The region was very level and the land was very fertile. The cypress fences enclosed huge sugar plantations.
Along the bayou they came upon several sugar mills. Many of these were built with bricks. The mills contained expensive machinery. The mills were built on the banks of the bayou so the sugar was transported to the market with the least possible expense.
The bayou was narrow in many places - so narrow a boat couldn't turn around. There were no hills next to it, and so the bayou seemed like nothing more than a great ditch.
