Writes about life in New Orleans: "I accidently heard that the Reverend W. Hedges wanted a man to take care of his place 60 miles down the river, where I have been since the 16th of January I have a Galway man with me named [?] who happened to be out of employment. Neither of us get wages, my leg is now mending. I hope to be well in about a month. We are situated in a very dangerous place. The river in front and the sea in our rear within sight. Last August there was a dreadful hurricane here. The sea rose from the back and swept almost all the houses and cattle into the river. One hundred people were drowned. There is a widow who has taken refuge here, who lost her husband, a hired man, 24 head of cattle, house and furniture. The people are afraid to sow anything. We are almost on a level with the river and the land keeps falling back to the sea. I never experience more delightful weather. I haven't seen either snow or ice as yet and can hardly persuade myself that it is winter. Everything looks green, rose trees in full bloom lemons and oranges hang on the trees. The orange tree is an evergreen. What brought me to Orleans was the name it had for wages during the winter, but when I arrived on the levee and looked round I was astonished. I never saw so many labouring men together and not more than one out of 50 at work but for any less I would have returned back by the next boat. The wages here are very good for those who can get employment. Two bills an hour for loading and unloading boats. Boatmen on the cotton boats 25 dollars per month. Mostly rolling cotton bales. Each bale weighs from 450 to 500 hundred. It takes two men to roll them with cotton hooks."