Book excerpt: When C. C. Robin first came to America in 1803, he wrote a three-volume description of his travels in the West Indies, Pensacola, and Louisiana. The author of this unusual book was a scientist and writer of note, but the story of his life is veiled in mystery. His remarkable memoir, originally published only in French, is now available for the first time to English readers. Voyage to Louisiana recounts Robin's adventures in Pensacola, New Orleans, and the Attakapas and Ouachita country. He vividly describes the distinctive lifestyle and customs of the Louisiana Acadians and the New Orleans Creoles and provides a rare, tantalizing glimpse into the history of Colonial Louisiana.