VIEWS OP LOUISIANA. 
m 
Their wealth consisted principally in personal property, lands 
were only valuable when improved. Slaves were regarded in 
the light of bienfonder, or real property, and in fact, as the high¬ 
est species. Lead and peltry were frequently used as the cir* 
cu luting medium. 
There was but little variety in their employments. The most 
enterprising and wealthy were traders, and had at the same time 
trifling assortments of merchandise for the accommodation of 
the inhabitants, but there were no open shops or stores, as in the 
United States. There were no tailors or shoemakers; such as 
pursue these occupations at present, are from the United States, 
The few mechanics, exercising their trades, principally carpen¬ 
ters and smiths, scarcely deserved the name. The lead mines, 
I have already observed, engaged a considerable number. The 
government gave employment to but few, and those principally 
at St. Louis. By far the greater proportion of the population 
was engaged in agriculture; in fact, it was the business of all, 
since the surplus produce of the country was too inconsiderable 
to be depended upon. A number of the young men for some 
time, embraced the employment of boatmen, which was by no 
means considered degrading; on the contrary, it Was desira¬ 
ble for a young man to have it to say, that he had made a voy¬ 
age in this capacity: and they appeared proud of the occupa¬ 
tion, in which they certainly are not surpassed by any people in 
dexterity. It is highly pleasing to see them exerting them-' 
selves, and giving encouragement to each other, by their cheer¬ 
ing songs— 
— ■ adductis spumant freta versa lacertis. 
Infindunt pariter sulcos ; totumque dehiscit 
Convulsum remis, rostrisque tridentibus aequor. 
But this occupation, amongst many other changes, has been 
Seduced to the same footing as with the Americans. Arising 
probably from the simple cause, of there having arisen objects 
more generous emulation. 
What is somewhat strange, there were no domestic manu- 
iketures among them; the spinning wheel and the loom were 
alike Unknown. So deficient were they in this respect, that al- 
