1803.] 
zine, inform me what procefs or material is 
neceflary in the manufaéturing of fott foap, 
to give it that appearance called by foap- 
makers the fpeck, which is fo highly priz- 
ed by the confumer ; and whether it is of 
any real advantage to it. ‘The foft foap 
in France has not got it, and it is more 
pleafant to ufe, and equally as ftrong as 
the Britifh. 
Give me leave to take notice of a prac- 
tice which has prevailed for thefe twenty 
years among the manufacturers of foap, 
and which feems to encreafe, and ought to 
be fcouted by every feeling heart, namely, 
the joining of rofin to the other articles in 
making yellow, or what is vulgarly called 
turpentine foap, though there ts not a grain 
of turpentine in it, the price being too 
high ; befide, one half of it would evapo- 
rate in theboiling. This fa&t is not men- 
tioned to cenfure the foap makers, for 
they would gladly give it up, and Jament 
that it was ever introduced among them ; 
but it is a difficult thing to eradicate efta- 
blifhed cuftoms ; though every day’s prac- 
tice clearly fhews how injurious it 1s to 
the hands and arms of thofe who ufe it. 
Many miferable creatures are admitted 
into the hofpitals for cure, and many fent 
to the poor-houtes, totally crippled for 
life. Itis alfo very cffenfive to the -{mell, 
as well as hurtful to the cloaths, and gives 
linen a yellow cait. There are feveral 
other reafons’ againft its ule ; but I will 
not intrude on your patience, but will take 
an opportunity to {tate my objections on 
the fubject more fully at fome other time. 
Your’s &c. eRe. 
Great Rufell-fireet, Bloom/fbury, 
May 16, 1803. 
—sE 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, ; 
HE prefent difpute between America 
and Spain, retpec:ing the fhutting 
of the port of New Oiicans, having en. 
grofied confiderable attention in the poli- 
tical world, I have taken the liberty of 
{ending you a defcription of that city, to- 
gether with fome account of the adjacent 
country, its produce, trade, &c. extract- 
ed principally fiom a journal which I kept 
during my travels in that country, in the 
years 1796, 1797, and which may per- 
haps prove acceptable to fome of your 
readers. ; 
New Orleans is fituated on the eafein 
fhore ot the Miffifippi, in N. L. 29° 57’ 
28" and in W.L.90°% 14’ from Green- 
wich ; it flands on a kind of peniniula, 
Defcription of Louifiana. 
597 
and, though apparently belonging to Weft 
Florida, does in fa&t forma part of Loui- 
fiana, of which it is the capital. It is 
laid out on Penn’s plan, with the ftreets 
crofling each other at right angles ; and 
contains fifteen rows of fireets, trom N.E. 
to S, W. and feven rows in the oppofite 
dire&tion, It lies about 105 miles from 
the gulph of Mexico, following the courte 
of the river ; but acrofs the country by 
land it is not more than feven leagues.— 
The number of houfes may be about a 
thoufand, and the area of the city about 
three hundred acres, the whole of which, 
however, is not built over, as many of the 
{quares at the N.W. end are entirely void 
of houfes. The principal buildings are 
as near the river as the plan of the town 
will admit; and boules fituated © near 
this fpot are of more value than tho/e fitu- 
ated farther back from the Miffiffippi — 
Fronting the river, and at an equal dif- 
tance from each end of the town, there is 
a public fquare, left open as well for the 
purpote of beauty and ormmament, as to 
expole to view a church, which ftands at 
the farther end of it. This church is a 
plain brick building of the Tonic order, 
and is no further worthy of obfervation 
than as being the beft edifice in the place. 
The other buildings in the city are the 
Government-houle, the magazine of fores, 
the barracks, and the convent ; the latter 
of which contains about thirty or forty 
nuns: they are all very plain buildings, 
and confequenily do not attract particular 
attcntion. 
The whole of the city, except the fide 
nextto the river, ts defended by a fortifi- 
caticn, conhfting of five baftions regular- 
ly laid out, and furnifhed with banguetie, 
rampart, parapet, ditch, covert-way, and 
glacis: the curtines are nothing more 
than a line of palifades about four feet 
high, which are fet at a fmall diftance 
from each other, and confequently pene- 
trable by nsufket-ball : -thefe palilades are 
furnifhed with a banquette within, and a 
tr filing ditch and elacis without. In the 
middle of each curtine thrreis a small re- 
doubt or ravelin. The baftions have each 
fixteen embrafures, viz. four in each face, 
tliree ineach flank, and two in the gorge 
to face the city. However, the whole of 
the works are very ill fuppled with can- 
non, wich I found arole from real {car- 
city ; and by late accounts from this place 
it appears that theie defeéts have not yet 
been remedied. There were but two cf 
the baftions that mounted incre than four 
or hve pieces of cannen. The eaftrrn 
baition, nowever, which defends the luwer 
3 Li end 
