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

On the night of the 22d of February, the alarm bell was sounded: a fire had broken out in the warehouse of a merchant. There was time to save every thing, even the wooden building was not consumed, but in the course of two hours the fire was extinguished.

On the same day, was celebrated the birth of the great Washington. All the vessels lying in the river were adorned with flags, and fired salutes. The volunteer legion of Louisiana was called out in full uniform, to fire volleys in honour of the day. The artillery before mentioned, which gave thirteen discharges from two pieces, distinguished themselves again by their excellent discipline. The infantry was very weak, not exceeding fifty men, with a most monstrous standard. A company of riflemen of thirty men, who had done good service on the 8th of January, 1815, appeared very singular in their costume: it consisted of a sky-blue frock and pantaloons, with white fringe and borders, and fur hoods. This legion was established in the last war, and considering itself independent of the militia, it has clothed itself after the French taste, and is officered by Frenchmen.

In the evening there was a subscription ball, in the ball-room of the French theatre. This ball was given also, on account of the festival celebrated this day. In former years, each person had subscribed ten dollars for this ball; the saloon had been decorated with Washington’s portrait, and a number of standards, and a splendid supper spread for the ladies. This year the subscription had been reduced to three dollars for a ticket, and hardly filled up at that price. It was attempted to be accounted for, by the critical juncture of commercial affairs, in which the city was placed; the true cause, however, might be traced to the incomprehensible want of attachment among the creoles to the United States. Although the city of New Orleans, and the whole state of Louisiana, has benefited extremely by its union with the United States, and daily increases; yet the creoles appear rather to wish their country should be a French colony, than annexed to the Union. From their conversations, one would conclude that they do not regard the Americans as their countrymen. This aversion certainly will lessen, as the better part of the young people acquire their scientific education in the northern states; at this moment, however, it is very powerful. Under this state of things, Mr. Davis, the manager of the French theatre, the balls, and several gaming houses, announced a masked ball, at one dollar admission, for Washington’s birth-night. The young ladies, however, to whom a subscription ball was in anticipation, and on account of it had prepared a fresh set of ornaments, to assist their toilet, felt themselves exceedingly disappointed by this arrangement; as there would be a very mixed company at the masked ball, and they would not be able to distinguish themselves by individual ornament. For this reason, their parents and relations had exerted themselves, and happily brought it to pass, that instead of a ticket ball, there should be one by subscription. In fact, this ball was very splendid, so far as the dress of the ladies contributed thereto. Moreover, no battles took place.

In the neighbourhood of the city, some Choctaw Indians hunted, and lived a wandering life. They frequently resorted to the city to sell the produce of their hunting, also canes, palmetto baskets, and many other articles. The money for these was afterwards consumed in liquor. They are of very dark colour, have coats made of woollen blankets; wear mocassins, and undressed leather leggings, necklaces of checkered glass beads, with a large shell in the form of a collar, silver rings in the nose and ears, and smooth copper rings on the wrists. The children until four years old are quite naked; only wearing mocassins, leggings, and the rings round the wrists.

In a tavern on the Levée, there was a collection of fossil bones, which had been dug out of a swamp, not far from the mouth of the Mississippi, the preceding year, and must have belonged to a colossal amphibious animal. The single piece of the spine remaining appeared to be that of a whale; a single rib however, also found, was too much curved ever to have been the rib of a whale. The largest piece of those that were dug up, appeared to be a jaw bone. Unfortunately I understand too little of these things, to be able to venture upon a description of these remarkable remains of an apparently antideluvian animal; certainly it would be worth the trouble of having them examined and described by a scientific person. Two of the bones appeared to have belonged to the legs, and from these alone, some would determine, that the animal was a crocodile. I was informed at this time – I say, with Herodotus, that I only tell now what others have told me, and perhaps some one may either believe it, or know it, – I was told that a perfect skeleton of a mammoth was collected many years ago in one of the meadows, on the banks of the Mississippi, not far from its mouth, and was conveyed to London, and that very old inhabitants had heard as a tradition from their ancestors, that this mammoth had been thrown ashore by the sea, part rotted, and in part was devoured by the buzzards.

There is no particular market day in New Orleans, as in other places, but every morning market is open for all kinds of vegetables, fruits, game, &c. This market is very well provided on Sunday, as the slaves have permission to offer for sale on this day all they desire to dispose of.

I visited Captain Harney of the first regiment of infantry, who in the year 1825, as lieutenant to General Atkinson, had accompanied the expedition to Yellow Stone river, and had brought back with him several of the curiosities of those western regions, so little known. These curiosities consisted of a variety of skins of bears, for example, of the grizzled bear, also skins of buffalo, foxes, of a white wolf, (which is a great rarity,) of a porcupine, whose quills are much shorter than those of the African species, and of wild cats. Besides these, Mr. Harney has procured pieces of Indian habiliments, coats and leggings made of deer skin. The warriors among these Indians wear the mark of their dignity – the scalps – on the leggings, those of the inferior grade on one leg, those higher, on both. The coats are made with a checkered sewing, ornamented partly with glass beads, and partly with split porcupine quills. The Indian women, who are designated by the universal name of squaw, work these ornaments very ingeniously. Mr. Harney showed me also a quiver, made of cougar’s skin with different sorts of arrows, a bow of elk’s horn, strung with tendons drawn from the elk; several tobacco pipes, with heads of serpentine stone, of which I had seen some on Lake Ontario already, hunting pouches, a head dress of eagle’s feathers for the great chief of the Crow nation, a set of the claws of the grizzled bear, which also were worn for ornament, and a tomahawk of flint with a variety of bunches of human hair: for every time a warrior has killed his enemy with his tomahawk, he fastens a bunch of his hair, with a piece of the scalp on his weapon. He farther showed me a pipe made of a sheep’s rib, adorned with glass beads, upon which the Indians blow all the time they are engaged in a fight, so as not to loose themselves in the woods; a spoon made of the horn of a wild mountain ram; various minerals, and among them petrified wood, which is found in great quantities in that western region; serpentine, and other curiosities. The coats of the squaws are trimmed with long thin strips of leather, on one of these a bunch of yellow moss and grass was tied, which the Indians regard as a sort of amulet or talisman.

On the 28th of February, in the forenoon, I went with Mr. Huygens to pay General Villaret a visit at his country-house. A pretty strong west wind moderated the great heat outside of the city; within it, the thermometer of Fahrenheit had stood at eighty-one degrees in the shade. Most of the fruit trees were in blossom. Every where we saw fresh green and bloom; all was fresh and lively. In a sugar-cane field, there were oats a foot and a half high, cut as green fodder. The general and his son were occupied in managing the labours of the field. We went with them to walk in the garden. The soil is very fruitful, that, however, is the most so, which is reclaimed from the swamp of the Mississippi, or the Bayou. In this soil, nevertheless the germ of a real land plague, the coco, as it is called, shows itself, the same which was made use of on the continent of Europe, as a substitute for coffee, during the existence of the vexatious continental system. This knotty growth is principally found in the mud; and one lump or knot of it multiplies itself so extremely quick, that it kills all the plants growing near it, and covers the whole field, in which it has taken root. It is very difficult to extirpate, since the smallest knot, that remains in the earth, serves for the root of a new plant, and several hundred new knots. The legislature of Louisiana, has offered a considerable reward to whoever shall succeed in the discovery of an efficient remedy against this pest of the soil. No one has yet obtained the desired object.

The general explained to me, the manner in which the sugar-cane fields were managed. Parallel furrows are made through them at intervals of three feet. In these furrows, the cane is laid lengthwise, and covered with earth. Some planters lay two cane joints together, others content themselves with but one. The end of the successive piece of cane, is so placed, that it lies about six inches above the end of the first. From each joint of the cane, there shoot up new sprouts, and form new stalks. In St. Domingo, there is another method of arranging the cane field. The field is digged in square holes, placed checkerwise at the distance of three feet apart, in which four pieces of cane are laid in the square, and then covered up. This method is judged the best.

The tragedy of Marie Stuart by Le Brun from Schiller, and a vaudeville, la Demoiselle et la Dame, were produced at the theatre, to which I went. The first piece was announced at the request of several American families, of course there were numbers of ladies of that nation in the boxes. The tragedy of Le Brun is changed very little from that by Schiller; it is only curtailed, and two parts, those of Shrewsbury and Mellvil, are thrown into one. Many scenes in it, particularly the meeting of the two queens, is translated almost word for word. Madam Clozel undertook the part of Marie Stuart, and supported it from beginning to end in a masterly style; but she was not properly supported. Nevertheless, the piece met with great approbation. Unluckily, however, the machinery was not in order. At the close of the piece, when Leicester falls in the greatest distraction into the arms of an officer of the guard, the curtain could not be lowered, and several minutes elapsed, before poor Leicester could leave his painful attitude. On this account the audience made known their displeasure by hissing, which marred very much the effect produced by the piece.

A representation of Hamlet, in the French theatre was uncommonly well attended. The Colombian Commodore Jolly, who had brought a brig of his nation into New Orleans, appeared in uniform, and drew the attention of the public upon himself, partly by his dress, and partly by his huge dress hat, with a white feather. The next morning I made acquaintance with the commodore, and with his two officers, of whom one is a Colombian, and the other an Englishman by birth. The commodore had also taken up his quarters with Madam Herries; he is a Frenchman, fifty-six years of age, of which he has passed forty in the West Indies. I carried him and the two officers to visit Governor Johnson, and also Bishop Dubourg. The latter appeared very much flattered by this visit. On going away, the Englishman kissed the Bishop’s hand. He, the bishop, expressed his surprise at receiving this testimony of respect from a protestant; to which the officer replied, that this reverence was paid to the episcopal ring. Mr. Dubourg, indeed, wore a costly amethyst on his finger, as a representation of the fisher’s ring.

For some days back the weather had become oppressively warm, like the heat of summer. Several persons who were not accustomed to this degree of heat, found themselves unwell; it, however, agreed with me. After a while considerable showers of rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning took place. The consequence of this was, in one way, that the mud became excessively deep in the streets, but on the other hand, the river began to rise, which occasioned great joy in the city. Numbers of steam-boats, and flat-boats were looked for, with provisions from the western states, as they began to grow scarce and dear.

An acquaintance very dear to me, and of which I shall always preserve a grateful remembrance, was that which I made with Baron Marigny, a creole by birth, and one of the most distinguished inhabitants of the state. One of the suburbs of New Orleans was laid out by his father, and bears his name; at the entrance of it, he lives in a mansion-house, erected with taste and splendour. Never shall I forget the happy days, which I passed in the circle of his amiable family. During the troubles of the French revolution, the then duke of Orleans, found a refuge and active assistance with M. Marigny. After some time, this gentleman made a voyage to France, and was well received by the duke. I saw at his house, a coffee-set of French china, which he had received from him as a present. The cups contained the well executed portraits of the duke, the dutchess, and their nine children, and upon the larger pieces were views of the palais royal, and of the castle and park in Neuilly. The Baron Marigny, also had in his possession a very fine portrait of the duke, painted by Augustin, in Paris; likewise an engraving, representing him, as he supported himself during his exile in Switzerland, by giving lessons in the mathematics.

On the 11th of March, in a small company of ladies and gentlemen, I saw a cosmorama, which was set up here. It is known generally, to be a sort of prospect, given by being in a dark room, and beholding various objects, through glasses of different magnifying powers. This cosmorama contained ten views of different places, which are changed every week. Some views of East Indian antiquities, and remarkable buildings, were well displayed, as also, a representation of a hall in the former prisons of the Inquisition at Goa, not so good; and a couple of views in Japan and Macao, in China. The examination of all the objects, detained us until evening. We then accompanied the ladies home, they lived in a country-house, a mile below the Fauxbourg Marigny, on the Levée. It was eight o’clock as we descended the Levée; the evening was clear, with star-light; the bustle in the harbour had ceased; we only remarked on board of some ships the sailors collected on the deck, under an illuminated awning, where the captain held evening divine service. Precisely at eight o’clock, the retreat-gun fired at the City Hall, which is the signal for the negroes to return home, immediately after, the two Colombian brigs fired, the drums and bugles sounded the retreat, while the barracks of the infantry did the same. All this, added to the lighted ships, and the solitary gleams from the opposite side of the river, made an impression upon me, which I cannot venture to describe. The wretched miry way, in which we nearly stuck fast, was almost forgotten. One of the gentlemen accompanying us, had the politeness to send me home in his chaise. This was a pleasant attention to me, for there are drunken sailors, and fellows of the lower class, (which are called here, as in Mexico, Guichinangos,) in great numbers here, and as these creatures have a strong propensity to street-robbing and stabbing, it is not very prudent to be alone on a dark evening, upon this deserted road.

In an excursion to the country-house of Mr. David Urquhart, I observed the great injury done by the coco, before alluded to, in his garden; it covered both the walks and beds, from which daily industry will not root it out. In the vegetable garden, I found most kinds of those used in Europe, the peas were as large on the 13th of March, as they are in Flanders on the beginning of June; we ate of green peas full three weeks ago. The melons are first deposited in beds of manure, to force them for earlier use, and when they begin to sprout, are planted afresh in the field. The soil is so rich, that it does not require manure. I noticed several fruit trees of various kinds, but was informed, that the fruit produced by them, on account of the intense heat of summer, would not be of good quality.

The brig Arcturus arrived on the 14th of March from Boston, with a cargo of ice. This article is very conducive to comfort in a warm climate, but it is exceedingly difficult to preserve it. Where there is water every where two feet below the surface of the earth, of course, ice-vaults are impracticable. The cargo which now arrived, was thrown into a large brick building, and it was asserted that it would keep there till winter. I examined the construction of this building. A coffer, made of strong thick planks, and some forty feet in height, is provided with a small opening under the roof. Through this opening the ice is thrown in, and again taken out for use. About the coffer there is carried a brick wall, and the vacant space between the wall and the planks of the coffer, which is about two feet, is filled up with a mixture of shavings and saw-dust, which resists the influence of the exterior warm atmosphere.

A great quantity of drift timber was floating on the river, even huge trees. Negroes were busied in small canoes in collecting it, as it serves the residents on the Levée for fire-wood. The largest part of it, however, is driven into the Gulf of Mexico, strikes the gulf stream, is again carried into the Atlantic ocean, and driven upon the shores of Iceland and Greenland, where it serves to warm the miserable inhabitants of those inhospitable countries.

On the 17th of March, I accompanied Commodore Jolly to the criminal court, before which he was cited. The cause thereof was as follows: – The year previous, a Colombian corvette had arrived at New Orleans, from which several sailors deserted. One of these sailors, an Indian, native of Maracaybo, had hired himself as a servant at a Spanish grog-shop, and came on board the Pichincha, Commodore Jolly’s brig, to visit his old comrades, and to induce several to desert. He was recognised as a deserter, and as such arrested. The Spaniard, with whom the sailor Ramirez had served, laid his complaint before the criminal court, and the commodore was cited to appear. The Spaniard had employed two lawyers, a Frenchman, named Canonge, and an old Spaniard, Rodriguez, who defended the cause of the sailor, and laboured to prove the commodore’s proceedings to be illegal. The pleading of the Frenchman was full of common place and far-fetched haranguing. Mr. Rodriguez explained his arguments more logically, though by his Spanish accent he excited great merriment among the audience. The commodore had no counsel, wherefore a Mr. Morel was assigned to him as such, who, as he had no time for preparation, requested the postponement of the cause to the following day. This request was granted.

On the next day, we again visited the criminal court. I was apprized that several Spaniards had combined, and promised five hundred dollars for the setting Ramirez at liberty. They had employed a Mr. Davezac as their third advocate. The officers, some petty officers, and one seaman, of the two brigs, were heard as witnesses. These proved in the fullest manner, that the sailor had deserted from the corvette Ourika last year. The Spaniards produced opposing witnesses. These contradicted each other so vilely in their respective declarations, that they were soon held back, so as not to be involved in a charge of perjury as false witnesses. By this opportunity I learnt, that it was considered difficult among the Spaniards here to obtain a witness for the sum of eight dollars, to say any thing in evidence that was required. And yet that is more than such a complacent witness costs in some other countries. The lawyers put such strange questions to the Colombian witnesses, and particularly to the seamen, (as for instance, in what manner was he enlisted, what was his pay, and how he was paid, how he was fed and treated?) that the judge called them to order several times. Mr. Morel conducted his defence very well, and successfully combated the arguments produced by his antagonists. He then laid down the principle, which certainly is a very just one, that the person who is on board of a vessel of war, is within the limits and jurisdiction of that government to which the vessel may belong. Upon this principle the commodore necessarily must gain his suit, and this he did in a very satisfactory manner.

After the disposal of this cause, on the 17th of March another one was taken up. A resident lawyer, named Lloyd, whose reputation stood very low, had, on the preceding day, insulted the presiding Judge Turner in the street, for which reason the judge had him taken in custody by the sheriff, and thrown into prison. The injured judge presided in his own suit, and in this manner was both judge and party. I was informed that Mr. Turner was insulted in his individual capacity, but that he decided as a judge in the name of the state of Louisiana. This explanation did not satisfy me, the distinction between person and his office, may be correct in theory, it is, however, very hardly so in practice; and on this account, the proceeding to me appeared arbitrary. It appeared unfair also to me, that the judge was not assisted by a jury. Farther, Mr. Lloyd wished to defend his own cause, he was, however, half intoxicated, and attacked the judge so grossly from time to time, that he ordered him frequently to be silent. The examination of the witnesses consumed so much time, that I was obliged to leave the court before the termination of the case. I heard afterwards that Mr. Lloyd had been adjudged, to provide two sureties for his good behaviour, during one year, each in a penalty of one thousand dollars, and since he was not able to find these securities immediately, to be remanded to prison.

On the same day, Mr. Bowdoin left us, and embarked on board the steam-boat George Washington, bound to Louisville: afterwards to return to New York. I accompanied him on board of the boat, and had an opportunity of observing her most excellent accommodations. The part devoted to lodging passengers, is built like a house in a boat. The lower deck, or deck on which the engine is placed, is occupied by what are called deck-passengers, those who pay a lower price, – there are cot frames suspended for them, but if there should be too many, the last comers must of course sleep on the deck. Above this, is the principal cabin, the passage in which to Louisville costs fifty dollars. Here is a handsome saloon lighted from above, in the centre and on each side are enclosed state-rooms, each with two births, one over the other. Behind this is the ladies cabin, which can be so joined to it by the opening of two folding doors, that both apartments may be thrown into one at pleasure. Around this principal deck, runs a broad and lofty gallery, for the convenience of travellers. Above the cabin, is the deck also covered with a roof, where cotton, other articles, and deck-passengers find accommodation. For such as smoke tobacco, there is a separate apartment provided, in which they enjoy this acquired habit, without incommoding the other passengers, or the ladies thereby. For the use of travellers, there is likewise a library provided on board. The elevated position of the cabin is very agreeable, because one is not annoyed by the engine; moreover in case a boiler should burst, he is exposed to less danger, as the explosion can only direct a fatal force along the lower deck. There were a pretty large number of passengers on board; the vessel sailed about half after four o’clock, P. M. and presented a majestic appearance in her progress.

On the 19th of March, at nine o’clock, I went with Mr. Huygens, and a Mr. Authur Andry, to his brother Michael Andry’s habitation, about eleven miles distant from the city below, situated on the right bank of the Mississippi. The road carried us over the field of battle, and past the habitation of General Villaret: about two miles farther on, we stopped at the habitation of Jumonville, left the carriage and embarked in one of Mr. Andry’s ferry-boats, sent over for us, manned by seven negroes, and crossed the river. There was much drift wood collected on the left bank, through which we worked our way with difficulty. Then we had also both wind and current against us, and had to keep guard against the floating trunks of trees. We spent three quarters of an hour in this passage. We landed at a large field of clover, belonging to Mr. Andry, and through the garden reached his large and handsome mansion-house, two stories high, with a piazza and very broad gallery, which is defended from the heat of the sun by large curtains extended from pillar to pillar. Here Mr. Andry received us.