292 



A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



the streets, urged on by their impish drivers— all forming a 

 scene tropical and picturesque in the extreme. But, as if to 

 shadow the lively picture with gloom, directly in front of the 

 hotel arose the high walls of an old convent, now seamed and 

 going to ruin. Nothing was more calculated to call up sad 

 thoughts than this old building, with parasite plants growing 

 from the crevices of its roofless, windowless walls, whose stones 

 they were forcing asunder. 



The " American Hotel," from its massiveness, might have 

 been some ecclesiastical building. In the courtyard was a 

 huge tank, and around it several of the ship's passengers, in a 

 state of nature, were taking an upright bath under the manipu- 

 lations of as many black grooms. Above some wordy war- 

 fare among these human hostlers I heard some one say, " I'm 

 no Jamaica nigger ; I'm from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, I 

 am." These words so startled me that I w^ent among the 

 splashing bathers, and singling the speaker out found his 

 name to be Robert Grose, and that he had once lived with 

 Stacy Brown, of Brownsburg. He had drifted here, where he 

 was stranded until he could get away. Among the outlandish 

 Jamaica negroes with whom he had been confounded he 

 seemed like a lost black sheep. He was overjoyed to see one 

 from his own native county, and was anxious to get back 

 again. 



At 9 o'clock the notes of a bugle rang out upon the air as a 

 signal for all citizens and strangers within the gates to get to 

 their homes, permanent or temporary, or go to the calaboose. 

 Hardly had the tantarara died away before the idlers and 

 street merchants were hurrying home. The day's excitement 

 being ended I betook myself to a large hall in the hotel, where, 

 among a host of others, I lay down ; but sleep w^as impossible 

 for a long time. The sickly season was beginning ; the air was 

 damp and sultry, and it seemed to me as if Death was around 

 picking out victims. The building seemed to swing to and 



