Travels Through North America, During the Years 1825 and 1826. v. 1-2

On the morning of the 19th of January, we were driven back to the strait between Dauphin Island and Mobile Point, and the anchor was dropt to prevent farther drifting. I was sea-sick, but had the consolation that several passengers shared my misfortune. The whole day continued disagreeable, cold, and cloudy. As we lay not far from Dauphin Island, several of our company went on shore, and brought back a few thrushes which they had shot. I was too unwell to feel any desire of visiting this inhospitable island, a mere strip of sand, bearing nothing but everlasting pines. Upon it, stands some remains of an old entrenchment and barrack. Besides the custom-house officers, only three families live on the whole island. We saw the light-house, and the houses at Mobile Point, not far from us. I wished to have gone there to see the fortification lately commenced, but it was too far to go on a rough sea in a skiff.

On the 20th of January, the wind was more favourable; it blew from the north-east, and dispersed the clouds, and we set sail. After several delays, caused by striking on sand-banks, we proceeded with a favourable wind, passed Dauphin Island and the islands Petit Bois, Massacre, Horn, and Ship Island.

These islands consist of high sand-hills, some of them covered with pine, and remind one strongly of the coasts of Holland and Flanders. Behind Horn and Massacre Islands lies a bay, which is called Pascagoula, from a river rising in the state of Mississippi, and emptying here into the sea. Ship Island is about nine miles long, and it was here that the English fleet which transported the troops sent on the expedition against New Orleans, remained during the months of December and January, 1814-15. At a considerable distance from us to the left, were some scattered islands, called Les Malheureux. Behind these were the islands De la Chandeleur, and still farther La Clef du Francmaçon. Afterwards we passed a muddy shallow, upon which, luckily, we did not stick fast, and arrived in the gulf Lac Borgne, which connects itself with Lake Ponchartrain, lying back of it, by two communications, each above a mile broad; of which one is called Chef Menteur, and the other the Rigolets. Both are guarded by forts, the first by the fort of Chef Menteur, the other by that of the Petites Coquilles, so called because it is built on a foundation of muscle shells, and its walls are composed of a cement of the same. We took this last direction, and passed the Rigolets in the night, with a fair wind. Night had already fallen when we reached Lake Borgne. After we had passed the Rigolets, we arrived in Lake Ponchartrain, then turned left from the light-house of Fort St. John, which protects the entrance of the bayou of the same name, leading to New Orleans.

I awoke on the 21st of January, as we entered the bayou St. John. This water is so broad, that we could not see the northern shore. We remained at the entrance one hour, to give the sailors a short rest, who had worked the whole night, and whose duty it was now to tow the vessel to the city, six miles distant. This fort, which has lost its importance since the erection of Chef Menteur, and Petites Coquilles, is abandoned, and a tavern is now building in its place. It lies about five hundred paces distant from the sea, but on account of the marshy banks cannot be thence attacked without great difficulty. The bank is covered with thick beams, to make it hold firm, which covering in this hot and damp climate perishes very quickly. The causeway which runs along the bayou, is of made earth on a foundation of timber. Behind the fort is a public house, called Ponchartrain Hotel, which is much frequented by persons from the city during summer. I recognized the darling amusements of the inhabitants, in a pharo and roulette table.

As the passage hence to the city is very tedious in stages, we proposed to hire a carriage, but there was none to be found; six dollars was asked for a boat; we therefore, decided to go on foot. The Colonel, Mr. Huygens, Mr. Egbert, Mr. Chew, and myself made up this walking party. The morning was beautiful spring weather; we passed through a shocking marshy country, along the right side of the bayou. The woods were hanging full of the hateful Spanish moss, and a number of palmettoes were the only variety afforded. The causeway was very muddy; there were good wooden bridges over little ditches, which conveyed the water from the surrounding marshes into the bayou.

After we had proceeded three miles in this manner, we came into a cultivated district, passed a sort of gate, and found ourselves quite in another world. Plantations, with handsome buildings, followed in quick succession; noble live oaks, which had been trimmed to regular shapes, young orange trees, pride of China, and other tropical trees and bushes, along the road. Several inns and public gardens were exhibited, for a population that willingly seeks amusement. We noticed several mansion-houses, ornamented with columns, piazzas, and covered galleries; some of these were of ancient style in building. It was naturally agreeable to me, after wandering a long time in mere wildernesses, once more to come into a long civilized country. We saw from afar, the white spires of the cathedral of New Orleans, also the masts of the ships lying in the Mississippi. The bayou unites itself, three miles from this city, with a canal leading thither, which we passed upon a turning bridge, to strike into the city by a nearer way.

This road carried us between well-built mansions, and over the streets were hung reflecting lamps. The first view of the city, as we reached, without knowing it, was really not handsome; for we came into the oldest section, which consisted only of little one-story houses, with mud walls, and wide projecting roofs. On the whole, the streets are regularly laid out, part parallel with the river, the rest perpendicular to it. The ancient town was surrounded by a wall, which is destroyed, in its room there is a boulevard laid out, called Rue de Remparts. Next to the old town below, lies the suburb Marigny, and above, that of St. Mary; then begins the most elegant part of the city.

Before we searched for lodgings, we looked about a little through the city, and went first to the Mississippi, to pay our homage to this “father of rivers.” It is about half a mile wide, and must be above eighty fathoms deep; it is separated from the city by a compost of muscle shells. This causeway defends it from inundations. There are no wharves, they cannot be fixed, as the river would sweep them away. The ships lay four and five deep, in tiers along the bank, as in the Thames, at London. Below them, were ten very large steam-boats, employed in the river trade. In a line with the bank stood houses, which were two or three stories high, and built of brick, also ancient massive Spanish houses, known by their heavy, solid style, and mostly white. We passed by a square, of which the river formed one side, opposite stood the cathedral, and on each side of it, a massive public edifice, with arcades. Along the bank stood the market-houses, built of brick, modelled after the Propylæa, in Athens, and divided into separate blocks. We saw in these, fine pine-apples, oranges, bananas, peccan-nuts, cocoa-nuts, and vegetables of different descriptions; also several shops, in which coffee and oysters were sold. The black population appeared very large; we were informed, that above one-half of the inhabitants, forty-five thousand in number, were of the darker colour. The custom-house on the Levée, is a pretty building.

We met a merchant, Mr. Ogden, partner of Mr. William Nott, to whose house I had letters, who had the politeness to take charge of us, and assist us in our search for lodgings. We obtained tolerable quarters in the boarding house of Madame Herries, Rue de Chartres. The first person I encountered in this house, was Count Vidua, with whom I had become acquainted in New York, and who since had travelled through Canada, the western country, and down the Ohio and Mississippi.

My first excursion was to visit Mr. Grymes, who here inhabits a large, massive, and splendidly furnished house. I found only Mrs. Grymes at home, who after an exceedingly fatiguing journey arrived here, and in fourteen days after had given birth to a fine son. I found two elegantly arranged rooms prepared for me, but I did not accept this hospitable invitation. After some time Mr. Grymes came home, and accompanied me back to my lodgings. As our schooner had not yet arrived, we went to meet it and found it in the canal, a mile and a half from town, where two cotton boats blocked up the way. We had our baggage put into the skiff, and came with it into the basin, where the canal terminates.

In the evening we paid our visit to the governor of the state of Louisiana, Mr. Johnson, but did not find him at home. After this we went to several coffee-houses, where the lower class amused themselves, hearing a workman singing in Spanish, which he accompanied with the guitar. Mr. Grymes took me to the masked ball, which is held every evening during the carnival at the French theatre. The saloon in which they danced, was quite long, well planned, and adorned with large mirrors. Round it were three rows of benches amphitheatrically arranged. There were few masks, only a few dominos, none in character. Cotillions and waltzes were the dances performed. The dress of the ladies I observed to be very elegant, but understood that most of those dancing did not belong to the better class of society. There were several adjoining rooms open, in which there is a supper when subscription balls are given. In the ground floor of the building are rooms, in which pharo and roulette are played. These places were obscure, and resembled caverns: the company playing there appeared from their dress, not to be of the best description.

Next day, we made new acquaintances, and renewed some old ones. I remained in this city several weeks, for I was obliged to give up my plan of visiting Mexico, as no stranger was allowed to go to that country who was not a subject of such states as had recognized the new government. There were too many obstacles in my way, and therefore I determined to wait in New Orleans for the mild season, and then to ascend the Mississippi. The result was an extensive acquaintance, a succession of visits, a certain conformity in living, from which one cannot refrain yielding to in a city. No day passed over this winter which did not produce something pleasant or interesting, each day however, was nearly the same as its predecessors. Dinners, evening parties, plays, masquerades, and other amusements followed close on each other, and were interrupted only by the little circumstances which accompany life in this hemisphere, as well as in the other.

The cathedral in New Orleans is built in a dull and heavy style of architecture externally, with a gable on which a tower and two lateral cupolas are erected. The façade is so confused, that I cannot pretend to describe it. Within, the church resembles a village church in Flanders. The ceiling is of wood, the pillars which support it, and divide the nave into three aisles, are heavy, made of wood, covered with plaster: as well as the walls, they are constructed without taste. The three altars are distinguished by no remarkable ornament. Upon one of the side altars stands an ugly wax image of the virgin and child. Near the great altar is a throne for the bishop. On Sundays and holy-days, this cathedral is visited by the beau monde; except on these occasions, I found that most of the worshippers consisted only of blacks, and coloured people, the chief part of them females.

The sinking of the earth of the Levée is guarded against in a peculiar way. In Holland piles are driven in along the water for this purpose, and held together by wattling. After the dam is raised up, there are palisades of the same kind placed behind each other. Here the twigs of the palmetto are inserted in the ground close together, and their fan-like leaves form a wall, which prevents the earth from rolling down.

There are only two streets paved in the city; but all have brick side-walks. The paving stones are brought as ballast by the ships from the northern states, and sell here very high. Several side-walks are also laid with broad flag stones. In the carriage way of the streets there is a prodigious quantity of mud. After a rain it is difficult even for a carriage to pass; the walkers who wish to go from one side to the other, have a severe inconvenience before them; either they must make a long digression, to find some stones that are placed in the abyss, for the benefit of jumping over, or if they undertake to wade through, run a risk of sticking fast.

Sunday is not observed with the puritanic strictness in New Orleans, that it is in the north. The shops are open, and there is singing and guitar-playing in the streets. In New York, or Philadelphia, such proceedings would be regarded as outrageously indecent. On a Sunday we went for the first time, to the French theatre, in which a play was performed every Sunday and Thursday. The piece for this night, was the tragedy of Regulus, and two vaudevilles. The dramatic corps was merely tolerable, such as those of the small French provincial towns,39 where they never presume to present tragedies, or comedies of the highest class. “Regulus” was murdered; Mr. Marchand and Madame Clozel, whose husband performed the comic parts very well in the vaudevilles, alone distinguished themselves. The saloon is not very large, but well ornamented; below is the pit and parquet, a row of boxes each for four persons, and before them a balcony. The boxes are not divided by walls, but only separated by a low partition, so that the ladies can exhibit themselves conveniently. Over the first row of boxes is a second, to which the free colored people resort, who are not admitted to any other part of the theatre, and above this row is the gallery, in which slaves may go, with the permission of their masters. Behind the boxes is a lobby, where the gentlemen who do not wish to sit in a box, stand, or walk about, where they can see over the boxes. The theatre was less attended, than we had supposed it would be; and it was said, that the great shock felt in the commercial world, on account of the bankruptcy of three of the most distinguished houses, in consequence of unfortunate speculations in cotton, and the failures in Liverpool, was the cause of this desertion.

The garrison consists of two companies of infantry, of the first and fourth regiments. This has been here since the last insurrection of the negroes, and has been continued, to overawe them. In case of a serious alarm, this would prove but of little service! and what security is there against such an alarm? In Chartres street, where we dwelt, there were two establishments, which constantly revolted my feelings, to wit: shops in which negroes were purchased and sold. These unfortunate beings, of both sexes, stood or sat the whole day, in these shops, or in front of them, to exhibit themselves, and wait for purchasers. The abomination is shocking, and the barbarity and indifference, produced by the custom in white men, is indescribable.40

There were subscription balls given in New Orleans, to which the managers had the politeness to invite us. These balls took place twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays, at the French theatre, where the masquerade had been, which I mentioned before. None but good society were admitted to these subscription balls; the first that we attended was not crowded, however, the generality of the ladies present were very pretty, and had a very genteel French air. The dress was extremely elegant, and after the latest Paris fashion. The ladies danced, upon the whole, excellently, and did great honour to their French teachers. Dancing, and some instruction in music, is almost the whole education of the female creoles.

Most of the gentlemen here are far behind the ladies in elegance. They did not remain long at the ball, but hasted away to the quadroon ball, so called, where they amused themselves more, and were more at their ease. This was the reason why there were more ladies than gentlemen present at the ball, and that many were obliged to form “tapestry.” When a lady is left sitting, she is said to be “bredouille.” Two cotillions and a waltz, are danced in succession, and there is hardly an interval of two or three minutes between the dances. The music was performed by negroes and coloured people, and was pretty good. The governor was also at the ball, and introduced me to several gentlemen, among others, a Frenchman, General Garrigues de Flaugeac, who, having emigrated here from St. Domingo, had married, and given the world some very handsome daughters. Several of the French families here settled, and indeed, the most respectable, were emigrants from that island, who wait for the indemnification due to them, but without any great hopes of receiving it.

Colonel Wool inspected the two companies of the first and fourth regiments, under Major Twiggs stationed here; both together made at the most, eighty men under arms. The inspection took place before the Cathedral. I admired the good order and great propriety of these companies, as well as their uniformity of march and dressing, which I had no opportunity to observe before, in the troops of the United States. There was indeed many things to be wished for; as for example, the coats of the men did not fit, and many were too short; the grey cloth pantaloons were of different shades, and much too short; no bayonet sheaths, nor gun straps; the belt intended for the bayonet sheath over that of the cartridge box: the privates had wooden flints in their guns, and none in their cartridge boxes, also no spare flints, files, screwdrivers, nor oil flasks. From the false maxim, that the second rank, if they are shorter men, cannot fire over the front, the lesser men are ranged in the first, and the taller in the second rank through the whole army of the United States, and this produces a great eye-sore. There was some manual exercise, and manœuvres in battalion training: all good. The soldiers were mostly young, handsome and strong men, well fed and healthy looking natives of the western states; there were some Germans and Irish among them. The Irish, however, since their conduct is often in nowise commendable, are no longer admitted. Governor Johnson remained during the review, which lasted above an hour or more; there were also several members of the legislature now assembling, present. I formed an acquaintance here with General La Coste, who formerly had been engaged in the Spanish service, and at present commanded a division of the Louisiana militia. Colonel Croghan also attended the review.41

When the review was over, the governor showed me the two extensive buildings, joining the Cathedral, with arcades, as before-mentioned. One of them is devoted to the use of the several courts of justice, and the other is the City Hall. In the first, the United States court was holding its sessions, and as it was rather cold, the judge had removed himself to the fire-place, there to have the business transacted before him. The suit in controversy related to the sale of a negro. The buyer had purchased him as a slave for life; after the bargain had been concluded, and payment made, he discovered, by the declaration of his former master, the seller, that at a certain period he was to be free. I could not remain long enough in the court, to wait for the decision.

We passed then to the City Hall. In the lower story, is the guard-house of the city guard, besides a prison42 for runaways, or negroes punished by order of their masters, who are here incarcerated, and employed in all servile labours for the city; they are termed negres marrons. The masters receive a daily recompense of twenty-five cents for each imprisoned negro. Near the guard-house stands a small piece of ordnance, from which the signal tattoo is fired. After this shot, no negro can tread the streets without a pass.43 The upper stories of this building contains the offices and court halls of the magistrates. Part of them were ornamented very richly, as these chambers served as quarters for General La Fayette, who was here in the month of April last. Before the chambers, the whole length of the building, ran a gallery with very large windows, which being raised in summer, change the gallery into an airy balcony: an arrangement which I had remarked to exist also in the other building, where the courts of justice sat.

Hence the governor next conducted me to the old Spanish government house, in which the senators and representatives of the state of Louisiana were now assembled. The building is ancient and crazy, otherwise situated in a handsome spot on the levée, surrounded by a balcony. There is nothing more done for the repair of this building, as in a few years the legislature will be removed to Donaldsonville. The reason given for this is, that many members of the legislature are plain people, who feel embarrassed in New Orleans, and hope to be more at their ease in Donaldsonville. The office of the governor is in the yard, in a small house, where the secretary of the Spanish governor formerly had his office.

In a magazine belonging to the state, there are still several articles which belonged to the former navy-yard, and which, hereafter, are to be sent to Pensacola. Among these, I remarked brass and iron cannon of various calibres, and from different countries, English, Spanish, and French. There were some ancient ones among the French, with beautiful ornaments and inscriptions. On one was, “ultima ratio regum;” on others, the darling “liberté, egalité.” These pieces were found in the trifling fortifications that formerly surrounded the city, when the United States took possession of Louisiana, in 1803.

During the last of January, it rained uncommonly hard and steady. The streets became bottomless: holes formed in them, where carriages and carts were in constant peril of upsetting. At first it was cold; while the rain continued, there followed such an oppressive heat, that it was feared an earthquake was about to take place: it thundered and lightened also very heavily.

At the masked balls, each paid a dollar for admission. As I visited it for the second time, I observed, however, many present by free tickets, and I was told that the company was very much mixed. The unmasked ladies belonging to good society, sat in the recesses of the windows, which were higher than the saloon, and furnished with galleries. There were some masks in character, but none worthy of remark. Two quarrels took place, which commenced in the ball-room with blows, and terminated in the vestibule, with pocket-pistols and kicking, without any interruption from the police.

On the same evening, what was called a quadroon ball took place. A quadroon is the child of a mestize mother and a white father, as a mestize is the child of a mulatto mother and a white father. The quadroons are almost entirely white: from their skin no one would detect their origin; nay many of them have as fair a complexion as many of the haughty creole females. Such of them as frequent these balls are free. Formerly they were known by their black hair and eyes, but at present there are completely fair quadroon males and females. Still, however, the strongest prejudice reigns against them on account of their black blood, and the white ladies maintain, or affect to maintain, the most violent aversion towards them. Marriage between the white and coloured population is forbidden by the law of the state. As the quadroons on their part regard the negroes and mulattoes with contempt, and will not mix with them, so nothing remains for them but to be the friends, as it is termed, of the white men. The female quadroon looks upon such an engagement as a matrimonial contract, though it goes no farther than a formal contract by which the “friend” engages to pay the father or mother of the quadroon a specified sum. The quadroons both assume the name of their friends, and as I am assured preserve this engagement with as much fidelity as ladies espoused at the altar. Several of these girls have inherited property from their fathers or friends, and possess handsome fortunes. Notwithstanding this, their situation is always very humiliating. They cannot drive through the streets in a carriage, and their “friends” are forced to bring them in their own conveyances after dark to the ball: they dare not sit in the presence of white ladies, and cannot enter their apartments without especial permission. The whites have the privilege to procure these unfortunate creatures a whipping like that inflicted on slaves, upon an accusation, proved by two witnesses. Several of these females have enjoyed the benefits of as careful an education as most of the whites; they conduct themselves ordinarily with more propriety and decorum, and confer more happiness on their “friends,” than many of the white ladies to their married lords. Still, the white ladies constantly speak with the greatest contempt, and even with animosity, of these unhappy and oppressed beings. The strongest language of high nobility in the monarchies of the old world, cannot be more haughty, overweening or contemptuous towards their fellow creatures, than the expressions of the creole females with regard to the quadroons, in one of the much vaunted states of the free Union. In fact, such comparison strikes the mind of a thinking being very singularly! Many wealthy fathers, on account of the existing prejudices send daughters of this description to France, where these girls with a good education and property, find no difficulty in forming a legitimate establishment. At the quadroon ball, only coloured ladies are admitted, the men of that caste, be it understood, are shut out by the white gentlemen. To take away all semblance of vulgarity, the price of admission is fixed at two dollars, so that only persons of the better class can appear there.