New-York daily tribune., 1844-02-12
THE TRIBUNE.
,.cr rrom the south.

formed by tne ii'oA' AA M :.
here meet and empty into the bay. The city is
low and perfectly fiat. The streets are straight
and generally wide, but with extremely naffo"
side walks. This struck me as singular at hrst'
but 7 soon after observed that pedestrians were
comnaratiyelv few and equestrlans many. All
ride here men, women, children and negroes.
you look into the streets and you behold horse
men of every description dashing by each other
at the hight of their horses speed, seemingly un-
conscious of fear for themselves or the persons
who may cross their way. And private cai-
RACES are innumerable driven by negrocoach-
men. not in licerv with little black boys hanging
~ heh;nd to serve as footmen. The horses are
sr,,u with light limbs, and not remarkable ior
he,nty of forn but under the saddle they are
feet. easv and of a graceful motion Many mules
are used, and | believe they endure the climate
far better than the horse. The dray norses are
also greatly inferior in size and strength to ours,
three bales Q20O lbs.) of cotton beng thelr IN
variable load.
AS a stranger approaches the city, one of the
first things that arrests his eye is the dngy, dirty
and mottled appearance Of the buildings, giving
to them an air not exactly of antiquity but OF
oldness. He sees they are not ancient, yet they
have not a speck of juvenility about them l am
no admirer of gaudily colored structures OF any
kind, but an appearance of dirt is equally dlsa-
,yreeable The citizens excuse themselves Tor the
unsightly appearance of their buildings, especially
those which are public, by alleaglng that their
climate is ininical to paint. But as the prlncl-
nal ones at least are rough cast brick, plastcrcd,
they might be dead colored with some grave and
mild color, making each uniform with itself, and
not, as at present presenting the appearance as IL
spotted at random with paint and dirt.
The object of greatest interest to person
from the North, and which / may say is obtruded
on his notice, is the negro population. Their
character and condition have been SO much dis
cussed and controverted of late, that each is
anxious to improve the opportunity of seeing for
himself. AS to these in the city, for of them only
can now speak, they seem to be good-humored,
frolicsome, idle and vagabondizlng set OF beings
AT every corner you will see groups ol them on
the sunnv side,-men with their hands IN their
breecbes, backing up the side of the building as
if their support were essential to its pcrmanence,
bows sprawlng at full length on the walk, anu
women with tubs of oysters or baskets OF Vegeta-
bcs on their heads-all jabbenng, grlnnlng, and
making the air ring with their bolstefous lhirth'
The costume of the women is the most grotesque
and outre, and may add, picturesque, OF that
of the peasantry of any nation. Here you De-
hold one with a turban erected above her head,
of the most dashy yet harmonious colors' Whlch
she wears with queenly dignity, and were 1t
not for her shuffling, sliding gait, she might be
mistaken for a person OF note Now you see
another flourshing in succession OF double
reefed short-gowns the under one reaching lower
than the upper, which with the broad base OF the
projecting petticoat, and the pointed termination
of her turban, give to the owner the antique and
durable appearance OF the pyramid. And here is
another of whom ] should like to furnish you a
sketch-she is old and much the worse for wear
her face has many wrinkles and is grave, yet
how soon is the latent humor developed and her
toothless mouth laid open on the first demon
stration of fun and merriment. She has soul
yet to enjoy that, were all else in her dead. She
wears around her broad Som6rero, which bends
gracefully over her shoulders like umbrella, a
fold of black Grape so wide that it reaches from
top to rim, fastened by knot of peculiar con-
structon with long projecting ends,-and she
carefully folds her valuable person In a sombre
camlet cloak, which falls from her neck to the
ground, thus concealing that most attractive
feminine feature the ancle, and also that peculiar
glory and boast of the African race alone-the
heel The cloak she wears with Roman dignity
but alas, her tread as she saunters along, is not
Roman. However her step is long, and about
as good an imitation as that of certain characters
who do the Roman in our Theatres. Here too is
another, and though she also has passed into the
Z" Scar and yellow leaf" does not feel SO, nor is |
she willing to appear SO, and she wears her big
scoop bonnet, which might be mistaken for a coal
scutte, on the tip top of her head, with an arr
truly astonishing.
Their fidelity and attachment TO their masters
family are provcrbial and unqucshoncd. Its pros
perity and honor is their pride and boast, and
they will never alude to or admit any thing that
will in the least detract from either. They arc
idle and slothful and on holiday, or when there
Is show or parade it is absolutely impossible to
keep them in doors. There was a procession of
Odd Fellows the other day, and the walks and
streets were so crowded with blacks Of all ages
and descriptions as to render it next to impossible
10 make way through them. They take their
own time to do their work-give them task
and their whole desire seems to be to occupy as
much time in dong 1t as possible. A boy some
fourteen years old, came to the Hotel with a
message, and after delivering it, went deliberately
behind the front door, which was thrown back,
sat down upon the floor bracing his shoulders
against the wall, and in one minute was in
sound slunlber, which he enjoyed for about an
hour, and then returned home, to boast, probably
OF the despatch with which he had performed
his duty
| had been in Charleston many days and only
witnessed the more gentle consequences of Sla-
very, but at length saw that which filed my
mind with ideas OF pain far severer than that
caused by strpes-penal6es or imprisonment l
was walking the street one bright sunny day,
when all Nature seemed to wear gentle and
smiling face, when On turning corner l en-.
countered dropc of some forty or fifty of the
most sad and desolate human beings that 1t was
Thoro
men and women we'll advanced in years and
feehle able hodiad ronth ch;ldren aud hahes In