8 



ARRIVAL AT KINGSTON, 



and star apples and other fruits, which our passengers were 

 expected to purchase. The empty boats were waiting for 

 a fare. Such of our company as proposed to land at 

 Jamaica, including myself, soon made a selection from the 

 group, and debarked with our baggage with as little delay 

 as possible. Before we reached the shore, the steamer was 

 ploughing her way again across the bay, on her route to 

 Chagres. 



We were compelled to stop at Port Koyal, to have our 

 baggage inspected by the custom-house officers, before 

 going over to Kingston. The revenue officers were mostly 

 colored people. I saw but one white oarsman in any of 

 the revenue boats, and in that one, the coxswain was a 

 colored man. 



When the ceremony of inspection was over, we re-dis- 

 tributed ourselves in our boats, and bore away for Kingston, 

 about six miles distant, on the opposite side of the bay. 

 We had four colored oarsmen, under the command of 

 Commodore Brooks, himself, a very black man, with very 

 white linen, whose broad pennant of red, with a white 

 ball, swung at the mast head, to indicate that he was senior 

 officer of the port. He told me that he received his com- 

 mission from the admiral on the station, and that no other 

 boatmen were at liberty to raise the red flag, but himself. 

 I was amused at the style in which these pretensions were 

 asserted, and asked him what he would do if one were so 



