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orally rented for the seas m to the city people, has a bathing estab- 

 lishment, consisting of a small cabin built in the lake, at some dis- 

 tance from the shore, which is approached by a narrow plankwalk, 

 protected by bannisters, constructed upon posts, and raised from ten 

 to tiftccn feet above the surface of tie- water. During the winter 

 Mandeville is a deserted village, for the few proprietors and owners 

 <»f houses, who remain there, live exclusively on the income derived 

 iron the rent of their houses during the summer months; and the 

 surrounding country is too poor to support a town of a any size. 



There is a colony of Indians (Choctaws) near Bayou Lacombe, 

 about seven hundred in number, a dozen of whom — men, women 

 and children — were emigrating from their settlement, and passing 

 through Mandeville on their route. I was struck with the low and 

 degrading condition of those who were once the lords and masters 

 of this continent. Dressed in civilized rags, the once brave and 

 lordly red man is now the mean and abject beggar of American 

 •ivili/ation, appropriating to himself all its vices, without adopting 

 its counteracting virtues. The squaws were carrying their papooses, 

 or a portion of their scanty household ware, in long baskets strapped 

 to their forehead, like cattle yoked to the plow, and thus they were 

 wending along their weary way in true Indian file, while the men 

 leisurely measured their steps, with their gun or perhaps a venison 

 ham strapped to their shoulders. " ! how are the mighty fallen!" 



From Mandeville I proceeded to Covington, which is about ten 

 miles distant, the road passing through ihe pine woods. Here I 

 found for the first time the Violet-flowered Stokesia ( Stokesia Cyanea), 

 a beautiful composite flower, which is far more ornamental than 

 some of the rare exotics cultivated in our gardens. I have thus far 

 not met with it in any other part of the State. Covington is on the 

 Bogue Felia, one of the branches of the Tchefuncta river, a navi- 

 gable stream which empties into Lake Pontchartrain; but steamboats 

 come only within three miles of the place. It is the parish site of 

 St. Tammany. It has a few regular streets; but most of the piivate 

 residences are scattered over a large area of ground, with the p ne 

 woods all around them. These are very respectable looking frame 

 houses, generally owned and occupied by people who have small 

 stated incomes, drawn from other sources than such the town aflbrde. 

 The steamboat arrives three times a week, and thus establishes 

 regular communication between this place and New Orleans. The 



