immediately in the rear of the centre building, is the chapel, 103 feet by 45 feet 6 inches. The main altar is of marble. The apse on the rear is circular and lighted from above. The walls of the chapel are prepared for frescoes. The space thus allotted is about 16 feet wide by 24 feet high, visible from the body of the chapel. These comprise all the buildings. Everything used in construction is of the most substantial and durable character, so that the Seminary, as it crowns the gently rising mound upon which it is reared, will remain there despite time and the elements for generations yet to come. The architects are Messrs. Samuel T. Sloan and Addison Hutton.

It might be well to add that the library contains over 15,000 volumes, many of which are very valuable. As early as 1833 the Very Rev. Dr. Cullen, Rector of the Irish College at Rome, presented the Bishop of Philadelphia with a nucleus for his library. Contributions were also sent by the Propaganda, by the Bishop of Strasbourg, by the Rev. John Hughes, afterward Archbishop of New York, and by the Rev. Edward Barron, D.D., afterward Bishop of Savannah, and by the Seminary's great friend and benefactor, Marc Antoine Frenaye. MARC F. VALLETTE.

ACCOUNT OF THE VOYAGE OF THE URSULINES TO NEW ORLEANS IN 1727.

[Translated by JOHN GILMARY SHEA from the edition of the original manuscript printed in Shea's Cramoisy Series, 1859.]

ON the 12th of January, 1727, all the religious destined to found the monastery in Louisiana, assembled in the Infirmary of the Nuns at Hennebon to acknowledge as first Superior, Mother Mary Tranchepain of St. Augustine, who had been confirmed in two letters of Mgr. the Bishop of Quebec-one to Rev. Father Baubois, the other to that Mother. All the professed nuns, one novice and two seculars, came to make their submission to her according to their rank in profession, as follows:

Sister Margaret Judde of St. John the Evangelist, professed nun from the Rouen community.

Sister Marianne Boulanger of St. Angelica, from Rouen. Sister Magdalen de Mahieu of St. Francis Xavier, professed of the Havre community.

Sister Renée Guiquel of St. Mary, professed from Vannes. Sister Margaret de Salaon of St. Teresa, from Ploërmel. Sister Cecilia Cavalier of St. Joseph, professed from the Elboeuf community.

Sister Marianne Dain of St. Martha, professed from the Hennebon community.

Sister Mary Hachard of St. Stanislaus, novice.

Sister Claudia Massy, secular, choir.

Sister Anne, secular, lay sister.

All the above-named religious came from France and founded the Ursuline Monastery at New Orleans, August 7, 1727. They were all professed members of the Paris congregation, except Sister St. Mary, who belonged to that of Bor

deaux, but who joined the others under condition of taking the fourth vow, and conforming in all respects to the Paris rule.

They arrived at New Orleans in company with Fathers Tartarin and Doutreleau, most worthy missionaries of the Society of Jesus, after a painful voyage of five months, and they would infallibly have perished but for the protection of the Blessed Virgin and St. Francis Xavier, whom they invoked in all dangers. They came under the authorization of Mgr. John de la Croix de Saint Vallier, Bishop of Quebec, who administered the diocese. The gentlemen of the "Compagnie des Indes" were the founders, by the contract which they made with Rev. Father Baubois, Vicar-General of Mgr. the Bishop of Quebec, and Superior-General of the Louisiana missions. This Reverend Jesuit Father, animated with zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, came from New Orleans to France to obtain an establishment of his order and of the Ursuline Nuns for the education of youth. God blessed his good intentions by enabling him to succeed completely in his undertaking, notwithstanding a host of crosses and oppositions which he had to suffer from the persons most necessary to his work. But after a year's exertion by the Reverend Father and the Nuns, after a thousand impediments raised by the Lord Bishops, who, having first approved the project, subsequently raised many difficulties, when it came to giving obediences to the Religious of their dioceses. On one occasion they were obliged to appeal to his Eminence Cardinal Fleury, Minister of State.

The "Compagnie des Indes" esteeming that the most solid basis of the colony of Louisiana is what tends to advance the glory of God and the edification of the people, such as the establishment of the Reverend Capuchin and Jesuit Fathers, whose zeal and charity assure spiritual succor to the people, and inspire great hope of converting the Indians, and wishing also by a new and pious establishment to relieve the sick poor and at the same time provide for the education of youth, welcomed and accepted the Ursuline Nuns.

The Company agrees to support six Religious, including the Superior; to pay their passage and that of four servants to attend them on the voyage; and moreover to pay the passage of those who, for any reason, might desire to return to France. It was agreed that one of the Religious should be Treasurer (Econome) of the Hospital, that she should have charge of all its temporal interests, and should present her accounts to the officers monthly; that two others should be constantly in attendance on the sick; that there should be one for the poor-school, and another to act as assistant, to replace the others in case of sickness, and relieve them when overtasked. When the Religious can do so conveniently, they shall, if they deem it proper, take young ladies as boarders, but no one of the Sisters appointed to the care of the sick is to be taken from that duty and assigned to the care and education of the boarders.

On the 9th of August, 1727, the holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered for the first time in a hall of the house where we were staying till the new monastery was built. They deferred placing the Blessed Sacrament there till October 5th in the same year, when the little tabernacle was prepared; and on that day the Rev. Father Baubois, our most worthy Superior, assigned to the care of the whole community by Mgr. the Bishop of Quebec, and acknowledged with the ordinary ceremonies, left us this precious deposit. He also confirmed Sister Mary Tranchepain of St. Augustine, as Superior.

RELATION OF THE VOYAGE OF THE FOUNDRESSES OF NEW ORLEANS, WRITTEN TO THE URSULINES OF FRANCE, BY THE FIRST SUPERIOR, MOTHER SAINT AUGUSTINE.

After having spent some time with the good Ursulines of -, we embarked February 22, 1727; but as the wind shifted, it was decided not to set sail till next day. This gave us time to arrange ourselves in our little apartment. This was a place that they had enclosed for us between decks; we

found ourselves somewhat cramped, but we had it all to ourselves, which gave us much pleasure.

We set sail, February 23d, at two o'clock in the afternoon; the weather was beautiful, and we went on deck to enjoy the air; but half a league from L'Orient we struck a rock; the shock was severe and the alarm general. At the same time the sails were furled. This being perceived from the harbor of L'Orient, they came to our assistance, and exerted themselves so vigorously that we were delivered from this first fright, and enabled to keep on our way. Then each one began to pay tribute to the sea. None of us escaped, and the least sick were Sisters Boulanger and Hachard, who got off with a slight nausea.

Meanwhile the winds changed and became dead against us. The vessel was constantly tossing, and gave lurches that sent us over each other. Scarcely was the soup on the table when a pitch would upset it. These little accidents and others made us laugh in spite of the seasickness which is a violent disease, and brings one almost to extremity: but when it is known, no one takes alarm, for people do not die of it. I was the one who suffered most: but that did not shake my vocation our Lord infuses something indescribable into all we do for Him, that sweetens pain itself: my Sisters experienced this even more than I did, because they deserved it more. It was thus my consolation to see that in spite of discomfort, sickness caused by our long voyage, in spite of encounters with pirates, not one repented the sacrifice which she had made to God of her whole being, or was troubled at the daygers we ran. It was on one of these perilous occasions that we made a vow to the Blessed Virgin and to Saint Francis Xavier, in order to merit their protection.

Meanwhile our vessel made scarcely any progress, and in a fortnight we sailed no further than we ought to have done in three days. Our provisions were running short, water especially and we were limited like the crew to a pint a day, and very wretched water at that. Our captain was forced to put