BY STEAMER TO NEW ORLEANS. 81 



moss hanging from the gigantic trees, gave it a pecu- 

 liarly strange aspect. After entering this magnificent 

 river, I took on board fresh provender, not far from the 

 junction, and directed my course towards that " New 

 Orleans," now some 240 miles distant, about which I 

 had heard so much. But on the second day, when I 

 was still some hundred miles from it, a little above Ba- 

 ton Rouge, it came on to blow fresh, and the wind 

 caused such a swell in the river, that I could no longer 

 keep my little craft free of water, indeed it was not with- 

 out great effort and difficulty that I was able to reach 



the shore. 







There was a farm near the place where I landed, 

 whose owner had a quantity of wood for sale, ready cut, 

 and piled up for the use of steamers. A steamer bound 

 for New Orleans, was in the act of wooding at the time. 

 It would have been folly to have attempted to continue 

 the voyage in such a swell in so frail a craft as mine, and 

 as I found the farmer willing to buy her, we soon agreed 

 as to terms. I transferred my effects to the steamer, 

 and late on the same evening, arrived at New Orleans. 



For the night I slept on board, but early the next 

 morning went to a German tavern to refresh myself 

 after all the hardships I had undergone, and to sleep in 

 a regular bed. Oh, how comfortably I stretched myself 

 on the soft mattress ! I got up very early to have a 

 look at the place, having no wish to show myself in the 

 costume of a savage, when the streets were thronged. 

 For nine months my hair had been uncut, and during 

 five, no razor had approached my chin ; then what, with 

 my old woollen hunting-shirt, my embroidered belt, and 

 6 



