"That the channel will be filled up, to some extent, by the material of the bar adjacent to the deepened passage, is not only probable, but certain. "This stuff cannot stand without support, and will flow in as an imperfect fluid until its surface approximates a level. But the efficient plan here suggested will remove it all as fast as it comes in, and speedily produce a channel of the most ample width. It cannot require over three or four months of high water, with a proper outfit, to open a passage as wide and as deep as can be needed for commercial purposes." This opinion of Mr. Ellet, it appears to me, while it involves the most singular contradiction, contains an admission that effectually destroys all his reasons in favor of dredging, and proves it to be utterly useless as a remedy. He admits the tendency of the soft sediment composing these bars, to restore the level disturbed by the action of his dredging machines; and that they can remove it no faster than it comes in. If this be as he says, and there can be no doubt that it is, how can Mr. Ellet "speedily produce a channel of the most ample width," and "open a passage as wide and as deep as can be needed for commercial purposes." From the views expressed by Mr. Ellet in other parts of his report, we are at a loss to conceive what advantage he expects to derive from three or four months of high water; and the idea that he should expect any service utterly inconsistent with them. He informs us, in his report, that the depth of water on the bars is less in time of high water than in low, which is by no means improbable. This diminution in the depth must be the result of an additional elevation in the bar, caused by a more rapid accumulation of deposits at that season. While the water at the bars, scarcely experiencing any elevation of surface from the river,-its volume being exhausted before it reaches the mouth, by the extensive overflows and innumerable outlets above it,-is unable to carry off the increased quantity of sediment which then rolls down along the bottom of the main channel, and, of course, deposits it in increased quantities at the bars. If this be so, what service can Mr. Ellet expect from increased deposits, increased elevation of the bar, and consequent diminution of depth in the water? These are only a few of the inconsistencies and contradictions which are not explained in the report; they appear to be mysteries in Mr. Ellet's system of hydrodynamics, which the public are left to solve for themselves. The system of dredging which attempts to remove the effects only, while the cause is still permitted to remain in full activity, is radically bad; and, if adopted for the purpose of improving the navigation of the Mississippi, however profitable it may be to those who have the management of the job, will prove an expensive failure to those who will have to foot the bill. No system of improving the navigable capacity of the channel of the Mississippi can ever be of the smallest perinanent benefit, which does not begin by removing the cause from which arises its present defects. The accumulation of sedimentary matter is occasioned by the dissipation of the water through so many outlets, and over the banks, the natural consequences of which have been a decreased velocity in that portion of water still left in the main channel. Let that defect be removed; let that dissipation be prevented; or, in other words, let the full volume of water be guided by a judicious lateral contraction, so that a greater useful body of affluent water will be brought to act upon the bottom of the Passes, and the current of the river itself will be found to contain a power that will-and let me add, it is the only power that ever can-improve the navigable capacity of the Mississippi, and permanently maintain that improvement. The dredging, or stirring up of the mud of the bottom, cannot have the effect of giving a greater velocity to the river, or assisting the waters to discharge themselves in a shorter time. This can only be done by guiding the current and confining the waters in a channel of a proper breadth. In conclusion, I cannot but express my surprise, that a report, so full of contradictions and inconsistencies, so directly opposed to every principle of science, and to all the teachings of professional experience, should have found a place among the published documents of one of our government departments at Washington; and that it should be so far sanctioned by the Colonel of the Topographical Corps, as to carry with it his recommendation of the author to the superintendence of the execution of the plan suggested by him, in case it should be approved. Mobile, October, 1851. ART. III-STATISTICAL COLLECTIONS OF LOUISIANA. THE PARISH OF BATON ROUGE. (Concluded.) LIFE STATISTICS.-I am not aware of any remarkable cases of fecundity in the parish, but from the number of small children you meet with in every part of the town, one would be led to suppose they were the principal article of production. A year or two since, I was visiting at the house of a physician in a neighboring parish. One day while there, the Dr. returned from a visit to a patient, who was delivered of her seventeenth child. The woman appeared unusually delighted at the result the cause being that she had caught up with her sister, who also had seventeen children. What is remarkable about this case was, that the thirty-four children were all by the same father. They lived in separate houses in the most harmonious manner near each other. This was in 1849; the number may have since increased. : There are several instances of longevity. Madame Acosta, born at Truxillo, emigrated to Louisiana in the year 1765, at the age of nine years, and is now ninety-five. She enjoys excellent health, has a mind almost unimpaired, attends church, to which she walks a dis tance of at least half a mile from the residence of her great grandchild, Mrs. Dufrocq, the wife of the Mayor of Baton Rouge. Madame Arrayas was among the emigrants from the Canary Islands, who settled in Galveztown in 1774. Her age is not exactly known, but is supposed to be upwards of ninety; she has but a confused recollection of early events. The parish is generally considered healthy. The most common diseases are intermittent fevers. The yellow fever has made its appearance in the town at various periods. The greatest mortality from this disease occurred in 1822. During that season there were a large number of soldiers and strangers unacclimated, added to which the lower portion of the town was inundated, and both citizens and soldiers had greatly exposed themselves in working at the cre vasses on both sides of the river. Of late years, diseases, attended with diarrhoea, have been more common, but this has been the case throughout the state. The number of deaths from June, 1849, to June, 1850, out of a population of 11,979, was 340. Of these, among the white population, 14 were from cholera, 23 from other diseases. Total, white 37. The mortality of the slave population was from cholera, 143, other diseases 170. Total 313. The total mortality of whites, exclusive of cholera, 0.62 per cent., a little over one death per annum out of every 300 inhabitants. During the time of my residence here, I have particularly noticed the deaths occurring in the town, and have found that at least two-thirds were transient persons, who came to the place with previous symptoms upon them of the discase from which they died. Quite a number of them were persons of dissolute and intemperate habits. Sanatory regulations would greatly benefit the place. Public baths should be established. The town council have now under consideration, the establishment of a registry of births, deaths and marriages. The population of Baton Rouge in 1785 was.. 270 Manchac of the Parish of Baton Rouge in 1820 was.. 256 10,847 66 Of which number there were of whites... 5,628 The American is the predominant population of the parish. The Germans, French, Irish, Spanish, Italian, English and Scotch follow next in order. The population of the town of Baton Rouge is about 4.000. In 1847 it was 2,523; in 1840, 2,269. Its most rapid increase has been within the last four or five years. When it was taken by the patriot forces under General Thomas in 1810, it did not contain over two or three hundred inhabitants. Meteorological tables have been kept at the garrison for the last thirty years, but they have been unfortunately lost. The quantity of rain that fell during six months in 1846 was as follows: By the foregoing you will observe, that the present season, 1851, is the dryest on record. Some years ago, in the north-eastern part of the parish, I crossed the path of a hurricane; but do not know in what year it occurred. We have had some severe gales that blew down houses and uprooted trees the present season. Colonel Claiborne, in his notes on Louisiana, mentions the singular phenomenon of snow occurring in this latitude, in the early part of September, when Galvez was on his march to capture the fort at Baton Rouge, in 1779. During the past winter of 1851, we had the deepest fall of snow within the memory of the oldest inhabitants. Sleighs were passing through the streets, and the snow continued on the ground for several days. EDUCATION AND RELIGION.--The first house for public worship was a Quaker chapel, built by Richard Carpenter, on the plantation now owned by Colonel P. Hickey. In 1787, four Irish priests, who had been educated at the University of Salamanca, arrived in New-Orleans, and were sent to West Florida. One of them was stationed at this place. Father Brady was the parish curate for many years previous to the possession of the Americans. In 1810, there was an old frame building used by the Catholic congregation. The first effort to establish a Protestant church, was made in 1822, by the Rev. Mr. Savage, who came here a Presbyterian Missionary. There had been Methodist circuit-riders before. There are now eight churches in the parish, two Catholic, two Presbyterian, two Methodist, one Episcopal, one common to all denominations. There is also a large congregation of the church called the "Christians," who have no established place of worship. Four of these churches are situated in the town of Baton Rouge. The Catholic church will accommodate four hundred persons, and possesses property to the value of $12,000; the Methodist church, four hundred and fifty persons, value of property, $7,000; Presbyterian, two hundred and seventy persons, value of property, $3,300. The Episcopal church will seat two hundred and fifty persons, value of property, $2,500. The ministers of the Catholic, Presbyterian, and Episcopalian churches have stated salaries, the proceeds of pew rents. In the Methodist church, the pews are free, and the ministry are dependent upon the liberality of the members of the congregation. The presiding elder of the district resides here, and receives from Conference a salary of six hundred dollars per annum. The Baton Rouge College was established about the year 1823, and was once in a flourishing condition. It received for many years an annual appropriation from the state. When that was withdrawn, it shared the fate of all the state colleges, and was totally abandoned. The buildings are now used by the Misses Fords, who have an excellent private female seminary in operation. There is now in the town an institution called a college, under the control of the Jesuits, to which are admitted boys of all ages. The Sisters of the "Sacred Heart" have also a flourishing school for young ladies. The number of public schools in the parish is twelve, with the same number of teachers the number of children who attend them, five hundred. The expense of education in private schools, of which there are three in the town, is from $2 to $4 per month, depending upon the branches taught. There are four cemeteries. The old one, on the land belonging to the United States, is no longer used. I have seen no tomb-stones later back than 1812 and 1816. The Protestant cemetery is on lands of the United States, back of the ordnance department. A great number lie buried there. The greater part having no mark upon their graves, to tell who, or whence they were, or when they returned to their last resting-place. Such is the case with the late Colonel Smyth, who died of cholera about a year and a half ago. He was a man somewhat distinguished in political life; but "the place that once knew him, now knows him no more." The Protestant Cemetery is a beautiful location, and with a little expense, might be made equal to any of the celebrated cemeteries at the north, in appearance. In January, 1850, a fair was held in the State House for the purpose of fencing the ground. I have not been able to learn why the work has been delayed. The Indian Mound, used as a cemetery for deceased officers and their families, is a lovely and attractive'spot, of which I have before spoken. There have been some thirty or forty persons buried there. About three-quarters of a mile from the Mississippi is situated the new Catholic Cemetery, with spacious grounds; but little attention has as yet been paid to ornamenting the place. It admits of great improvement, and might be made an "interesting promenade.' Beneath the floor of the Catholic Church are the vaults of A. Grass and his wife, who donated the ground on which the church stands, with the request that his remains might be there deposited. The records of this church were destroyed by fire about twenty-five years ago. MANUFACTURES.-There is a cotton and woollen factory in the penitentiary at this place; the machinery of which is impelled by a steam engine of 110 horse-power. The labor is performed by conviets, 210 of whom are employed in this department. The average number of yards of heavy cotton goods, linseys, &c., manufactured per week, is 18,000. There are 4,500 spindles, and 60 looms in operation. The cotton and woollen machinery is valued at $60,000. $40,000 capital is invested in machinery for making bagging and rope, at which there are 38 convicts employed. The amount manu |