65 
Dr. Herman gave a dinner, at which were more than twenty 
guests. Among them were the governor, Colonel Croghan, and se¬ 
veral of the public characters here. Mr. Bowdoin, who was slowly 
recovering from his gout, and Count Vidua, were also there. 
Except our hostess there was no lady present. Mrs. Herman, a 
very beautiful young woman, was very unwell, and obliged to 
leave the table soon. The dinner was very splendid. 
We crossed the Mississippi in a boat, like a small chest, such 
a boat is styled a u ferry-boat.” This was the only stated means 
of communication supported between the city and the right bank. 
Formerly there was a steam ferry-boat, and afterwards a horse- 
boat, but neither the one nor the other could be supported by the 
business. The stream is nearly three-fourths of a mile broad. 
Arrived on the right bank, we found a little inconsiderable place 
called Macdonaldville, that did not appear very thriving. Along 
the bank runs a levee, to protect the land from inundation. Se¬ 
veral vessels are laid up here. The country is exceedingly level, 
and is composed of swampy meadows, and in the back ground, 
of forest, partly of live oaks, which is much concealed, however, 
by long ugly moss. Farther inward is a sugar plantation be¬ 
longing to Baron Marigny. The river makes a remarkable bend 
opposite New Orleans, and the city, with its white spires, and 
crowds of vessels lying in the stream, looks uncommonly well 
from the right bank. 
General Villaret invited us to dinner at his country-house, 
which is eight miles distant from New Orleans, and had the po¬ 
liteness to bring us in his carriage. At half past eleven o’clock, 
I went out with Count Vidua, and Mr. Huygens. The habita¬ 
tion, as the mansion-houses lying in a sugar plantation are term¬ 
ed, is upon the left bank of the Mississippi, about a short mile 
from the river. In December, 1814, it served the English army 
for head quarters. The road to it led along the levee, past country 
houses, which succeeded each other rapidly for five miles. Seve¬ 
ral display the comfort and good taste of their owners. The 
mansion-house, commonly, is situated about one hundred paces 
from the entrance, and an avenue of laurel trees, which are cut 
in a pyramidical form, and pride of China trees, leads to the door. 
The most of these houses are two stories high, and are surrounded 
with piazzas and covered galleries. Back of the elegant mansion- 
house stand the negro cabins, like a camp, and behind the sugar¬ 
cane fields, which extend to the marshy cypress woods about a 
mile back, called the cypress swamp. Among these country- 
houses is a nunnery of Ursulines, the inhabitants of which are 
employed in the education of female youth. 
Five miles from the city we reached the former plantation of 
McCarthy, now belonging to Mr. Montgomery, in which Gene- 
Vol II. ' 9 
