gigs and phaetons, after the fashion already spoken of in the negro chapters. Some years ago, it was customary to marry by special licence, the ceremony being performed in the evening at their own dwellings. This practice has become extinct, and they are now married in their parish church. The favourite wedding-dress is blonde and white satin.

A great reformation has also taken place in their funerals. In former days, a wake used to be held by all classes on the night the demise took place; and on the following day, (the day of the funeral,) immense quanties of "dyer bread" and "biscuit cakes" (species of pastry) were made, enveloped in white paper, sealed with black wax, and handed round to the assembled guests, who often amounted to two or three hundred. Mulled wines, Port and Madeira sangaree, "mixed porter," (specified quantums of porter, water, sugar, and spice,) and different kinds of spirituous liquors, were also provided, sufficient to satisfy the thirst of Baron Munchausen's whale. If accounts be true, many of these funeral guests paid such particular attention to these several preparations from the vine and the hop, that they became greatly elated thereby, and not unfrequently left the house of mourning in a state of inebriety.

Every article of furniture in the house was covered with white, and many other fatiguing ceremonies observed; but these have long ago fallen into disuse, only the chamber of death shewing its white drapery. The corpse, if a male, is attired in his usual dress, with the exception of coat and shoes; over which is placed what is termed a scarf, made of the finest white muslin or lawn, crimped round the edges, and fastened round the waist by a broad band. The ends of this scarf are brought in folds to the feet, and terminated with bows and rosettes of the same material. A cambric muslin shroud, also crimped in a deep border, is first placed in the coffin; which, before the last sad office of screwing down the lid takes place, is carefully covered over

the corpse, and shuts out from the glance of friends, the features which they have so often gazed on with pleasure. If the deceased is a female, an elegant white dress is chosen, with a white satin band around the waist, white silk gloves and stockings, and a blonde cap ornamented with white satin.

If the deceased were unmarried, the coffin is covered with fine white broad cloth, and elaborately ornamented with silver lace, nails, plates, and "little angels," (as the negroes term them;) if married, it is covered with black cloth and black ornaments. Crape hat-bands and scarfs are now given to the bearers, and hat-bands to the intimate acquaintance only, for if the deceased is much respected, three or four hundred persons of all colours attend the funeral. In the arrangement of the procession, (which is always a walking one,) an eye is kept to prejudice. Formerly all coloured persons had coloured bearers, then came a change; and two white and four coloured men officiated in those characters; then it came to be three white and three coloured, and in a late instance, four white and two coloured persons formed the complement.*

The common coloured people still keep "a wake" upon the death of their friends; and on such occasions, while one part of the company are engaged in singing psalms, the others are filling the women's hats with water, putting pepper into wine, pulling off their shoes, and playing other vulgar practical jokes, most irreverent and disgusting at such a

season.

The Antiguans have a peculiar mode of calling articles by particular names :-thus, potatoes are invariably called Irish potatoes, come they from what part of the world they may; the common Prussian-blue pea, and wheat-flour, are always termed English peas, and English flour, although such articles may come from France or America; ducks are English ducks ;

* How often trifling matters like these speak a mighty change in the "spirit of the times!"

negus is denominated sangaree, and spirits and water, swizzle.

This practice is illustrated by the following anecdote, related of a West Indian, who upon arriving for the first time at a London hotel, rang the bell for the waiter. Upon that necessary appendage to such an establishment making his appearance, the West Indian saluted him in the following Creole manner : 66 Boy! d'ye hear? give me a glass of sangaree; and let me have for dinner English ducks and Irish potatoes."

The waiter, not used to this specification of articles, was astounded; he passed his fingers musingly through his lanky locks, looked up to the ceiling, and down to his Warrenized shoes, minutely inspected the movement of a fly upon the gilded mirror, in hopes, no doubt, of deriving information from it, smoothed the unrumpled table-cover, and then being still utterly unable to comprehend the order, exclaimed, in a very lamentable tone, "I ham werry sorry, sir, but we have not got no ducks or potatoes but the common ones, and has for the other thing you hordered, we have none in the house just now."

There are several other peculiar modes of dialect observable among the Creoles. For instance: If an order is given to open or shut a window, it is, "Heave up that glass sash," or, "Haul down that glass sash;" when speaking of east and west, they invariably say windward and leeward; to throw a stone, is to fire a stone; if a person is fortunate enough to procure a good situation, it is immediately said, "He has got a capital berth;" and their men-servants, of every age, are always termed boys.*

Soon after my arrival in this island, I happened to be present, one evening, when a gentleman was deploring an accident which had lately occurred. With my mind running upon "wounds and bruises," I inquired into the circum

* Although these provincialisms happen to occur in this chapter, it is necessary to remark, that they are made use of by Creoles of every colour.

stances.

"Why, that good-for-nothing boy of mine," was the rejoinder, "went to the pond this morning, and on his way back, he knocked down my horse." I was certainly surprised at such an herculean feat, and began to think of Maximin, the Roman emperor, who, with one blow of his fist, could knock out a horse's tooth, or break its leg with a kick; but my wonder was considerably increased upon the entrance of the boy in question, for instead of his exhibiting any appearance of great strength, I found him to be, in reality, a decrepit old man. How this pilgrim of sixty summers could knock down an animal of such vast strength as a horse, I could not imagine-the mystery was more and more intricate-but at length, an elucidation was afforded, and I found out that instead of the boy knocking down the animal, the animal had knocked down him; or, in other words, the horse had fallen down with the poor old man upon his back.

My sketches of colour are completed. True it is, there are many other little peculiarities which might be noticed; but for the present I will bid the coloured classes "farewell," and turning over the page, mention a few of the "traits and trials" of the white inhabitants.

CHAPTER XLVII.

Grades among the pure in blood-Aristocrats-The tribe fungi-An overseer's duty-Managers and attorneys-Pickings and gleanings— Managers' wives and managing ladies-Aristocratic shops-"My daughters"-Education-" Field days” of the militia-The Antiguan

aide-de-camp.

As in commencing my chapter on colour, I deemed it necessary to mention the different grades and gradations among that olive-tinted race; so in writing upon the white population of Antigua, it will be first proper to remark, that there

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THE PURE IN BLOOD.

are two distinct classes to be found among them: the one born in the island, (but of course of European extraction,) and consequently termed Creoles ;* the other, persons of both sexes, who have emigrated from England in search of wealth, or whose domestic ties, or government appointments, have caused them to leave the land of their birth, and made them, for a time at least, residents in this bonny little island.+

In these two classes, then, are to be found all the descendants of the fair-haired Saxons, from the president of the island, down to the low, ignorant, but proud, pauper-proud of his untarnished blood! who, in Antiguan vulgarism, is known by the appellation of "bottom-foot buckra." Of this last-mentioned class much may be said. Many and various are their "traits" of character, and arduous their "trials" to enable them to "keep up appearances." But perhaps it may appear more orthodox to scan over the peculiarities and "manners and customs" of the "tip-tops" first.

The head of Antiguan society is of course her majesty's representative"His Excellency the Governor." Then comes the "President of the Island," who, in absence of the commander-in-chief, exercises his duties, and takes his place in society. After the president, the members of the council and house of assembly rank next among the grandees, all of whom, no doubt, are

"Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors."

Then comes the "bench and the bar,”—the occupiers of pulpits, and the followers of Galen,-government officers, and the officers of her majesty's customs,-a few gallant sons of Mars from some of England's "wooden walls," who in cruising about these seas, pay Antigua an occasional visit,

* It is an erroneous opinion held by some English people, that only coloured persons are called Creoles; the word being, in its proper sense, applied to all who are born in the West Indies.

These two classes are of course subdivided into many others, according to their different stages in society.