Source:http://www.rtpnet.org/robroy/books/nhb/S9.HTM Illustration from The Nathanial Bishop book "Four Months in a Sneakbox--the
chapter 'New Orleans Roughs Amusing Themselves'. 'My shortest route to the Gulf of Mexico was through New Basin Canal, six
miles in length, into Lake Pontchartrain, and from there to the Gulf..The first part of this canal runs through the city proper,
and then through a low swampy region out into the shallow lake Pontchartrain. At the terminus of New Basin Canal I found a
small light-house, two or three hotels, and a few houses, making a little village. I rowed out of the canal on to the lake...The
skippers of the little fleet were very civil men. Some of them were of French and some of Spanish origin, while one or two
were Germans. Night settled down upon us...the evening became lovely. Soon the quiet hamlet changed to a scene of merriment,
as the gay people of the city drove out in their carriages to have a 'lark,' as the sailors expressed it; and which seemed
to begin at the hotels with card-playing, dancing...and to end in a general carousal.' Source: http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net
