"BEES" 209 



no such thing as a white man's master in the land ; and 

 it is certain that, in the ranks of the army, there are 

 instances on record of soldiers having punched their 

 officers' heads, and yet escaped punishment. The word 

 " boss " was originally a semi-contemptuous one applied to 

 the leader of a gang or party of workers of any sort. 

 Some substitute for the word " master " being required by 

 those who objected to the term, the epithet "boss" was 

 conferred on an employer. The word is said to be 

 derived from the Dutch term laas. 



The fun was kept up all night at our husking-bee, 

 there being a somewhat liberal indulgence in wine and 

 whisky, and more than one gentleman being " merry " 

 long before the first grey light-streaks of dawning day 

 warned the company that it was time to disperse. I, 

 and others who had a long way to go to reach home, 

 were obligingly provided with beds by our kind host, 

 but the immediate neighbours returned to their own 

 houses. No fewer than three of them were kind enough 

 to invite me to frolics, otherwise bees, that were about to 

 take place on their farms. 



At these frolics there is always a good deal of 

 drinking. I never attended one at which there was 

 not a quantity of whisky consumed. Other drink, 

 consisting of wine, &c., among the well-to-do, and " cider- 

 royal " among the poorer farmers, is generally as plentiful 

 as water. This cider-royal is terrible stuff, and will 

 make a man drunk sooner than strong ale. This is 

 said to be owing to its having been stored in spirit- 

 casks to make it keep, but I strongly suspect that spirits 

 are actually added to it. Strangers to the country should 

 avoid it, as it is very apt to cause serious bowel-trouble. 

 Cakes and sweets galore also form an important item of 

 the feast, the Yankee being as fond of jam as a child. 



I have no desire to indulge in persiflage ; but the 

 Americans themselves say that these frolics are often the 

 source of trouble in families. Marriages are made up at, 



o 



