Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-09-11
From TIE Literary Magazine.
DESCRIPTION If NEW.oRLEANs.

NEW sORLE ANS mas OCCOme OF so nluCn
Importance by It's transfer to the United.
States aud by being the resort of so many
adventures from the Atlantic coast, that
we may naturally feel some curiosity re-
speeding its Feslconditiop.
The following account Of that city was
drawn up by one who resided considera-
BILE time within its precincts, before pass
ed under It's present governors, and may
afford no small instruction to those who
have any thoughts of emigrating thither-
yor who are desirous 81. knowing something
of place lately so much talked of.
New-O rleaus is situated on the eastern
shore,e of the Mississippi, 10 north latitude
%, 81, aud in west longitude 90, Il, from
Greenwich. 1t stands on kind of PENN
sula, and, though apparently belonging to
West Florida, does IN fact form part of
Louisiana, of which it is the capital. Il
is laid on, on PENIS plan, with the streets
crossing each other at right angles; and
contains fifteen rows of streets, from N.
z. 10 S. w. and seven rows in the oppo-
site direction. 1t lies about los miles
from the Gulph of Mexico, following the
course of the river; but across the coun-
try yland tits not more than twenty-one
miles. The number of houses may be
about thousand, aud the area OF the city
about three hundred acres, the whole OF
which. however, is not bdilt over, as MAJ
nv of the squares at the n. w. end are
entirely void of houses. The principal
buildings are as near the river as the plan
of ths town will admt; aud houses sltu-
ated near this spot are OF more value than
those situated farther back from the Missi-
sippi. Fronting the river, and at an equal
distance from each end OF the town, there
is a pu5lic square, left open as well tor
the purpose of beauty and ornament, as to
expose TO view church, which stands at
the further end of it. This church IS a
plain brick building of the ionic order, and
is the best edi6ce in the place. The other
buildings are, the government houses, the
!. magazines of stores, the barracks, and the
convent; the latter contains thirty or forty
nuns they are all very plain buildings,
and attract no particular attention..
The whole of the city, except the side
5HE ta thf FSgr is asfeRasd. BIZ te9 yaaaa
laid out, and furnished with a banquette,
rampant, parapes ditch, covert way and gla-
els; the curtines are nothing more than a
line of palisades about four fee, high, which
are set at small distance from each. other
and consequently penetrable by muskes
ball; these palisades are furnished with a
banquette within, and .rlaing ditch and
glaeis without. In the middle of each
cartihe there is small redoubt or ravelin.
The bassions have each sixteen embra-
cures, viz. four in each face, three in each
flank, and two in the gorge to face the city.
However, the whole of the works are very
ill supplied with cannon, which / found
arose from real scarcity and by late &C.
counts from this place it appears, that these
detects have not yet been remeded. There
were but two of the bastions that mouated
more than four or FIVE pieces of cannon,
: The eastern bastion, however, which de.
tends the lower end of the city, had its
full complement, besides the same number
in the covert-way. The reason of this
precautionary measure was unable to as
certain; for they could hardly apprehend
an attack from below, as the river is well
defended about eighteen miles farther
down, and no nation would think of at.
lacking 1t against the stream, which is ex.
ceedingly rapid. The only places which
defended the town from above were the S.
w. bastion, and a small redoubt on the
bank OF the river. This bastion was sup.
Piled with about twelve pieces of cannon,
and was furnished besides with counter
guard and traverses; the redoubt had five
pieces of cannon mounted. Bat of all
this force, not above ten pieces could be
brought to b:ar upon any body of men
coming down the river; aud if they once
effected landing on the open banks, which
would be no difficult thing, as they are al.