62 
than a formal contract by which the “friend” engages to pay 
the father or mother of the quadroon a specified sum. The 
quadroons both assume the name of their friends, and as I am 
assured preserve this engagement with as much fidelity as ladies 
espoused at the altar. Several of these girls have inherited pro¬ 
perty from their fathers or friends, and possess handsome for¬ 
tunes. Notwithstanding this, their situation is always very hu¬ 
miliating. They cannot drive through the streets in a carriage, 
and their u friends” are forced to bring them in their own con¬ 
veyances after dark to the ball: they dare not sit in the presence 
of white ladies, and cannot enter their apartments without espe¬ 
cial permission. The whites have the privilege to procure these 
unfortunate creatures a whipping like that inflicted on slaves, 
upon an accusation, proved by two witnesses. Several of these 
females have enjoyed the benefits of as careful an education as most 
of the whites; they conduct themselves ordinarily with more 
propriety and decorum, and confer more happiness on their 
“ friends,” than many of the white ladies to their married lords. 
Still, the white ladies constantly speak with the greatest con¬ 
tempt, and even with animosity, of these unhappy and oppress¬ 
ed beings. The strongest language of high nobility in the mo¬ 
narchies of the old world, cannot be more haughty, overween¬ 
ing or contemptuous towards their fellow creatures, than the ex¬ 
pressions of the creole females with regard to the quadroons, in 
one of the much vaunted states of the free Union. In fact, such 
comparison strikes the mind of a thinking being very singularly! 
Many wealthy fathers, on account of the existing prejudices send 
daughters of this description to France, where these girls with a 
good education and property, find no difficulty in forming a legi¬ 
timate establishment. At the quadroon ball, only coloured ladies 
are admitted, the men of that caste, be it understood, are shut 
out by the white gentlemen. To take away all semblance of 
vulgarity, the price of admission is fixed at two dollars, so that 
only persons of the better class can appear there. 
As a stranger in my situation should see every thing, to ac¬ 
quire a knowledge of the habits, customs, opinions and preju¬ 
dices of the people he is among, therefore I accepted the offer of 
some gentlemen who proposed to cany me to this quadroon ball. 
And I must avow I found it much more decent than the masked 
ball. The coloured ladies were under the eyes of their mothers, 
they were well and gracefully dressed, and conducted themselves 
with much propriety and modesty. Cotillions and waltzes were 
danced, and several of the ladies performed elegantly. I did not 
remain long there that I might not utterlydestroy my standing in 
New Orleans, but returned to the masked ball and took great care 
not to disclose to the white ladies where I had been. I could not 
