With towns, plantations, and sugar-mills, it would greatly resemble the region between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

I could perceive that the volume of the river was much diminished above its junction with the Songaree.
At long and rare intervals snags were visible, but not in the navigable channel.

We took soundings with a seven foot pole attached to a rope fastened to the rail of the boat.

A man threw the pole as if he were spearing fish, and watched the depth to which it descended.
The depth of water was shouted in a monotonous drawl.

"_Sheiste; sheiste polivinnay; sem; sem polivinnay;_" and so on through the various quantities indicated.