TRAVELS IN 
402 
farms and fome good habitations, chiefly the pro- 
perty of French gentlemen, who refide in the city, as 
being more pleafant and healthy. Leaving thefe 
iflands, we continued ten or twelve miles between 
the E after n main and a chain of low grafiy iflands, 
too low and wet for cultivation : then crofted over 
the head of the bay, and arrived in town in the evening. 
The city of Mobile is fituated on the eafy afcent 
of a rifing bank, extending near half a mile back on 
the level plain above ; it has been near a mile in 
length, though now chiefly in ruins, many houfes va- 
cant and mouldering to earth ; yet there are a few 
good buildings inhabited by French gentlemen, 
Englifh, Scotch and Irifh, and emigrants from the 
Northern Britifh colonies. Meftfs. Swanfon and 
M £ Gillivray, who have the management of the In- 
dian trade carried on with the Chicafaws, Chadtaws, 
Upper and Lower Creeks, &c. have made here 
very extraordinary improvements in buildings. 
The fort Conde, which ftands very near the bay, 
towards the lower end of the town, is a large regu- 
lar fortrefs of brick. 
The principal French buildings are conftrudled 
of brick, and are of one ftory, but on an extenfive 
fcale, four fquare, encompafting on three fides a 
large area or court yard : the principal apartment 
is on the fide fronting the ftreet ; they feem in 
fome degree to have copied after the Creek habi- 
tation in the general plan : thofe of the poorer clafs 
are conftrubted of a ftrong frame of Cyprefs, filled 
in with brick, piaiftered and white-wafhed infide 
and out. 
July 31ft, 1778, the air being very hot and fultry, 
thermometer up at 87, we had excefiive 
thunder, and 
repeated 
