diff --git a/lib/cl/READMES/readme-cassandra.lisp b/lib/cl/READMES/readme-cassandra.lisp
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+(in-package :cl-user)
+
+#+(or ccl sbcl) /development/source/library/
+(load "build-init.lisp")
+
+;;; ! first, select the api version in the cassandra system definition
+;;; as only one should be loaded at a time.
+(asdf:load-system :de.setf.cassandra)
+
+(in-package :de.setf.cassandra)
+
+(defparameter *c-location*
+  ;; remote
+  ;; #u"thrift://ec2-174-129-66-148.compute-1.amazonaws.com:9160"
+  ;; local
+  #u"thrift://127.0.0.1:9160"
+  "A cassandra service location - either the local one or a remote service 
+ - always a 'thrift' uri.")
+
+(defparameter *c* (thrift:client *c-location*))
+
+
+(cassandra:describe-keyspaces *c*)
+;; => ("Keyspace1" "system")
+
+(cassandra:describe-cluster-name *c*)
+;; =>"Test Cluster"
+
+(cassandra:describe-version *c*)
+;; => "2.1.0"
+
+(loop for space in (cassandra:describe-keyspaces *c*)
+      collect (loop for key being each hash-key of (cassandra:describe-keyspace *c* space)
+                    using (hash-value value)
+                    collect (cons key
+                                  (loop for key being each hash-key of value
+                                        using (hash-value value)
+                                        collect (cons key value)))))
+
+
+(close *c*)
+
+(defun describe-cassandra (location &optional (stream *standard-output*))
+  "Print the first-order store metadata for a cassandra LOCATION."
+
+  (thrift:with-client (cassandra location)
+    (let* ((keyspace-names (cassandra:describe-keyspaces cassandra))
+           (cluster (cassandra:describe-cluster-name cassandra))
+           (version (cassandra:describe-version cassandra))
+           (keyspace-descriptions (loop for space in keyspace-names
+                                        collect (cons space
+                                                      (loop for key being each hash-key
+                                                            of (cassandra:describe-keyspace cassandra space)
+                                                            using (hash-value value)
+                                                            collect (cons key
+                                                                          (loop for key being each hash-key of value
+                                                                                using (hash-value value)
+                                                                                collect (cons key value))))))))
+      (format stream "~&connection to : ~a" cassandra)
+      (format stream "~&version : ~a" version)
+      (format stream "~&cluster : ~a" cluster)
+      (format stream "~&keyspaces~{~{~%~%space: ~a~@{~%  ~{~a :~@{~20t~:w~^~%~}~}~}~}~}" keyspace-descriptions))))
+
+;;; (describe-cassandra *c-location*)