I next strolled through the lane which composes the town, and is
occupied by a succession of bar-rooms, dancing-shops, and faro-banks or
roulette-tables: they were each in full operation, although it was not
yet two o'clock P.M.

These dens all stood open to the street, and were more obscene in their
appointments than the lowest of the itinerant hells found at our races.
Upon the tables however lay piles of silver, and behind them the ready
_croupiers_ administered. I observed wretched devils playing here, whose
whole standing kit would not have brought a picaroon at _vendue_.
Numbers of half-dressed, faded young girls lounged within the bar-rooms
or at the doors, with here and there a couple of the same style of
gemman to be met with about the silver hells of London; having, however,
a bolder and more swash-buckler-like air than that of their mere
petty-larceny European brotherhood.

From no party, however, did our company meet the slightest observation;
although, a very few years back, for strangers to have strolled about
here, without other purpose than spying into the nakedness of the land,
might have proved, to say the least of it, a perilous adventure; as it
is more than probable they would have been followed by a long shot,
likely enough to bring a book of travels to an abrupt conclusion; but
even at Natchy-under-hill, manners, if not morals, are improving. Murder
is not nigh so common here as it was a few seasons back; although now
and then one of an extraordinary nature does take place; a few months
back, for instance, an up-river boat brought-to here, as is usual, and
several of her passengers were landed: just as she was leaving the
wharf, the crack of a rifle was heard, and one of the passengers, who
had just gained the upper-deck after his shore-visit of an hour or so,
fell dead, pierced through the head. The wheels were backed, the corpse
laid on the nearest wharf by the captain, with an account of the manner
of his death, and, this done, off went the steamer. An inquest returned
a verdict of murder against some person unknown, which was duly reported
in the journal, together with the unfortunate man's name, and an
inventory of such things as were found upon him.

It was presumed, as he was a stranger from the West country, that in a
play dispute he had excited a spirit of revenge amongst some of these
desperadoes, which was thus promptly gratified.

The impunity with which professed gamblers carry on