thereof being entirely composed of small shells, which soon
bind together and make it as smooth as a bowling-green. The Two-forty
trotters--when there are any--come out here in the afternoon, and show
off their paces, and if you fail in finding any of that first flight, at
all events you are pretty sure to see some good teams, that can hug the
three minutes very closely. Custom is second nature, and necessity is
the autocrat of autocrats, which even the free and enlightened must
obey; the consequence is, that the inhabitants of New Orleans look
forward to the Shell-road ride, or drive, with as much interest and
satisfaction as our metropolitan swells do to the Serpentine or the Row.

Having had our drive, let us now say a few words about the society. In
the first place, you will not see such grand houses as in New York; but
at the same time it is to be observed, that the tenants here occupy and
enjoy all their houses, while in New York, as I have before observed,
the owners of many of the finest residences live almost exclusively in
the basements thereof. This more social system at New Orleans, I am
inclined to attribute essentially to the French--or Creole--habits with
which society is leavened, and into which, it appears to me, the
Americans naturally and fortunately drop. On the other hand, the rivalry
which too often taints a money-making community has found its way here.
If A. gives a party which costs 200l., B. will try and get up one at
300l., and so on. This false pride--foolish enough anywhere--is more
striking in New Orleans, from the fact that the houses are not
calculated for such displays, and when they are attempted, it involves
unfurnishing bed-rooms and upsetting the whole establishment. I should
add they are comparatively rare, perhaps as rare as those parties which
are sometimes given in London at the expense of six weeks' fasting, in
order that the donor's name and the swells who attended the festive
scene may go forth to the world in the fashionable column of the
_Morning Post_. Whenever they do occur, they are invariably attended
with some such observations as the following:--

"What did Mrs. B.'s party cost last night?"

"Not less than 300l."

"Well, I'm sure they have not the means to afford such extravagant
expense; and I suppose the bed-rooms upstairs were all cleared out?"

"Oh, yes! three of them."

"Well I know that house, and, fix it how you will, if they cleared out
three bed-rooms,