promised he would have ready the next morning. On taking leave of the general for the evening, he ordered a periogue to convey us down to our boat where we arrived in safety.
Feb. 16. The general's barge came down for some apples, cider, and onions, in it we returned to the camp and dined with doctor C, and went with him to the general's, who received us politely, and who furnished me with a letter to the Orleans governour as he had promised, together with the papers I left in his hands. I took my leave and returned to the boat.
Feb. 17. Having the general's periogue still with us, Mr. E. and four others rowed her up to the camp, and got his business settled with the captain. This and yesterday had been wet and disagreeable.
Feb. 18. At 4, A. M. we left Loftus' heights camp, with an encrease of two passengers for New Orleans. Half past nine, we passed the mouth of Red river, which comes in from the Spanish shore, and which is almost full of alligators. We floated during the night about sixty miles, and on
Feb. 19. We entered the settled parts of the banks of the Mississippi. At 7, we met two large periogues from New Orleans. The men called to us in French, and asked where we were from, we answered from Pittsburgh. The country here is generally low and flat, and all along the banks are beautiful plantations. The river is here and for one hundred and fifty miles above New Orleans, kept within its bounds by artificial banks raised sufficiently high for this purpose, called the levee, a step very necessary, as the country on either side is lower than the surface of the river. These banks were raised at an enormous expense by order of the Spanish government. At 2, we crossed the mouth of Bayau Sara river, two miles from which resides a Mr. {330} Bradford [since dead] greatly celebrated in the late western
