Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-01-15


but the humidity Of the atmosphere dlscolors ev-
cry thing white, aud gives an appearance OF great
antiquity to modern works. The interior work
of the Cathedral is more solid, ths>s,tbat in the
Catholic Church at Baltimore, butts decorations
are not so beautiful.
! The most interesting and amusing resort IS
the market house, in the morning 1t is undouot-
edly the spot where Babel stood, and about which
there has been so much uncertainty. Here are
Blacks, Whites and Fellows; English, IRISH
Scotch. French, Spanish, Swiss aud Italians;
Chickasaws, Choctaws, Otowas, and all sorts OF
Aboriginal and Anglo Americans; males ana
females. buying and selling, and each speaking
his own mother tongue. Black women handling
the cieaver with the dexterity of protested butch
ers; Ouatre-unes, with their clean bandanna
head-dresses, and a basket Of edi5les above,
steering through the moving mass with the skill
of pilots among snags and sawyers. Girls prePar-
ing over fire Of sticks, hot gumoo, OF wh'ch
the negroes partake upoa the spot; Squaws' each
with popoOse and load OF baskests upon ner
back; Men with the dignihed stride OF Ma
cready, and blanket fit fO' Damon IN n, the high-
est flight Of his insanity Europeans, peddnS eve
ry thing that has name, from paper OF pms up
wards. Slaves or Convicts bound to his labor
each with heavy chain from his ANGLE to his CIR
die: fish spread upon palm leaves on the ground,
in one place, and the heads of slaughtered cat
tie piled in another. Every variety OF the dog
species,
Mastifi, Greyhound, mongrel grim,
Hound OF spaniel, brsch or l.mn,
Or bobtaii tike, or trundei tail,
coursing, yelling, barking and biting The only
dstingushable articulate sounds IN this Bapel are
s.unpcallion.' 1.-THE name by which the slX-and-
souarter centpiece is known in 'theiarther West')
81 bit, DIT, piastre," and some other denomina-
tons of the .:root of evil" Through this hete-
rogenOus mass moves the guard, with his arms
akimbo, his sword by his side, apparently as
much engaged in his meditations as it he were IN
the midst Of prairie. In few hours the pur-
chases are made, the wants Of the population ap-
parently supplied, and silence takes the place OF
all this racket and confusion.
The census gives the city nearly $4,000 nina
btants but it is not mentioned in the papers what
proportion are blacks. Thrust be considerably
more than half. In square comprising most
of the business and therefore the greater portion
of those who have neither families nor servants,
the population according to the official return, is
in round numbers $4,000; of which 1900 are
whites. 5000 slaves, and 800 free blacks. There
is fraction of about 5000, TO be divided among
the three classes. When the returns from the
country shall be completed. the whites will APP
pear in frghtful minority. On plantations, where
there are not more than five or six adult whites.
will be found 60 and 400 negroes. These negroes
are generally, at least SO far as | had opportuni
tv for observation, we'll fed, clothed, aud hous-
ed, and the planters seem to feel and probably do
feel, as secure as those of Maryland or Kentuc-
XIV. Whether they are actually SO or not is a
problem, and the whole subject is one, which Is
not pleasant to contemplate, and in which our in-
reference is both useless and impertinent. The
| planters of this state are surrounded with ma
nv peris Of natural or physical character, that
| they have little time to contemplate those OF
moral or political nature. The females especi-
ally the children of the natives, marry IN very
early life; they arc considered at the age OF ma
turitv when they have been tanned by fourteen
SIMS, and at nineteen the damseis are '.well
round the corner.'' The boys live chiefly at
home and learn to make sugar and manage the
plantation. 1t perhaps singular fact that the
males are not in general, SO long lived as the fe-
males, especially on the banks of the river.
The only thing worn by the females here,
which bears any relationship to the ribbons and
flower shops worn on the heads of the Northern
ladies. are the bushe baskets which the negro
wenches tote about on their thick skulls, and in
which thew carry about half a barrel OF Hour in
the manufactured state.-rhe French ladies
promenade during the afternoons, with parasol.
and nothing but thin veil upon their heads
an unfortunate fashion If they are in search OF
compliments or husbands, but a very rational
| and comfortable one. let them seek what they
will Many of the Quartre-une girls need not
surrender their pretensions to beauty, to any OF
the donnas of Spanish or Italian extraction.
| -sae00S44-
.4necdoie of Quin.-" The measure of his de-
votion to the fair could only be equalled by his
de,estation of those creatures OF his own SEX who
mimicked the formers accent and daintiness.-
Taking his soup one day at coffee house in Bath
two gentlemen came in and bockaded the fire
place, one of whom appeared to be walking
compound of wig, lace, ruffles, rose water, and
the Bath directory. The room was rather full,
and. for this reason, the latter person commenced
detail of his fashionable connexions and advan-
tases. Ouin Immediately desisted from eating.
looked up, and made wry faces. The spris OF
iessamine was pleased however, with the notice
he excited, and continued in an etfeminate Tone
sufficiently audible to disturb all around him,
whose expressions he construed as the tokens oil
wonder or envy. Quin rose up and walked about