120 



TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



of English. She had a splendid figure, refined man- 

 ners, was well educated, a good musician and had a 

 sweet voice. Owing to these accomplishments her 

 society was much sought after, and she frequently 

 sang and played at the concerts given on board. 



One moonlight night she and her two lady com- 

 panions were promenading the deck when an indivi- 

 dual, who posed as a gentleman, having, perhaps, in- 

 bibed more than was good for him, accosted her and 

 made certain improper proposals to her which, when, 

 she came to understand, she indignantly resented, and 

 in her broken English complained to a group of us 

 who were sitting together. She was not long in hav- 

 ing the satisfaction of seeing her insult er get his 

 deserts, which he did not, during the remainder of the 

 voyage — or perhaps up to the present day, if he is still 

 alive — forget, He ran away, and meeting Mr. Smyth 

 complained of the frightful treatment he had receiv- 

 ed from those " wild Irishmen, your countrymen. ' * 

 This caused a great commotion ; and here Mr. Smyth 

 comes into the story. He had, previous to this, learned 

 from us that we were coming out to the Trinidad 

 police, and in his good natured way had promised to 

 look after us ; but on this occasion, forgetting himself 

 and probably thinking he could bully us, — as I after- 

 wards learned he was in the habit of bullying the 

 police of this colony, — he strode up and demanded to 

 know ' i where is the blackguard that has assaulted 

 my friend ? ' ? One of the five stepped forward and 

 thus accosted him : — " Mr. Smyth, I am one of those 

 whom you designate 6 blackguards ; ' I think the term 



