24 TRAVELS through 



New Orleans and Mobile are the only towns 

 where they fpeak the French pretty pure. The 

 negroes are brought thither from Africa, and 

 are employed in cultivating the grounds, which 

 are excellently adapted to the culture of indigo, 

 tobacco, rice, maize, or Indian corn, and fu- 

 gar-canes, of which they have already made 

 plantations that have fucceeded very well. Thus 

 the merchants, tradefmen, and ftrangers, who 

 live here, enjoy as it were an enchanted abode, 

 rendered delicious by the purity of its air, the 

 fertility of its foil, and the beauty of its fituation. 

 New Orleans lies on the banks of the Miffifipfi^ 

 which is one of the greateft rivers in the world ; 

 bccaufe, for 800 leagues together, it pafifes 

 through known countries. Its pure and delicious 

 water * runs for the fpace of forty leagues be» 

 tween a number of habitations, which form an 

 elegant fight on both its Ihores \ where the plea- 

 fures of hunting and fifhing, and all other en- 

 joyments of life, are abundant. 



The capuchins are the firfl monks that went 

 over to New Orleans as mifTionaries in 1723. 

 Their fuperior was the vicar of the parilh ; thefe 



good 



'■ M. le Norma?tt de Meji, being Intendant of tlie marine 

 at Rochefori^ always drank this water at his table. It has 

 the quality of contributing to the fecundity of women. 



