/ 
528 Defiription of Louifiana. [July 15 
end of the city, had its fall complement, 
befides the fame number in the covert- 
way: the reafon of this precautionary 
meafure I was unable to afcertain ; for 
they could hardly apprehend an attack 
from below, as the river is well defended 
about eighteen miles farther down, and no 
nation would think of attacking it againft 
the fream, which is exceedingly rapid. — 
On the contrary, they had reafon to ap- 
prehend an attack from above, as appears 
trom, the proclamation of the Governor 
when I wasthere : and the only places 
which defended this opening, were the S. 
WwW. Heyes and a fmall redoubt on the 
banks of the river. This baftion was 
fuppiied with about twelve pieces of can- 
non, and was furnithed befides with a 
counterguard and traverfes : the redoubt 
had five pieces of cannon mounted. But, 
of all this force, not above ten pieces 
could be brought to bear upon a! sbi 
of men coming down the river; and if 
they once effected a Janding on ihe open 
banks (which would be no difficult thing 
to attain, as they are almoit defencele!s), 
the baftions wou!d be.of no farther fer- 
vice. Onthe whole, I do not conceive 
that the fortification of this place is much 
fecurity againft even a few well-difciplined 
troops, led on bya fkiiful commander pol- 
feffing a good locz] knowledge of the coun- 
try : the nurnber of Spanifh foldiers kept 
up here is very trifling ; fo much fo that 
the inhabitants of the place are obliged 
to perform garrifon-duty, an cfice of 
which they complain bitterly. In fact, 
a fpirit ot difaffe€tion appeared to run 
through the whole town, and thzy feem- 
ed ready to favour any attempts ‘Ha at were 
likely to relieve them from the Spanifh 
yoke. 
There are fix gatésto thiscity, thetwo 
moft confiderable of which are near the 
river: the next in point of inmportance are 
the two which are fituated at the back of 
the town, one of which leads to lake Pon- 
chartrain: the'e two Jaf are defended by a 
{mall breaft-work, which however is a 
mere apology for adefence. The grtes 
are of wood, es formed of palitades 
about ten or twelve feet hich: they are 
fhut every night at nine o’clock; after 
which time they are not opencd without 
much cificulty ; and at this hour tf is or- 
dered that no one is to be feen abcut the 
firceis unlefs by permiffion of the Gover- 
nor: though, except in the cafe of negroes 
2nd fervants, the } hour is generally Sten 
ed to eleven, after which time all perfons 
feen about the fireets are ftopped by the 
guard and detained till mornirg. 
been accufiomed in his own country: and ES 
The Mififfippi, being fubje& to an an= 
nual overflowing of its banks, like the 
Nile, is kept within. its proper bed by 
means of a mound of earth thrown up 
along the fhore: this mound is called 
the /evée, and varies in its height, accord- 
ing to the furface of the adjoin: ing coun- 
try, from two to three, and even four fect. 
Tt commences at Detour des Anglois, a dif= 
tance of eighteen miles below New Orie- 
ans, and is carried along the banks of the 
river as far as the German fettlements, 
which are more than thirty miles above 
New Orleans, making in the whole about 
fifty miles. This bank -is of a confider- 
abie width in fome places, fo as to forma 
hendfome broad walk, and is kept up by 
the owners of the adjoining plantations, 
who are aofwerable for any damage juf- 
tained by the breaking down of the bank, 
if through their negleét. As all this coun- 
try is very low and flat, and confequ:nily 
lable to be overflowed, thefe lewees are 
oftentimes continued siting the whole of 
the plantation ; fo that at the time of the 
inundation of the river, the furface of the 
furrounding water is confiderably above 
the plant ation, which feems to lie in a bed 
within it. This was the cafe when I was 
at New Orleans, and the whole of the 
city was coniiderably below the level of 
the river’s furface. The levee, which 
forms the boundary here, is a handfome 
raifed gravel walk, planted with orange- 
trees, and ferves as a place of fafhionatle 
refert on a fummer’s evening for the inha- 
bitants of the city.. I have © often enjoyed 
this promenade, admiring the ferenity of | 
the climate, and the majettic appearance 
of this noble river, which feemed to roll 
along in filent dignity at our feet, unat 
tentive to the bufy fcene that was pafling 
on iis fhores. - 
The houles here are mofily built of 
wood, and are raifed about feven or eight 
feet from the earth, in order te make room 
for the cellars, wi.ch afe on a ievel with ~ 
the ground: for no buildings can be car= 
ried bcluw its ferface, on account of the 
height of the furrounding water. ‘Tne 
upper part is fometimes furnifhed withan 
open gallery, which furrounds the whole 
building, a practice very common in warm 
countries ” Es) 
With refpect to the manners, charace. — 
ter, &c. of the inhabitants of this place, — 
it fhould be obferved that in all focieties 
where a number of people from different 
countries have met together, every one (7 
will naturally perfevere in that line of con- 
dnuét, or in thofe habits, to which he has 
. 
though 
