Cock-Fighting in Georgetown. 
19 
everything'. Art had not been quite able to overcome Nature, which 
gradually commenced to recover her disputed sovereignty. 
170. The gentlemen are the faithfully reflected images of the ladies. 
A black or blue frock-coat covers the faultless shoulders: a red, yellow, 
or sky-blue vest worked in with gold — this is enclosed with a huge 
watch-chain and heavy pendant, from which one would in most cases tell 
the time in vain — covers the powerful chest: the white dancing pumps 
neatly laced up to the knees: the silk stockings and red or yellow shoes 
emphasize to advantage the slim build of the extremities. A Master 
of the Ceremonies, with hat under his left arm, leads the dance and 
tries to curb the all too lively “Irresistibles.’’ One hardly knows which 
to consider the more ridiculous, the costume, or the continual turning, 
bowing and scraping of the man stuck inside it. Our German provin- 
cial townsman knows how to offer Mr. Burgomaster his snuff-box real- 
ly graciously enough: but compared with the elegance of the creole 
negro, that is only shade as compared with brilliant sunshine, while the 
skipping around of the Teuton when he happens to reach the door at (ho 
same time as Mr. Syndicate or Mr. Senator are only shavings in con- 
trast with Hercules’ club. Questions like “How is my lady Aurora to- 
day,” or “Why is nrv lady Daphne not here yet?" are to be heard re- 
peated in thousandfold echoes. 
177. Nevertheless, this polished exterior of an aped etiquette soon 
crumbles again into its rightly recalled natural state by the inordinate 
taste for champagne and other liquor : — boundless brutality replaces the 
initial polish, and the powerful blows of the equally powerful fist quickly 
put the whole pack of divinities to rout. This last stage is the ever re- 
curring refrain with all gatherings of negroes, be they creole or not. 
178. The weekly evening socials of the Prince Eegent Society, the 
Victoria Society, and Fancy (Mask) Balls of the creole negroes all wind 
up with bleeding heads, torn dress-clothes, rent garments, and tattered 
spencers, and the English merchant or officer whose company has been 
requested with a perfumed card of invitation must haste to reach the 
doors before the boiling passions exceed all limits. 
170. Cock-fighting, that probably has been handed down from the 
English, together with its associated betting and disorderliness is held by 
the negroes in even higher estimation than dancing. The limitless licen- 
tiousness finally forced the Governor to prohibit these exhibitions under 
the severest penalties, but nevertheless without being able to suppress 
them. Just as in Europe gambling lias been driven from public resorts 
into thieves’ dens and behind secret doors, so cock-fighting has been forc- 
ed here into enclosed yards or spacious rooms, but as the pugnacious 
fury of (he birds becomes rapidly supplanted by that of (he spectators 
now thoroughly aroused, it requires no delicate sense of tracking on the 
part of the police, as in Europe, for the offenders to lx* discovered: the 
indiscriminate shouting, together with the hefty thumping blows of the 
combatants indicate not only within the city, but also outside it in the 
forest, on the Easter Tuesday, (lie places where (he law is being broken. 
ISO. Easter Tuesday from (lie remotest times was (lie special heyday 
for cock-fights. Since its prohibition the yards and rooms have nowa- 
days become too small. The location in the forest already fixed upon 
