Fifty Years Recollections of British Guiana. 267 
far beyond the limits of this colony. WhenI went to the Buxton District one 
of the first cases brought to me was a child supposed to have been sucked by an 
Old Hag. The basis of the superstition is a belief in the existence of vampires. 
The people are very musical. When the foundation of the Stabroek Market 
was being dug, the work was found to be very laborious and the labourers 
showed a disposition to shirk it. The plan was adopted of playing merry tunes 
on a fiddle while the people worked. The result was the speedy completion of 
the work. 
Dr. Edghill was in the colony some years ago; he was a master of the piano 
and the banjo. He set some of the songs sung by the river boatmen to music 
and sang them to his own accompaniment. 
I will mention here an interesting feature of the colony. The colony has 
long been famed for its hospitality. Dr. Dalton says in his History—‘‘ The 
virtues of hospitality and generosity were practised to a higher degree perhaps 
than in any other country, every comfort and luxury that wealth could procure 
was lavished on him (the guest), his wishes anticipated, his desires excited to 
be directly gratified, and the very passions of the guest were as much pandered 
to as his tastes and feelings.’ 
A few remarks about phrases commonly used by the people. The word mash 
hasseveral meanings: A masher is a gay youngspark. You tread ona man’s 
toe, you mash his toe. You mash a girl, you flirt with her.. A man massages 
your skin, he mashes your skin. 
Brackish. Water half salt and half fresh is brackish. A person convalescent 
but not yet fully recovered is brackish. 
Mind. “ You must mind me good.’’ “The mind gie me to work.” 
An Orphan. A man of fifty will speak of himself as a poor orphan (his mother 
and his father being dead), and he has no one to mind him. 
Teetotal Curse. The people have a great dread of getting a teetotal curse. 
I remember a man in authority who did not swear, but he found fault with 
those under him in plain terms, and did not mince matters. The people 
thought such scolding worse than when “ swear ”’ words were used. 
“ Wicked” means mischievous. 
ce 
Proverbs. Cervantes described proverbs as “short sentences founded on 
long experience.” ‘‘ Younga gal hart like san’ a seashore, you write yeu 
name deh, fust wave come wash am out,”’ is an expressive proverb. “Silk 
and scarlet ah sin mamma.” 
A dignitary in London said toa lady: ‘‘ Remember, madam, thatthe wages 
of sin is death. *’ The lady replied, “No, sir, in London it is diamonds.” 
This may illustrate the idea of the latter proverb. 
There are many proverbs, but the limited space at my disposa wlill not allow 
me to enlarge on this part of my subject. 
