60 



INTELLECTUAL AND IMITATIVE 



listening, pronounced to be ' plain Dutch nor was 

 it long before we had a specimen of as * plain 

 English.' After our ears were saluted with the 

 squalling and screaming of a fowl in distress, and, 

 indeed, in the act of being strangled, which excited 

 our astonishment, as we could see all around us, the 

 voice of a boy under flagellation was heard, crying 

 out most lustily, < O Lord, sir ! O Lord, sir ! I '11 



be d d if it was I, sir ; I never saw the old cock 



before, sir ! ' To unravel this mystery, we went back 

 to the house once more, and in making known the 

 strange circumstance, we were conducted to the 

 garden, and a tree was pointed out to us, where we 

 saw, almost enveloped in the thick foliage, the arch 

 deceiver in the shape of a large Cockatoo. I was at 

 a loss v/hich to admire most, the half-stifled and 

 broken sobbing, (if I may so call it,) of the fowl, or 

 the outcry of the boy, as detected in killing and 

 stealing what belonged to his neighbour. The girls 

 told us that their father had lately given the amazing 

 price of fifteen dollars for this bird in Cape Town ; 

 tliat it spoke in different languages, but that in alj 

 of them it made use of such gross expressions, and 

 swore so profanely, they supposed they should soon 

 be obliged to part with it. Nor would they stay 

 long in the garden, possibly feai'ing a repetition of 

 * plain Dutch ' by the same author. It was a 

 remarkably fine bird, in full feather, and nearly 

 white ; and in sliutting its eyes, a large sort of fan, 

 as if turning on a spindle, rose-wp on either side 

 from the neck, and covered them completely." 



