The volunteer battalion of artillery of this place is a handsome corps, uniformed as the artillery of the old French guard. It is above one hundred men strong, and presents a very military front. This corps manœuvred about half an hour in the square before the cathedral, and then marched to the City Hall, to receive a standard. Upon the right wing of the battalion, a detachment of flying artillery was placed. The corps had done essential service on the 8th of January, 1815, in the defence of the line, and stands here in high respect.
About four miles below the city Mr. Grymes has a country-seat, or habitation. The house is entirely new, and situated on a piece of ground formerly employed as a sugar-cane field. The new plantings made in the garden, consisted of young orange-trees and magnolias. Behind the house is an artificial hill, with a temple upon it, and within the hill itself, a grotto, arranged artificially with shells. At the entrance stands a banana tree, and this, with several creeping plants, will conceal it very well in summer. I observed in the garden several singular heaps of earth, which are hollow within, and stand over a hole in the ground. They are said to be formed by a species of land-crab, for their residence. If a stone be thrown into the hole, you hear that it immediately falls into water. Generally, in this country, you cannot dig more than a foot deep in the earth, without meeting water.
It was pure curiosity that carried me a third time to the masquerade, in St. Philippe’s theatre. It was, however, no more agreeable than the one eight days previous. There were but few masks; and among the tobacco-chewing gentry, several Spanish visages slipped about, who carried sword-canes, and seemed to have no good design in carrying them. Some of these visiters were intoxicated, and there appeared a willing disposition for disturbance. The whole aspect was that of a den of ruffians. I did not remain here a half hour, and learned next day that I was judicious in going home early, as later, battles with canes and dirks had taken place. Twenty persons were more or less dangerously wounded!
It rained very frequently during the first half of the month of February; in the middle it was warm, and for a time, about the 20th, an oppressive heat prevailed, which made me quite lethargic, and operated equally unpleasantly on every one. Indeed a real sirocco blew at this time. It surprised me very much, that with such extraordinary weather, not at all uncommon here, that there should be so many handsome, healthy, and robust children. This climate, so unhealthy, and almost mortal to strangers, seems to produce no injurious effect upon the children born here.
In the vacant space, where the walls of New Orleans formerly stood, are at present the Esplanade rue des Remparts, and rue du canal. The city proper forms a parallelogram, and was once surrounded by a palisade and a ditch. At each of the four corners stood a redoubt. The last of these redoubts, which stood at the entrance of the Fauxbourg Marigny, was demolished only since the last war. It would be important for the security of the present inhabitants, to have a fortress on the bank of the river, so that in case of an insurrection of the negroes, not only the trifling garrison, but the white women and children should possess a place of refuge, which is now totally wanting. The ditch is filled up, and planted with trees; there are no buildings newly erected here, and these open spaces are the worst parts of the city.
On the night of the 22d of February, the alarm bell was sounded: a fire had broken out in the warehouse of a merchant. There was time to save every thing, even the wooden building was not consumed, but in the course of two hours the fire was extinguished.
On the same day, was celebrated the birth of the great Washington. All the vessels lying in the river were adorned with flags, and fired salutes. The volunteer legion of Louisiana was called out in full uniform, to fire volleys in honour of the day. The artillery before mentioned, which gave thirteen discharges from two pieces, distinguished themselves again by their excellent discipline. The infantry was very weak, not exceeding fifty men, with a most monstrous standard. A company of riflemen of thirty men, who had done good service on the 8th of January, 1815, appeared very singular in their costume: it consisted of a sky-blue frock and pantaloons, with white fringe and borders, and fur hoods. This legion was established in the last war, and considering itself independent of the militia, it has clothed itself after the French taste, and is officered by Frenchmen.
In the evening there was a subscription ball, in the ball-room of the French theatre. This ball was given also, on account of the festival celebrated this day. In former years, each person had subscribed ten dollars for this ball; the saloon had been decorated with Washington’s portrait, and a number of standards, and a splendid supper spread for the ladies. This year the subscription had been reduced to three dollars for a ticket, and hardly filled up at that price. It was attempted to be accounted for, by the critical juncture of commercial affairs, in which the city was placed; the true cause, however, might be traced to the incomprehensible want of attachment among the creoles to the United States. Although the city of New Orleans, and the whole state of Louisiana, has benefited extremely by its union with the United States, and daily increases; yet the creoles appear rather to wish their country should be a French colony, than annexed to the Union. From their conversations, one would conclude that they do not regard the Americans as their countrymen. This aversion certainly will lessen, as the better part of the young people acquire their scientific education in the northern states; at this moment, however, it is very powerful. Under this state of things, Mr. Davis, the manager of the French theatre, the balls, and several gaming houses, announced a masked ball, at one dollar admission, for Washington’s birth-night. The young ladies, however, to whom a subscription ball was in anticipation, and on account of it had prepared a fresh set of ornaments, to assist their toilet, felt themselves exceedingly disappointed by this arrangement; as there would be a very mixed company at the masked ball, and they would not be able to distinguish themselves by individual ornament. For this reason, their parents and relations had exerted themselves, and happily brought it to pass, that instead of a ticket ball, there should be one by subscription. In fact, this ball was very splendid, so far as the dress of the ladies contributed thereto. Moreover, no battles took place.
In the neighbourhood of the city, some Choctaw Indians hunted, and lived a wandering life. They frequently resorted to the city to sell the produce of their hunting, also canes, palmetto baskets, and many other articles. The money for these was afterwards consumed in liquor. They are of very dark colour, have coats made of woollen blankets; wear mocassins, and undressed leather leggings, necklaces of checkered glass beads, with a large shell in the form of a collar, silver rings in the nose and ears, and smooth copper rings on the wrists. The children until four years old are quite naked; only wearing mocassins, leggings, and the rings round the wrists.
In a tavern on the Levée, there was a collection of fossil bones, which had been dug out of a swamp, not far from the mouth of the Mississippi, the preceding year, and must have belonged to a colossal amphibious animal. The single piece of the spine remaining appeared to be that of a whale; a single rib however, also found, was too much curved ever to have been the rib of a whale. The largest piece of those that were dug up, appeared to be a jaw bone. Unfortunately I understand too little of these things, to be able to venture upon a description of these remarkable remains of an apparently antideluvian animal; certainly it would be worth the trouble of having them examined and described by a scientific person. Two of the bones appeared to have belonged to the legs, and from these alone, some would determine, that the animal was a crocodile. I was informed at this time—I say, with Herodotus, that I only tell now what others have told me, and perhaps some one may either believe it, or know it,—I was told that a perfect skeleton of a mammoth was collected many years ago in one of the meadows, on the banks of the Mississippi, not far from its mouth, and was conveyed to London, and that very old inhabitants had heard as a tradition from their ancestors, that this mammoth had been thrown ashore by the sea, part rotted, and in part was devoured by the buzzards.