57 
wish to go from one side to the other, have a severe inconve¬ 
nience before them; either they must make a long digression, to 
find some stones that are placed in the abyss, for the benefit of 
jumping over, or if they undertake to wade through, run a risk 
of sticking fast 
Sunday is not observed with the puritanic strictness in New 
Orleans, that it is in the north- The shops are open, and there 
is singing and guitar-playing in the streets. In New York, or 
Philadelphia, such proceedings would be regarded as outrageously 
indecent. On a Sunday we went for the first time, to the French 
theatre, in which a play was performed every Sunday and 
Thursday. The piece for this night, was the tragedy of Regulus, 
and two vaudevilles. The dramatic corps was merely tolerable, 
such as those of the small French provincial towns,* where they 
never presume to present tragedies, or comedies of the highest 
class. “ Regulus” was murdered ; Mr. Marchand and Madame 
Clozel, whose husband performed the comic parts very well in 
the vaudevilles, alone distinguished themselves. The saloon is 
not very large, but well ornamented; below is the pit and par¬ 
quet, a row of boxes each for four persons, and before them a 
balcony. The boxes are not divided by walls, but only separated 
by a low partition, so that the ladies can exhibit themselves con¬ 
veniently. Over the first row of boxes is a second, to which 
the free colored people resort, who are not admitted to any other 
part of the theatre, and above this row is the gallery, in which 
slaves may go, with the permission of their masters. Behind 
the boxes is a lobby, where the gentlemen who do not wish to 
sit in a box, stand, or walk about, where they can see over the 
boxes. The theatre was less attended, than we had supposed 
it would be; and it was said, that the great shock felt in the 
commercial world, on account of the bankruptcy of three of the 
most distinguished houses, in consequence of unfortunate specu¬ 
lations in cotton, and the failures in Liverpool, was the cause of 
this desertion. 
The garrison consists of two companies of infantry, of the 
first and fourth regiments. This has been here since the last in¬ 
surrection of the negroes, and has been continued, to overawe 
them. In case of a serious alarm, this would prove but of little 
service! and what security is there against such an alarm? In Char¬ 
tres street, where we dwelt, there were two establishments, 
which constantly revolted my feelings, to wit: shops in which 
negroes were purchased and sold. These unfortunate beings, of 
* [This is the same corps which the Philadelphians extol so highly, that one 
might almost suppose them equal to the artists of the Theatre Frangais , if, un¬ 
fortunately, one visit to the theatre, did not completely dispel the illusion!]-- 
Tuans. 
Vol, IL 
3 
