nasty trumpery, and exposed to view. At last the day appointed came; the morn was woeful to the sheep and swine! it was a woeful morn for the poultry, young pigeons, and young rabbits! and a fad and lamentable morn for the inhabitants of the woods and waters! 'ere it was quite light, one of the best wethers, two innocent lambs, one brawny barrow, two roasting pigs, two turkies, two geese, four ducks, four capons, two maiden pullets (as they call them), twenty-four pigeons, and fix rabbits, lost their lives! The rivers and little rivulets were poisoned with hogsheads of lime; barbarous act! cruel operation! not only drained of mullets, mudfish, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, &c. but all the small fry totally destroyed! Six slaves were sent out with guns; they made the woods and corn pieces resound; doves of various kinds, partridge, quails, and Guinea hens fell victims; the harmless unwieldy turtle, which had been pampered for months before in a tub, now lost its head, and was dressed into different savoury dishes; also, the jewfish and kingfish, with plenty of delicious oysters, fresh from the fea or salt river. There were feveral cooks, and a number of pots and spits engaged; there were pyes, puddings, tarts, and custards upon custards in abundance, and the ovens were several times little Ætnas. There were a variety of sweetmeats, and the choicest fruit the island produced; also, wines, cordials, &c. &c, The plate on a fideboard brushed most bright,

not

1

not fullied with the purest water, made a glitterVing appearance. At length the gentlemen crouded, and the tables were quickly overspread with an amazing number of dishes, five times more than ever I have seen at an Irish wedding.

Presently Miss Louisa and Miss Laura (as I shall call them) made their appearance; they were gaudy and elegantly dressed, and extremely tight laced; their cheeks had been artfully scorched with red peppers, which gave them beautiful blushes: they seemed all lovely, all divine; nor did their female sable attendants, which were dressed in white, as emblems of innocence, cut a despicable figure.

During dinner the gentlemen were as polite as possible to the young ladies, each endeavouring with all his might to infinuate himself into their good graces, by the eloquence of his eyes and tongue. "Pray, Miss Louisa, will you permit me to help you to a bit of the turkey; it is very fine!" "Tank you, fir, wid all my baut." "Pray miss, what part do you like best?" "Sir, Ise don't love turkey rump-Ise love turkey bubby." Miss Laura was taken notice of for having no appetite; though she was pressed by the different gentlemen, she could eat nothingat length a military gentleman who fat next to her, asked her if she was indisposed, or what could it be that affected her, that it made him very unhappy: Little miss replied, "O fir, Ise can't tell." Her mother then peremptorily demanded

to

to know what was the matter with her?-and Laura replied, "Me quite forry mamma, Ife went in a bufh to-day to do my, and Yellow Legs come, and he knaum my, and him puke; O I'm quite forry for poor Yellow Legs!" At which uncouth expression some of the company smiled, and I was in pain for poor Laura, for she was my favourite. The fact appeared to be this: she had been that forenoon, as usual, in the cook-room, where she ate a calabash full of substantial pepperpot; it had a purgative effect on her; the had a necessary call backwards, and her favourite lap-dog, Yellow Legs, followed her; you may guess the rest.

During dinner, they did not forget to reprimand the maids several times, for not brushing off the flies; which put me in mind of their fongs,

"Quashibas, why you no bring bush ;
"You no fee flie kackaw in a dish ?"

After dinner there were different basons with water introduced (according to custom) for every person to wash their hands, but the military gentleman not being acquainted with the practice, instead of washing his hands, drank off the contents of his bason, which occafioned some of the gentlemen to smile, and the young ladies to laugh heartily; but this harmless mistake and piece of innocent mirth had like to terminate very ferioufly,

1

ously, for captain M'Kill-all (which was the officer's name) being pert and raw, proud and ignorant, like many other military puppies, to shew his courage, challenged and fought one of the gentlemen next morning, and unfortunately M'Kill all came off with a flight wound in the shoulder.

م

The old lady, who headed the table, contributed vastly in promoting mirth and chearfulness, by drinking "Somebody," and giving a knock at the fame time on the table, saying, "Here she goes." She had similar fentiments at command; which easy free politeness inspired the gentlemen with courage to take the liberty of ravishing her daughters of some sweet kisses.

After the gentlemen were all departed, miss Louisa and miss Laura took off their stays, and put on their romping frocks, and asked me to take a walk with them, as usual; during the excursion through a spacious and delightful garden, imbowered with shaddock, cushue, cocoa-nut, orange, and other fruit trees, we at length feated ourselves in a lonely and lovely arbour of grape and granadillo vines, where delicious fruit were pendant all round, whilst the mocking birds were warbling their melodious strains; miss Louisa and miss Laura sung most charming catches, which inspired me with ideas different from what I before entertained; on our return through a plantain walk, we went intentionally astray.

" I long

" I long to taste beneath some plantain's shade,
"The warm endearments of a willing maid;
"Whose tender years the nice gradation prove,
"When infant fondness ripens into love;
"There clafpt in transport to her beating breast,
"Each ardent wish without restraint possest :
"Raptures repeated on delight should rife,
"Bloom o'er the cheeks, and languish in the eyes,
" In man let great, let glorious actions blaze,
"The art of pleasing be the woman's praise;
"The wanton kiss, the warm lafcivious move,
"Are female virtues" - Creole woman's love!

Ne'er shall my heart forget the pleasing days,
I gaily spent once in Jamaica dear!
Sweet fertile ifle, where genial friendly rays,
And verdure crown eternally the year!

Dearest favourite of the torrid zone,

Whom nature, bounteous, sheds her blefssings o'er,

Where chilling blasts are never, never known,

And clothes for ornament are only wore !
For me, no more I'll feek thy tamarind shades,
Nor rove again through lime or orange grove;
No more I'll wander with thy Creole maids,

Thro' lonely walks, to taste the sweets of love.

From what I have faid you will, I suppose, conclude that I have been a vile profligate, and that it is ungenerous in me to expose the foibles in young ladies, by whom I was so much favoured. In answer thereto, I only write to you as a friend; and was you now in Jamaica, you might never find out the families I allude to, for I have

concealed their names and places of abode: and I till