BLANCHISSEUSE. 121 



half-biiried in fruit-trees and vegetables, and fenced in with 

 hedges of scarlet Hibiscus ; the wooded mountains shading 

 them to the south, the sea thundering behind them to the 

 north. As we came up we heard a bell, and soon were aware 

 of a brown mob running, with somewhat mysterious in the 

 midst. Was it the Host ? or a funeral? or a fight ? Soon the 

 mob came up with profound salutations, and smiles of self- 

 satisfaction, evidently thinking that they had done a fine thing; 

 and disclosed, hanging on a long bamboo, their one church- 

 bell. Their old church (a clay and timber thing of their own 

 liandyw^ork) had become ruinous ; and they dared not leave 

 their bell aloft in it. But now they ^vere going to build 

 themselves a new and larger church, Government giving them 

 the site ; and the bell, being on furlough, was put into requisi- 

 tion to ring in His Excellency the Governor and his muddy 

 and quaintly attired or unattired suite. 



Ah, that I could have given a detailed picture of the scene 

 before the police court-house the coloured folk, of all hues 

 of skin, all types of feature, and all gay colours of dress, 

 crow^ding round, the tall stately brown policeman, Thompson, 

 called forward and receiving with a nulitary salute the 

 Governor's commendations for havim:^ saved, at the risk of 

 his life, some sliipwrecked folk out of the surf close by; 

 and the flash of his eye when he heard that he w^as to receive 

 the Humane vSocietv's medal from Enojland, and to have his 



