken down every season to Natchez and Orleans, for the purpose of building, &c. The banks of the river are now lined with that beautiful species of cane called fan pernato, or lettania, the stem is of an oval form, and when twisted, makes a handsome walking stick (some of which we got), its top is formed like a fan, and is used for that purpose by some, when dried and bound. Peach trees in blossom were scattered along the banks. Half past 5, we came in sight of Natchez, a town situated on a high hill, about a quarter of a mile from the river. This is in the territory of the United States; here is a garrison, the country round is rich and fertile, thickly inhabited, the climate favourable for producing Indian corn, figs, indigo, cotton, &c.

Feb. 14. I walked up into town after breakfast, found it contained about one hundred houses, and {328} beautifully situated, the inhabitants however are much incommoded for the want of water in the summer; staple commodity