PORT ROYALi 273 



home, I declined a most agreeable invitation 

 from the governor, to accompany his family to 

 their mountain villa, and giving up all thoughts 

 of seeing more of Jamaica, I hastened back to 

 Kingston. The very next day I was to sail in 

 the steam-packet to St. Thomas's, meaning there 

 to meet the Falmouth Packet. It was arranged, 

 that when I ordered a signal to be made from 

 the top of the library at Kingston, where there 

 is a signal-staff and flags for the purpose, the 

 Gannet should send me one of her boats, to 

 take me down to Port Royal. As my ill luck 

 would have it, the signal was not attended to, 

 I waited, but waited in vain. At last my impa 

 tience would wait no longer, and I hurried out 

 with my baggage to the shore to hire a Kingston 

 boat. I embarked in one manned by four 

 negroes, and a very black steersman, with 

 serious forebodings; but my ill-humour was 

 somewhat disarmed by the oddity of the sable 

 gentleman who occupied the steerage ; whenever 

 I attempted to exclaim against the indolence of 

 the crew, he stood up on his legs, and made his 

 dark friends a regular speech expressive of his 



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