388 WILD SPORTS IN TIIE FAR WEST. 



visit, and was improved in its appearance. It extends 

 above seven miles along the bank of the river, where it 

 is interesting to observe all sorts of shipping, steamers 

 and sailing vessels arriving or departing every hour 

 of the day. In other respects the town offers nothing 

 noticeable beyond straight handsome streets, with large 

 clean looking houses, and tastefully ornamented shops. 

 It is still more interesting to observe the people, who 

 throng the streets in all, even the hottest, hours of the 

 day, where every shade between white and black is to 

 be seen. The spot most attractive to me was the lower 

 market, close to the levee, where every kind of article 

 to be found in America was for sale. The fruit stalls 

 looked especially inviting, and so did the fish-stalls, where 

 great varieties of fish were to be seen. In the midst of 

 all the bustle and crowding, there are quiet retreats, 

 where a brilliant and colossal coffee machine stands 

 always on a table, surrounded by chairs, cups, and plates 

 filled Avith every kind of bread and cake are at hand ; a 

 pretty looking girl performs the part of Hebe. At all 

 hours of the day and night, hot coffee, and in many of 

 these places tea and chocolate, arc always ready ; and 

 almost every night, when I could not prevail on myscif 

 to retire to the hot, close room without a breath of air, I 

 have walked about the ever thronged streets, and drank 

 coffee, until fatigue drove me to bed. At daybreak I 

 was in the market again, among the crowds of Amer- 

 icans, French, Creoles, English, Germans, Spaniards, 

 Italians, Negroes, Mulattoes, Mestizoes, Indians, &<. &<., 

 and returned to breakfast, at which I drank, Creole 

 fashion, red wine iced, instead of coffee, and then went 

 to bed for a few hours. Kean joined me whenever his 



