This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

L AO'* J
appear to have ever been explored by white people ; some of the streams were so deep, that we had to cross on rafts, in the constructions of which my assistants already mentioned, were singularly useful.
From Thompson’s Creek, east along the boundary, the soil is of an inferior quality, except on the margins of creeks and rivulets, which is very fertile, and covered either with the large carie, (arundo gigantea,) or the small cane or reed, (arundo tecta.) The face of the country is gently waving with hills, which in some places have a most beautiful appearance. The prevailing timber on the upland is pine, (pinus,) of several species^*. The .grass is high, coarse and hard, and when- full grown is only eaten by horses and cattle, through necessity. The soil of the upland is composed of a large portion of sand, with a small mixture of yellowish clay or loam. On one of the pine ridges I saw a few stones, which were evidently ferruginous ; but this appearance was not promising.
The small streams of water that rise amongthe sandy hills are remarkably pure, clear and light.
The day on which we encamped, a number of our men were set about making a canoe, to descend the river, and meet our provisions that were expccted from New Orleans ; the small supply we had brought on from Thompson’s Creek being nearly exhausted.
On the^21st the canoe being finished, Mr. Robins the superintendant of our labourers, with three hands, Were despatched down the river; but returned on the 23d, in company with a small, light skiff, which had been sent up from the mouth of the river to examine the state of the navigation. The hands who had the care of the skiff, informed us that our stores and the large sector, were at the Bluffs above the mouth of the river; but could not possibly be brought up, till a
large quantity of timber was removed, and channels cut through two rafts or floating bridges, which extended from one side to the other; and those rafts or bridges, being in the swamp, the articles could not be carried round them.
On the 24th, my assistant Mr. Gillespie, with a number of our labourers were despatched down the river to remove the obstructions ; from thence he was to proceed to New Orleans, and make arrangements.for an immediate supply of some articles we were in want of. Our provisions, (beef excepted,) were exhausted on the 27th.
Having two more canoes finished on the 28th, the superintendants of both parties, were sent down the river with some of our most active men, to bring us a supply of flour with all possible expedition.
On the 30th a small supply of provisions arrived on pack-horses, from Thompson’s Creek. The pack-horse-men likewise brought on my small zenith sector. This instrument was not intended to be made use of in the determination of any points in the boundary, and merely brought along for common geographical purposes; but owing to the uncertainty of the time when the large one would arrive, which was too weighty to be conveyed by land, and therefore sent round by water, added to the fickleness of the weather at that season, and being in want of some of the necessaries of life, it was thought proper and expedient to use the small one. The 1st of December, I polished the mirrors of the eye piece, which were tarnished by the great moisture of that country, and set the instrument up.
The weather was cloudy until the 3d, when a course of observations wasbegun, which wasclosedon the 13th, much more to my satisfaction, than could reasonably
B b	be