The Native American

The Red River Raft. The Army and Navy Chronicle contains a letter from Capt. Shreve, to whose indefatigable exertions, under the direction of the United States Government, the country is indebted for the removal of the immense accumulation of trees forming what was called 'the raft in Red River, Arkansas. He says:

I consider the navigation as safe through that part of the river where the raft was formerly located, as at any other part of it, from forty-five miles above its mouth to the head of steamboat navigation, a distance estimated at 1,500 miles. 'The former location occupied 165 miles of that distance. Its removal has extended the navigation by steamboats, about 750 miles on the Red river proper. Its tributaries from the best information I am in possession of, will afford about 600 miles, with but partial improvement in their channels, and may be extended by improvements on the main river and its tributaries some nine hundred miles further, extending the whole line of navigation by the improvement 2,250 miles, passing through as fertile a soil as any on this continent, with a less proportion of land which is unfit for cultivation, than any tract of the same extent in our country. The climate is well adapted to the cultivation of cotton; the latitude ranging from 32 to 35 deg. north, between the original foot of the raft and the head of navigation. The lands on the river bottom from the foot of the raft to 100 miles above its head, have been nearly all redrained from inundation by the removal of the timber from its bed; all of which is now settling with unprecedented rapidity.

'The advantages to be derived from the removal of the Great Raft, cannot now be calculated. The Government land on that river has been enhanced in value to an immense amount, not less I should judge, than 15,000,000 of dollars. The settlers will reap inestimable advantages from the same work.