their strength, or healthy appearance, and, opening their mouths with finger and thumb, inspect their teeth. A middle-aged man and woman may be seen standing together; moist are their eyes, anxiously they gaze around them they are the picture of helplessness. They know

the awful doom of separation that may be pronounced in ten minutes between them and the handsome family that cluster around them; but that doom they cannot alter or control. The sons and daughters, old enough to know what awaits them, press close together, with full eyes and still fuller hearts; while the young favourites, are rejoicing, in perfect innocence, in the clothes which they are decked out in for the day, to enhance their appearance and their value; and they gaze with pleasurable amusement at the novelties of the scene, like a child at the pageantry of a funeral the trappings of the horses, and the plumes on the hearse that bears to the grave the remains of a parent. They are at length called up; and although husband and wife go together, and are seldom separated, the children are all taken from them, and sold into different districts; and as the mother tries to look at their retreating figures through eyes blinded with tears, she knows that in a few years they are probably fated in their turn to endure the same agony

"And thou, my son, yet have a son foredoom'd a slave to be,

Whose mother, too, must weep o'er him the tears I weep o'er thee!" Removal at mature age or in early life, from one's parents, kindred, and companions, and separation from the scenes of childhood, though often painful events, are unfortunately not peculiar to the American slave. They are the lot of the European emigrant, who seeks in the new world an asylum from the oppression and poverty of the old, and they are voluntarily encountered by a large portion of the enterprising youth of the British Isles, who

leave their country, their kindred, and their father's house for a settlement in the western wilderness. These, indeed, are all animated by the hope that their circumstances in life may be improved by their removal; but the slave too may be animated by the same hope, for slavery like freedom, has its different degrees of joy and sorrow, of fear and hope, of pleasure and pain.

CHAPTER XIX,

New Orleans Bloody Victory over the British in its vicinity-The Emperor Napoleon's Account of the Battle of Waterloo-General Jackson's Proclamation-Anecdote of General Washington and an Indian Chief— Petition from a Red Indian to the Councils of South Carolina- Climate of New Orleans-The Ship of Death-Punishment of Slaves-Prince Achille Murat's description of a Slave Plantation - Testimony borne to their humane treatment by Captain Barclay of Ury - Mr Buckingham-Lady E. S. Wortley-Harriet Martineau-Sir Charles Lyell-The British Consuls in America-and Mrs Houstoun.

New Orleans was founded in 1717, under the Regency of the Duke of Orleans, and was named after him. It stands on the east or left bank of the Mississippi, which is there scarcely a mile wide, continuing of an average width of about a mile, as far up as its junction with the Missouri. New Orleans is situated 105 miles from its entrance into the Gulf of Mexico. In 1787, it contained 1100 houses, of which 950 were consumed by fire in 1788. The shipping extends along the "Levée," as it is called, not less than 5 miles parallel with the river, and the space betwixt the river and warehouses being at one part 300 feet wide, is covered with whole acres of bales of cotton, casks of sugar, and provisions, tobacco, and mountains of bags of corn. It has had a rapid rise, as, in 1800, there were only 6000 inhabitants, whereas now there are no less than 150,000 in the unhealthy, and 200,000 in the healthy season.

New Orleans is the capital of the State of Louisiana, so named in 1683 by a Frenchman, in honor of his King, Louis XIV. It would probably by this time have been the first commercial city in the Union, had it not been in general so unhealthy at the fall of the year. Both that State, with the lower parts of Virginia, east of the Alleghany range, including most parts of N. and S. Carolina, are all more or less subject to malaria, which may be defined a fluid of air or vapour of the most pestilential quality, which issues from the cracks in the ground occasioned by the droughts and great heat at the end of summer, which becomes more dangerous after the crops are cut down, as when standing, they have the effect of consuming it when it rises. All the white inhabitants, therefore, who can, move off during these months, though of course all the professional people are obliged to remain. The malaria is productive of fevers and ague; the yellow fever being the most prevalent, and the most fatal. In the sugar plantations of Louisiana, it requires about 20 slaves for every 100 acres of sugar-cane land.

New Orleans is celebrated for duels. In 1834 there were no less than 365, or one for every day in the year; 15 having been fought on one Sunday morning. In 1835 there were 102 duels fought in that city, betwixt the 1st of January and end of April. The duels are almost invariably between boys, or young lads, for frivolous causes. Those who fight the most frequently and fatally, are the French creoles, who use small swords.

New Orleans is 1644 miles from New York by the shortest route. It is celebrated amongst other things for the bloody battle that was fought five miles below it during the last American war, where General Jackson acquired so much fame. This battle was fought on 8th January 1815. The American force consisted of only

3700, whilst that of the British was 8000. Jackson posted the main body of his army behind a breast-work extending about 1000 yards, with the right resting on the Mississippi, and the left on a cypress swamp, almost impenetrable, having previously cut a shallow ditch in front of his line across the field, from the river to the swamp. The breast-work was raised and strengthened by huge bales of cotton, brought from New Orleans, and behind which the Americans were so much protected, that the British when they came to the attack, were mowed down like stubble. During the short space of only one hour after the battle began, it was all over. The British commander-in-chief was killed, 700 of his brave soldiers lay dead on the field of battle, 1400 were wounded, and 500 taken prisoners, in all 2600, whilst the Americans had only 7 killed, and 6 wounded. Most of the English troops were veterans who had just been in the Peninsular war under Wellington, and it is said that the watch-word of the day was "beauty and booty," two words admirably calculated to rouse the passions, and captivate the hearts of British soldiers. They were excited not only by the hope of plunder when they reached the city, but because the dark-eyed beauties of Spain, whom they had lately left, were represented as not more attractive than the far-famed beauties of New Orleans. General Jackson in addressing his troops shortly after the battle, called them "the saviours of their country, who had triumphed over the invincibles of Wellington, and conquered the conquerors of Europe."

The Emperor Napoleon used to call the Russians barbarians, to whom every country was better than the one which gave them birth. "When," he added," the Cossacks entered France, it was indifferent to them what women they violated, old or young were alike