sometimes comes as an epidemic, and sweeps off hundreds without distinction, and the cholera made sad havoc here a few years since; but this is not a proof of the general unhealthiness of New Orleans, any more than it is of Bombay, Madras, or Calcutta ; with which, perhaps, in this respect, New Orleans may be fairly compared.

Among the statistics of health, as compiled by Dr. Barton, one of the professors of the Medical College, it is shown that there is no portion of America where the mortality of the native and acclimated population is less than in Louisiana; and the following tabular statement will give a view of the number of children compared to adults, of aged people above 70 compared to younger, and of those over 100 years.

Proportion of Children to Inhabitants.

In Pennsylvania

Louisiana

Baltimore

The superior longevity of New Orleans to all the

other places named, is sufficiently shown by these

AVERAGE MORTALITY.

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tables; and this accords with the experience and knowledge of professional men and residents, especially among the persons born and brought up here from their infancy. It is said that the average mortality of New Orleans, in ordinary years, is about 3,800, out of a population of upwards of 100,000, or about four per cent of the whole; and of these, one fourth, at least, die in the Charity Hospital, a large number from intemperance, and consequent disease and destitution. It is believed that about 500 strangers die every year in passing through the acclimating process; but the greatest number of these might be saved by proper precautions taken in time, and an adaptation of diet and mode of life to the changes of the season. Of pulmonary diseases, there are not more than one in fifty die in New Orleans, while to the North there are one in five or six, besides those who linger for years under this terrible affliction.

CHAP. XXV.

Newspapers of New Orleans-Examples of style and subjectVexations of editors-Invitations of presents-Extravaganzas -Specimens of bombast-Uniformity of their opposition to the Abolitionists-Precautions to prevent the combination of slaves -Law prohibiting the residence of any free negro in the State. Contradictions of facts to assertions, on the subject of Slavery. Texas-New republic-Recent accounts.

THERE are no less than eight daily newspapers in New Orleans, as many, nearly, as in London; but they have each a separate character, and are, in the whole, less efficient as organs of public opinion, and exercise less influence on the community, than any I have met with in the large cities of the United States.

The New Orleans Bee is the largest of the number; and, as far as my recollection goes, is the largest daily paper in the world; its pages spreading over considerably more space than any single sheet of the Times or Morning Chronicle. It is as heavy in its composition as it is unwieldy in its form. It was recently a Democratic paper, and was purchased by the friends of Mr. Clay, who have made it a Whig organ; so that it has all the awkwardness and embarrassment arising from an endeavour to retain its old readers, and yet please its new, by perpetual trimming and compromising. It has therefore fallen

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into the contempt which justly awaits all renegades, and especially renegades for profit. It is so proverbially heavy, that a witticism in it is a rarity. Now and then, however, it aspires to a joke, of which one example may be given. be given. The first of the two following paragraphs originated in one of the New York papers, and went the round of the New Orleans press. Major Noah, the editor of the New York paper in which it first appeared, is the person who proposed to build the city of Ararat, and to collect all the scattered members of the Hebrew nation on Grand Island near Niagara. He has the ambition of being thought one of the wittiest paragraphwriters of the day, and he penned this, in the Bee; but he soon after received the retort courteous, as seen in the second paragraph below.

"Love of Newspapers.- Father, give me the New Orleans Bee.' 'Why the Bee, my son?' 'Because it is the biggest paper in the world, and capital to make kites with.'-New York Star. "A Jewish Joke.-' Father, give me the New York Star.' Why the Star, daughter?' 'Because I like to read the old jokes that Noah brought out of the ark with him after the deluge.'"New Orleans Bee.

One half of this paper is printed in English and the other half in French, and all the advertisements appear in the two languages, so as to adapt it to circulation in both quarters of the city. The Louisianian, and the Louisiana Advertiser, both morning papers, as well as the Courier, the only evening paper, are also published in French and English, with separate editors for each department. These last have no particularly distinguishing features, except that the Courier is the most moderate, gentlemanly, and

fair, and is read chiefly by the Crêoles, while the two others have a strong tincture of the American spirit of partisanship. These are all published in

the French quarter of the city.

In the American quarter, there are five daily papers published wholly in English. The first, in size, circulation, and character, is the Commercial Bulletin, which is read by all parties, and being celebrated for the fulness and accuracy of its commercial information, and the fairness and moderation of its political strictures, is the paper of the greatest influence in the city and in the State. The True American is no honour to its name; being remarkable for its virulence, bad spirit, and utter disregard of principle and consistency, when a vindictive passion is to be gratified or an end to be accomplished. The three others are small sheets called "Penny Papers," though this is certainly a misnomer, as no copper coins of any kind circulate in New Orleans. The lowest denomination of money is a picayune, or sixand-a-quarter cents, equivalent to about threepence sterling, and nearly equal in size to our silver fourpenny pieces in England, being indeed the sixteenth part of a dollar. This is the price of all these penny papers; the larger sheets, without stamp, and so filled with advertisements as rarely to contain more than three columns of reading matter, are sold for 121⁄2 cents, or nearly sevenpence sterling; while in advertising, nothing is inserted under a dollar, and all the prices of printing are much higher than in the northern cities of the Union.

The three small papers are the Picayune, the Times, and the Sun, and these content themselves