153 



As to fish, the variety is endless ; but I think 

 it rather consists in variety of names than of fla- 

 vour. From this, however, I must except the Silk- 

 Fish and Mud-Fish, and above all, the Mountain- 

 Mullet, which is almost the best fish that I ever 

 tasted. All the shell-fish, that I have met with 

 as yet, have been excellent ; the oysters have 

 not come in my way, but I am told that they are 

 not only poor and insipid, but frequently are so 

 poisonous that I had better not venture upon them ; 

 and so ends this chapter of the " Ahnanach des 

 Gourmands " for Jamaica. 



January SO* 

 There were above twenty ladies literally at my 

 feet this morning. I went down to the negro- 

 village to speak to Bessie about going to her 

 black doctor; and all the refractory females of 

 last week heard of my being there, and came in a 

 body to promise better conduct for the future, 

 and implore me not to go away. The sight of my 

 carriage getting ready to take me to Kingston, 

 and the arrival of post-horses, had alarmed them 

 with the idea that I was really going to put my 

 threats into execution of leaving them for ever. 

 They had artfully enough prevailed on the wife 

 of Clifford (the driver whom Whannica had col- 

 lared) to be their spokes- woman ; and they begged, 

 and lifted up their folded hands, and cried, and fell 

 on the ground, and kissed my feet — and, in short, 



