SLAVES AT PANAMA. 



153 



some festival of their own, which they had assem- 

 bled to celebrate in this way. 



I was half disappointed, at discovering nothing 

 appropriate or plaintive in their music ; on the 

 contrary, it was extremely lively, and seemed the 

 result of light-hearted mirth. Many of the groups 

 were singing, not without taste and spirit, a pa- 

 triotic song of the day, long well known in the 

 independent states of the south, but only recent- 

 ly imported into the isthmus. The burden of the 

 song was Libertad ! Libertad ! Libertad ! but I 

 conceive not one of these wretches attached the 

 slightest meaning to the words, but repeated them 

 merely from their accordance with the music. 

 While listening, however, to these slaves, singing 

 in praise of freedom, it was difficult not to believe 

 that some portion of the sentiment must go along 

 with the music : yet I believe it was quite other- 

 wise, and that the animation with which they 

 sung, was due entirely to the lively character of 

 the song itself, and its happening to be the fa- 

 shionable air of the day. There was something 

 discordant to the feelings in all this ; and it was 

 painful to hear these poor people singing in praise 



