Independently of the short railway of five miles from Lake Pontchartain
to New Orleans, there are several other works, such as the Carrolton
railroad, which is a little longer, and two short canals extending from
the city to the lake. Some cuts have also been made between the lagoons
and marshes of the lower Mississippi. These canals, dug in a wet and
muddy soil, have presented serious difficulties in their construction;
but they are of no interest in regard to extent or importance.