instruct or amuse. One, however, possesses both those requisites in an eminent degree. Mr. Brackenridge wrote from personal observation, unshackled by pre-conceived opinions in religion, politics, national distinctions, or physics :— This enlightened young man described men as he found them, represented objects without distortion, and as far as his descriptions extend, may be considered correct, chaste, and natural. If Mr. Brackenridge had accompanied his work with a map correctly drawn from actual admeasurement and observation, he would have left but little for his successors to execute, in giving to the literary world a clear, comprehensive, and finished picture of Louisiana.

Lafon's Map, published in 1805, considering the then state of geographical knowledge respecting Louisiana, possesses much real merit.

Major Stoddard's work is valuable as a collection of facts, but it is too voluminous for extensive utility.

The utmost confidence can be placed on the accuracy of the information given by general Pike, as far as founded on his personal observation.

But little knowledge of Louisiana can be gained from the perusal of works published in Europe. From national prejudice and want of accurate material, transatlantic writers, when treating on any part of America, almost uniformly mislead rather than instruct. From the former censure Count Vergennes must be ex

cepted. This enlightened and liberal statesman, in his memorial presented to the French government in the early part of the American revolution, does ample justice to the American character; but in local knowledge, though more correct than most European authors on that subject, yet evinces a very limited knowledge of the positions and relative importance of places.

Most persons who have visited the banks of the Mississippi, had objects very different from an inquiry into the geography of the country, or the moral situation of the inhabitants.

Extensive as is the range of his work, the author has visited the most important parts; he has examined the rivers, soil, and productions; carefully noted the manners of the inhabitants, in his excursions through the valley of the Mississippi; and, in a residence of sixteen years, has felt all the changes of the climate; has beheld the separation of a people from a despotic government; their incorporation into a government of law and reason; and has seen demonstrated how deserving those people are of all the benefits resulting from rational legislation.

The fruits of his labour he now presents to the public, without attempting apology, or invoking indulgence: the work, like all others, must rest on its intrinsic merit and usefulness, and can gain nothing by the most powerful personal recommendation.

History presents rather the accidents that vary the existence, than the progress of man in knowledge, industry, and happiness.

Revolutions that shake to ruin ancient, or create new empires, are beheld with attention. The narration which recounts the storm of battle is read with avidity; but the slow, silent, and steady progress of nations, from their infancy to power and civilization, passes unheeded.

No subject can be more interesting than the juvenile struggles of a rising colony its history is the recital of the gradations from weakness, ignorance, and want, to power, science, and abundance. No instance has yet occurred of a colony experiencing such singular vicissitudes of fortune, and whose change of sovereigns has been so frequent, in an equal period, as Louisiana. The germ of the population was Frenchmen of the reign of Louis XIV.; consequently many individuals, eminent for their talents, virtues, and scientific acquirements, composed part of the original establishment, and whose genius contributed to give many features to the character of the people, which their posterity now preserve.

Presenting what, from experience, he has found characteristic of both the people and climate, the author is aware of the prejudices he has to combat, the misrepresentations he has to contradict, and the difficulties he must have to encounter, in the attempt to introduce more liberal opinions respecting an important section

of the domain of the United States, and of a respectable body of his fellow-citizens.

In an inquiry into the influence of the climate upon the health of its inhabitants, he has passed by a natural transition, to its effects upon the mental and moral faculties of those born within the sphere of its influence.

This section he has performed with feelings of pleasure; and the people of the United States will receive with satisfaction a detail that, when admitted as correct, must lessen the prejudices that accident and design have engendered, to widen the distance between them and their fellow-citizens in Louisiana.

He has felt it a duty as a man, and claims the privilege as an author, to tear away the veil that ignorance or wilful misrepresentation has placed between men, united not only by the mutual weaknesses and wants of their nature, but by the bonds of political assimilation.

Like all other European colonies in America, Louisiana was composed from all the various elements that formed the parent stock: adventurers from all ranks of society, many indigent, and some criminal individuals, entered into the mixture from which arose the present popula

tion.

Removed to distances the most remote from their native place, men may for a time retain many of their established customs; but local position so powerfully influences human action,

that habits are acquired which give a distinct feature to society in all places. Something more than a century has elapsed since the colony began to be peopled from Europe; many opinions, the offspring of national or family pride, have been discarded, and replaced by others, better suited to the new position in which the posterity of the first settlers are placed.

As the valley of the Mississippi will be for ages the receptacle of emigrants from the eastern slope of that chain of mountains which divides our territories, a developement of its resources, so favourable to agriculture and commerce, must claim no little part of our attention.

The comparative extent of surface will, at this time, if carefully examined, enable the least discerning to trace the future migrations of wealth and power, and determine, as far as human foresight can penetrate, the destiny of the United States.

Without pursuing any very systematic arrangement, are described the varied features of nature, the animal, vegetable, and mineral productions, as each object presented itself in succession: the author has endeavoured to form a faithful, if a rude, draft of an extent of the earth hitherto little known.

In the execution of his task there is but one part on which he dares to boast. He has invariably pursued, as far as his judgment and means permitted, a scrupulous adherence to truth; in