

ST. LUZIA. 



139 



them for the milk ; and they addressed me say- 

 ing, that they wished to know if I had intended 

 to insult them, by offering payment, as such 

 things were not customary in their country : — 

 the guide had told me I should affront them, 

 and therefore I had brought this upon myself; 

 but I put them into good humour by answering 

 that they would pardon my mistake, when I 

 told them, that I belonged to a country, in 

 which we were obliged to purchase the sand 

 with which we scoured our houses. They then 

 said, that the boy, on going for the milk, had 

 mentioned that there was an Englishman in 

 company, whom they wished much to see, as 

 it was a bicho, an animal, they had never seen. 

 I said that he was gone with the horses, and 

 would soon return. I meant John, — however 

 the guide soon told them that I was an English- 

 man. Their countenances showed much disap- 

 pointment, when they were persuaded that this 

 was true ; they had expected to see some strange 

 beast. John soon came, and he certainly was a 

 curiosity, for he did not speak Portugueze ; and 

 when any thing went wrong, he swore away in 

 English, at which they were all astonishment : 

 they said, " He speaks the negro language. *" 

 They sat upon the ground near to my hammock, 

 and asked me of the news from Pernambuco, 

 for they cared about nothing more distant. I 



Falla a lingua de negro." 



