284 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 



bananas, oranges, and sapadillos, or sour-sops, came 

 a decanter of rum, a little cup of black coffee with 

 sugar, and cigarettes. My vis-a-vis at these delight- 

 ful repasts was the Commissaire of Police, an ex- 

 officer of the navy of France, and a Chevalier of the 

 Legion of Honor. It need not be added that he was 

 courteous and agreeable. 



The Creoles of Martinique, as well as the inhabi- 

 tants coming from France, have but few vices, the 

 chief of which is that they will smoke the vilest, rank- 

 est, most disgusting of cigars. These obnoxious 

 fabrications are of Americap tobacco, twisted by the 

 hand of the negress, or mulattress, into a long cigar, 

 called by the sailors " long-toms," and sold at a sou 

 apiece. The better classes smoke cigarettes of im- 

 ported French tobacco, and are as expert in rolling 

 them when wanted as any Cuban ; but the negroes 

 all, male and female, smoke the "long-toms." In 

 enumerating the good qualities of my ancient cook, I 

 overlooked the fact that from morn to night, while at- 

 tending to her domestic duties, anxiously bending over 

 the pots and kettles, she never once relinquished the 

 comforting weed. 



Through the kindness of the photographer of St. 

 Pierre, Monsieur Hartmann, an amiable and accom- 

 plished gentleman, I was introduced into the cercle> 

 or club, where French in its purity is spoken. The 

 universal language, however, is that of the common 

 people, the patois, or provincial dialect; and even the 

 cultivated speak, colloquially, the French tongue in 

 this rude form. The prejudice against everything not 

 exclusively French is exceedingly bitter, though the 

 increasing amount of foreign imports is bringing 



