Census Comicalities 87 
same time he goa pound. (Aside). All dis d— foolish papah (paper) and not a d— 
ting behin’ it.” Thoroughly convinced now of sinister motive on the part of 
the Enumerator she turns away reflecting how nearly she had come to grief, like 
the foolish goat, alluded to in her simile, ‘who, escaping from bounds, capers on 
to the public highway in jubilant freedom there to fall into the hands of the 
catcher of strays. 
Perhaps, of all the questions to be answered in connection with the Census, that 
relating to age has proved the one most fruitful of incident and difficulty for the 
poor Enumerator. Certainly spinsters and other ladies 0 uncertain age would 
seem to regard the occasion as one on which they were privileged to prevaricate in 
a most unblushing manner. The astounding assertion made in all seriousness 
by a toothless old dame, that she was “20 years” of age, affords ground for the 
belief that the desire to misstate one’s age isat least one form of mental aber- 
ration, for on recovery from his sl.ock of surprise the Enumerator discovered 
that the ancient dame was ‘touched ’in her head. This should serve as a 
warning to all ladies possessed of the desire to suppress their real ages. 
“Thirty years ” was the surprising declaration of another old party. “Oh! 
no old woman,” remonstrated the polite Enumerator, “I know your grand 
daughter well and she is older than that.” “ An’ is wha’ yo’ and de King want wid 
me age, nigger man ? Ah yo’ gogie money ‘cording toage ? ifso put am down 
100, no so, go an ask de rat; dem fo: am, for is dey carry ’way me age paper.” 
Anothe: instance in which a woman’s age was lost is narrated of an African 
who when asked the age of his wife stated that he was not in a position to furnish 
the desired information because, “ W’en a did marry to she she mudda did tek 
away she age an’ gie it to she sister.’ In both these instances, it might be ex- 
plained, what it was intended to convey was that the baptismal certificate was 
not available, having been taken away in the manner indicated. 
“Me no got no age at all,” was the answer given by an old son of the soil who, 
when it was explained that what was wanted was the time he was born, conveyed 
the required information in the following round about and somewhat indefinite 
fashion :—*‘Oh! lil’ after the good old Lady Queen been mek Queen, so 
dem tell me ; me t’ink me and she son a’ mattie ’’ (contemporaries). 
Another answer in the form of a conundrum was that given by a coolie man, 
“Sammy” gravely inviting the Enumerator to fix the ages of his three children 
by three coconut trees planted to celebrate their births. 
The Census synchronising with the approaching Coronation of His Majesty 
these two events have, by some curious process of reasoning, been connected: 
“Ts wha’ yo bring dis papah to me fo’ 2?” enquired a querulous old dame.“ Is 
mo’ tax yo’ want for put ‘pon me ? Ah now understan’ de t’ing . De King wan’ 
fo’ have a gran’ Coronation to beat he fadda own an’ so dem wan’ to raise de 
taxes so as to make de Coronation a gran’ ting.” 
While Quashie has been sorely perplexed at the various questions to be 
answered, Sammy has been puzzled at the method of distribution and collection 
