to cultivate these bottom lands will be ruined.  The river demands them as a reservoir for her surplus waters when in flood.”  But enterprise was undeterred; the levees went up and the settlements went on to increase; and when the spoiler came all the valley was dotted over with pretty villages and magnificent cotton plantations, containing and sustaining a prosperous, rich, intelligent, and happy population.  They are swept away, and ruin reigns over this desolated land.

This was but the beginning of the subduing to man’s will and cultivation this entire and unparalleled valley.  What had been done demonstrated the possibility of redeeming every inch of the alluvial land along the entire valley to the production of the richest staples, with all the necessaries to man’s support, comfort, and wealth.  It is pleasing to contemplate this immense plain as one extended scene of cultivation—­the beautiful lakes of every form, surrounded with palatial homes and fertile fields; lovely towns upon their borders, with the church-spires pointing to heaven, surrounded with shrubs and flowers of every variety and hue; streams meandering among the extended plantations; railroads intersecting it in every direction; and all this mighty field, a thousand miles long by fifty broad, teeming with production, and pouring into the lap of commerce a wealth absolutely incalculable.  The work was begun and was rapidly progressing; but now, when and by whom will this great, glorious garden be made?

To do this was the black man’s mission; but ere his work was done he was converted into a machine to undo all his work.  Inconceivable calamity has followed, and to him is fixed a decade which will soon run to extinction.

CHAPTER XXI.

TWO STRANGE BEINGS.

ROMANCE OF WESTERN LIFE—­MET BY CHANCE—­PARTING ON THE LEVEE—­MEETING AT THE SICK-BED—­CONVALESCENT—­LOVE-MAKING—­“HOME, SWEET HOME”—­ THEOLOGICAL DISCUSSIONS—­UNCLE TONY—­WILD, YET GENTLE—­AN ODD FAMILY—­THE ADVENTURER SPECULATES.

It was in the spring of the year away back in time when there landed at the town of St. Francisville, or Bayou Sara, a small periagua, or canoe, containing two young men clad in skins, with a camp-kettle, guns, some curiously painted skins, Indian bows, quivers, and Indian curiosities.  Their hair was long, their unshaven beards were full and flowing, and in all their appearance they were wild and savage.  There were but few houses in the hamlet below the hill.  Among these was one of more pretensions than the rest.  It was a store, and the merchant was an Irishman.  There was near it a neat family carriage.  One of the young savages went into this store to find materials for writing to his home-friends, from whom he had been separated for many long months.  He found in the store three ladies.  Two were young, the other was an aged matron.  They seemed not only surprised at the novel apparition before