STEAMER AND LAUNCH TO HOORIE CREEK. 151 



The commissioner of health brings a charge against a coohe 

 man, on the ground that he has allowed the drains near his 

 hut to become clogged and so endangered the Public Health. 

 Mr. King reads the indictment in impressive, magisterial 

 tones, accusing the offender of having permitted his drains 

 to become foul. Foul is evidently the one word which con- 

 veys any meaning to the coolie, who exclaims in a tone of 

 relief that he has never kept any "fowls"! In British 

 Guiana the arm of the law must have a sense of humor as well 

 as of justice! 



We often wondered what was going on behind the impas- 

 sive face of little Fredericlc. Did he live in constant terror 

 or did he sometimes forget it all in the light-hearted pleasure 

 of a child ? The man convicted of his father's murder was a 

 peaiman — or medicine man, who is held in great awe and 

 reverence by his tribe. So Frederick's betrayal was doubly 

 criminal in the eyes of the superstitious Indians. 



Frederick had been brought down to Morawhanna at 

 Christmas — a little naked savage knowing not a word of 

 English. When at a loss for a word he always fell back 

 upon the civil " Sir " which Mr. King had taught him. As 

 white women were rare in Morawhanna he had never learned 

 the feminine of " Sir.'' It was very amusing to see him serv- 

 ing at table, going all around asking with great dignity, 

 "What will you have, Suh?" regardless of the sex of the guest. 

 Mr. King had taught him to knock before entering a room. 

 He was childishly delighted with the new accomplishment 

 and knocked on both entering and leaving the room. We 

 discovered that he had spent our sixpence on a belt which 

 it seems was the desire of his heart — already so sophisti- 

 cated! 



The dazed stoicism of the convicted Indian was infinitely 

 pathetic to us. This terrible thing called the Law is so 

 incomprehensible to him. He cannot understand it. When 



