XAYMACA; THE ISLAND OF MANY RIVERS 305 



twelve shillings per month, in the country districts, 

 and find themselves. The peasant women were uni- 

 formly courteous ; as they passed us on the road or 

 the woodland paths, they courtesied politely, and 

 greeted me with " Mawnin', ole Massa," " Mawnin', 

 my sweet lub," to my young friend and assistant. 

 The men lacked graciousness for the most part ; 

 they are taciturn, and often sullen. In Kingston 

 we met with numerous instances of their rudeness. 

 It is said that they particularly dislike Americans. 

 One day Mrs. Scott and Mr. D were re- 

 turning from Kingston by train, which was very 

 crowded, they being the only white passengers. A 

 black man seated behind Mrs. Scott leaned for- 

 ward and placed his elbows on the back of her 

 seat, much to her discomfort. She asked him 

 politely to remove his arms, whereupon a portly 

 brown man, immaculately dressed in white duck, 

 of much self-importance, remarked that " if the 

 American person is uncomfortable, she had better 

 leave the car, the gentleman can do as he pleases 



with his elbows," etc. Mr. D cut short this 



tirade in a peremptory manner, the gentleman 

 withdrew the offending elbows, but the muttered 

 comments and surly looks of the other passengers 

 showed us plainly that we were unwelcome in- 

 truders. One of the ordinances of Jamaica for- 

 bids a white man, under penalty of fine and 

 imprisonment, to swear at a black man. The 



