stream, it would
not be held back by the swampy nature of the soil, and so
you might have more sudden rises and falls in the river than
formerly without the volume of water or the uniform flow
being increased or lessened?
--A. I think--at least I have heard it so expressed by men
experienced on the river--that the flow of the Mississippi
River is greater now than it was formerly.

Q. That one year with another, more water runs down the
channel?
--A. We can see a slight increase of the water of the
Mississippi River. I do not know how it may increase in the
future, or if it will at all, but that is the opinion of
people there now. The point I want to call your attention to
specifically is the necessity for the prevention of the
water of the Red River going down through the Atchafalaya,
for if the Atchafalaya washes out it leaves New Orleans, a
large commercial city, upon, as it were, an inland sea. The
waters which overflow from the banks of the Mississippi
River on the front of Arkansas go over into the Red River
and never come back into the Mississippi River any more
until they come out at the mouth of the Red River. Just at
the mouth of Red River, and before Red River reaches the
Mississippi, is the Atchafalaya. So that all of this
overflow water that could be kept in the Mississippi River
by building the levees on the front of Arkansas, now goes
into Red River and helps to wash out the Atchafalaya, which
will ruin the city of New Orleans if that is not prevented.
It is a very strong commercial point, for the commerce of
New Orleans is a matter to be considered in our affairs.

Q. I suppose there is no doubt that the Atchafalaya
furnishes an outlet, which relieves your plantations very
much?
--A. No, sir; it does not affect where I live at all.

Q. Below the Red River, in Louisiana, is it not a relief in
case of an overflow?
--A. A partial relief; but in Louisiana, when you get down
that far, they pretty much have their system of levees
built, which protect the sugar district; there are only
probably a few gaps; and the Mississippi River, when it gets
that far down, does not rise in the same proportion that it
does where I live, 500 miles above. The mouth of the
Atchafalaya is 500 miles below where I am