ILLUSTRATIONS. SQUATTER, MISSISSIPPI MAKING A PORTAGE A CANADIAN RESIDENCE CAPITOL, WASHINGTON TO FACE THE TITLE. . 179 . 209 . 238 TRANSATLANTIC SKETCHES. CHAPTER I. Passengers in the Aurora, bound to New Orleans.- Etiquette. -Savoury food.-The Guitar.- Sunsets.-First view of North America.-A Pilot.-Mouth of the great Mississippi. -Dangers of the Bar.-An Alligator.-The Balize pilotstation.-Prospect of a sickly season.-Stem the current. The last Settler.-A Night-watch.-Course of the Father of Waters. The Porpoise-tug.-Plantations.-New Orleans.Melancholy Streets.-Hotel. The first night on shore.New Orleans Tonsor.-The Markets.-The Cathedral.-A Duel. The Levee.-Yellow-fever Captains.-The battle of the Blacks.-Evening resort.-The Gaol.-Morality and Religion. American Preacher. Philosophical Lady. Slave insurrection. Regular Infantry.-The Barracks.-Visit the battle ground. Graves of the slain.-Retrospection.-- A song. Visit a plantation.-A Murderer.-Negroes.-Their treatment.-Internal Slave-trade.-Kidnappers.-A disclosure. England and America ought to cherish liberal and friendly feelings toward each other. In the Aurora there were two passengers besides myself, a Spanish merchant and a French baker, the latter proceeding to New Orleans to give instruction in the true mode of making petits pâtés; these, with the captain and his mate, made up our party in the cabin. 2 SAVOURY FOOD-THE GUITAR. There was very little ceremony used at our table; the company sat down to their meals in check shirts, tucked up to their elbow, and (à la mode Orientale) plunged their fingers into the dishes. Macaroni, or bread soup, a fowl grilled and swimming in lard, garlic, oily plantains, sliced cucumbers, potatoes, and omelette, constituted our common fare, washed down with vino tinto; the chocolate that was served to me, by particular desire, was accompanied with a soup spoon, for it was of the consistence of hasty-pudding; and when the dinner was placed on the table, there was always a call for the oil flagon, the same serving for light by night and food by day. For some time after leaving Cuba, we might have sung with Barry Cornwall, How gallantly, how merrily, We ride along the sea; The morning is all sunshine, The wind is blowing free; The billows are all sparkling, And bounding in the light, Like creatures in whose sunny veins though we soon had light winds, but withall pleasant sailing for ten days. After the usual routine of reading, writing, and walking the deck, I delighted much in sitting in the evening on a hen coop on deck, listening to the Spanish airs of the mate, a rakish-looking fellow, with a handsome pair of whiskers, who accompanied with the guitar an excellent voice. The crew would sit in groups |