114 JOHK JAMES ATJDUBOX 



and most of them without roofc, tents, 

 and a liberty pole, with the capitol, 

 were all exhibited to our view at once. 

 We approached the President's man- 

 sion, however, wading through water 

 above our ankles. This abode of 

 President Houston is a small log house, 

 consisting of two rooms, and a passage 

 through, after the southern fashion. 

 The moment we stepped over the thresh- 

 old, on the right hand of the passage we 

 found ourselves ushered into what in 

 other countries would be called the 

 ante- chamber ; the ground floor, how- 

 ever, was muddy and filthy, a large fire 

 was burning, a small table covered 

 with paper and writing materials, was 

 in the centre, camp-beds, trunks, and 

 different materials, were strewed about 

 the room. We were at once presented 

 to several members of the cabinet, some 

 of whom bore the stamp of men of intel- 

 lectual ability, simple, though bold, in 

 their general appearance. Here we 



