Charles Tenney Jackson

An account of the travels of two men from Boston, in their thirties, who have become disillusioned with city life. On a whim they decide to set off to explore the Gulf of Mexico in a canoe. They never quite get that far because they spent a month in Barataria, Louisiana waiting for their canoe to arrive, by which time, they were so enchanted with the swamps and bayous that they don't want to leave. They learn that the canoe they had ordered from Maine went down with the ship when it was on the way to them, so they bought a pirogue instead and paddled deep into the Atchafalaya River byways and lakes.

The book was printed in 1914, and the writer, Jackson, describes the area and the people beautifully, with wit and humor. Sadly, although he seems to be respectful of the many nations and peoples found in the land of the Cajuns, he refers to Black Americans in the most derogatory way. As a picture of a time and place, this book is excellent. Unfortunately, it was painful to read with the above mentioned attitude.… (meer)