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mode of proceeding, she established herself and 

 her husband on the throne as headman and head- 

 woman. It was from this time that all the kings 

 of Africa have been uniformly mild and benevolent 

 sovereigns. Till then they were all tyrants, and 

 tyrants they would all still have continued, if this 

 virtuous princess had not changed the face of 

 things by drowning her father, strangling her two 

 sisters, and chopping off the heads of two or three 

 dozen of her nearest and dearest relations." 



It seems to be an indispensable requisite for a 

 Nancy-story, that it should contain a witch, or a 

 duppy, or, in short, some marvellous personage or 

 other. It is a kind of "piece d machines." But the 

 creole slaves are very fond of another species of 

 tale, which they call " Neger- tricks," and which 

 bear the same relation to a Nancy-story which a farce 

 does to a tragedy. The following is a specimen : — 



A Neger-trick. — " A man who had two wives 

 divided his provision-grounds into two parts, and 

 proposed that each of the women should cultivate 

 one half. They were ready to do their proper share, 

 but insisted that the husband should at least take 

 his third of the work. However, when they were 

 to set out, the man was taken so ill, that he found 

 it impossible to move he quite roared with pain, 

 and complained bitterly of a large lump which had 

 formed itself on his cheek during the night. The 

 wives did what they could to relieve him, but in 

 vain - y they boiled a negro-pot for him, but he was 



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