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 out on it (I have been informed, upwards of thirty thousand dollars) yet it does not seem to be in great forwardness.[215]

It is called only four miles from hence to Baton Rouge, but the badness of the road made me think it eight, perhaps six may be the true distance. I passed some small neglected French plantations on the left on the summit of a range of low hills, which extend from Montesano, while on the right I had a swamp, out of which the cypress has been cut, between me and the river, the road being very bad, through a natural savanna of coarse grass, intersected by deep ravines, and miry sloughs.

CHAPTER LIII

Baton Rouge—Gumbo—An Irish-French-Spaniard—The governour—Mrs. O'Brien's—Journey on return—An American camp—Extensive prospect—Tomlinson's.

Arriving at Baton Rouge, on enquiry I was informed that Madame Le Gendre's was the {311} most respectable auberge, I accordingly stopt there, and found a number of genteel men, Frenchmen, Spaniards, English and Americans, with about a dozen of whom I sat down to supper, quite a la Francaise. The table was well covered with different made dishes, and a variety of vegetables, among which the most conspicuous, was a large dish of gumbo, served by the hostess at the head, which seemed to be a standing dish, and much in repute, as almost every one was helped to it. It is made by boiling ocroc until it is tender, and seasoning it with a little bit of fat bacon. It then becomes