TENPIN-ALLEY AT VASSE. 143 



but in none of these places do the inhabitants display 

 a church-going spirit. During the hours of divine 

 service the publicans close their dens, but always 

 manage to supply their customers with the ardent 

 on the sly. They consider the closing of their houses 

 very unjust ; and one of them, in inveighing against 

 the tyranny of the laws, gave this as an instance : 

 lie mentioned that the government had prohibited 

 card-pla}ing, or any other game of chance or plea- 

 sure — even going so far as to forbid bowling-saloons ; 

 and that they were led to pass the act by a quarrel 

 arising from a game of cards played for pastime at a 

 public liouse in Vasse, in which one of the players 

 was killed. Speaking of bowling-saloons, or skittles, 

 as they are called here, reminds me that we heard, 

 previous to our visit to Vasse, that there was a fine 

 bowling-alley there. Congratulating ourselves on this 

 fact, we counted on a game at tenpins as not the 

 least of our anticipated pleasures; but, lo, and 

 behold! when we visited it, we found a floor of 

 mahogany boards, some two feet wide and twelve 

 long. The pins w^ere of the 'most outlandish shape, 

 and could scarcely be made to retain an upright 

 position, even when held. The balls were nearer 

 oval than round, and as rough on their surface as a 

 cocoa-nut with the hull on. There were only two 

 of these ; and when you had discharged them, you 

 were constrained to walk to the farther end of the 

 alley, and carry them back for another trial. After 

 vainly endeavoring for a few minutes to make the 

 balls roll in a straight line, we gave the attempt up 

 as hopeless, and left the skittle-ground, thoroughly 

 convinced of its demerits. 



