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AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

In 1787, Diego de Gardoqui, minister from Spain to the United States, formed a plan for encouraging emigration from Kentucky and North Carolina to the Arkansas. He obtained from a Mr. Morgan the grant of a large tract, on which he laid the foundation of a city, dignified with the name of"„New Madrid'—afterwards the post so- called. Morgan, it is stated, made many sub-concessions to his settlers.

In 1795, Seor Marquis de Maison Rouge, an eminent French knight, conceived the idea of forming a colony in the prairie Chatel- leran, on the river Ouachita, in Louisiana, which, at that time, belonged to the Spanish crown, principally with the object of cultivating wheat and erecting mills for the manufacture of flour. The inducements then offered by the laws and government of Spain to such under- takings were very great. As it was the policy of that country, like our own at present, to encourage the population of her vast and mag- nificent realms, which lay almost valueless, until their resources could be developed under the influences of immigration and civilization, a grant was made to the marquis, on the 14th of July, of 30 super- ficial leagues, provided he should cause to be brought into the pro- vince, from the United States, thirty families of immigrants, which were to descend the Ohio. Baron de Carondelet, then military and civil governor of Louisiana, agreed to pay out of the royal treasury 8§200 to each family of two white persons fitted for agriculture or for the arts useful and necessary for the establishment; and 8400 in addition to each family having four useful laborers or artificers, or §100 each for a less number. He also agreed to assist each family from New Madrid to Ouachita, with a skillful guide, and provisions sufficient for their support until they should reach the place of desti- nation, allowing them each 3,000 pounds of baggage, implements, &c., to be transported by sea to New Orleans, and thence to Ouachita. Each of said families was to receive 400 square arpents of land, which was to be increased in proportion to the number of white cultivators it might possess. No Americans were to be admitted on the lands included within this grant. The marquis introduced the full number of settlers required, and the conditions of his contract as a poblador were fulfilled.

In 1796, Philip Henry Neri de Tot Bastrop, a nobleman of Holland, residing in Louisiana, conceived a similar idea to that of the Marquis de Maison Rouge, the year before, of forming an extensive colony in that province for the same purpose, of which he was to be the chief. A grant accordingly was made to him by Spain on the 21st of June, 1796, of 12 leagues square, one half situated on the side of Bayou de Siar, and the other on the side opposite the Ouachita, with the ex-

its source to its mouth, in order that he might construct the works and embankments requisite for mills. He was permitted to export to the Havana and other places, free, the commerce of the province, without restriction. The government also was to charge itself with the transportation of families from New Madrid to OQuachita, and furnish them with seed for sowing, and provisions sufficient for their main-

clusive enjoyment of 6 toises of land on each side of said bayou from