322 JHE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



a great fetish-man, his face and body being seamed 

 and scarred all over, whilst his forehead was covered 

 with chalk and coloured earth. Dressed "up to the 

 nines " in an old breech- clout and a crownless hat, 

 he was altogether the ugliest dog I ever saw, and 

 much resembled that specimen of humanity alluded 

 to by the poet, when^ — 



" Two single ladies, and one married; 

 By looking at him all miscarried" — 



The names of my " boys " were Tom Dick — the 

 most intelligent looking amongst them, whom I 

 dubbed coxswain — Whistle, Pompey, Cockroach, 

 Smoke, and Cupid. Taking them all in all, I had 

 no reason to be dissatisfied with my selection, for 

 they turned out very fairly, and although by nature 

 they are all cowards, pilferers and drunkards, I 

 found them hard-working, obedient, and generally 

 well-behaved. Kroomen are comparatively a 

 cleanly race, and unquestionably superior in morale 

 to the Sierra Leone negroes who call them " bush- 

 niggers." With kind but firm treatment they do 

 good service, always singing as they work. As 

 boatmen they excel, being almost indefatigable at 



