SKETCHES AT THE NICOBARS. 26'7 
their mode of dress rather enhanced their charms. On their 
necks the quantity of silver circlets appeared to be only 
limited by their means, and their fingers were some of them 
half covered with silver wire. A fathom of blue cloth was 
wrapped round their loins but in front it was brought as low 
as decency permitted. The dancing was continued with 
unmitigated ardour, refreshments were not wanting, a kind 
of drinking booth was established by the dancers, and when¬ 
ever a young miss or an exquisite wanted their negus or their 
ice, they just left the company for an instant, took their 
mouthful of toddy, and their whiff of tobacco, and speedily 
regained their place in the circle. Jim Booth did not as 
yet mix in the dance; as for John Bull, his dancing days 
were over, and considering his figure, which was rather un~ 
weildy, having a back about twice the length of his legs, I 
should much doubt if at any time of his career he could have 
come the polka. But Jem Booth was the regular pet of the 
Fancy, young ladies would slap him quam familiariter on 
the shoulder, and look at him with glances which told him 
what a nice young man he was; but there was something 
in his countenance which betokened that all was not right. 
His spirit appeared to have deserted him, and I cannot help 
thinking that he was suffering on our account, although 
he would not acknowledge it. He evidently had great re¬ 
pute as a doctor, for old ladies afflicted with stomach 
ache would crowd around him, bringing a cocoanut-shell 
full of water and beg him for a little doctor's stuff,—at 
which Jem with an air of most profound wisdom would 
pull off his hat, take out his bottle of salts, and after 
taking about enough to have worked a tom-tit slightly, 
he enclosed the pinch which he had taken between his 
finger and thumb, sprinkled the contents on the surface 
of the water, and sent them away with the injunction, I 
suppose, not to over dose themselves. About 1 a.m. Jim 
Booth, John Bull, Captain H, and myself adjourned to sup¬ 
per, where we had roast pig and kaladie boiled, served up on 
a leaf. When I saw the pork my stomach rebelled, and I 
contented myself with a plantain or two. We again repair¬ 
ed to the dance, but I was now getting drowsy and we retired 
for the night. We found some wretched hovels where we 
ensconsed ourselves. The next morning at 6 a.M. we return¬ 
ed to the dancing, which was kept up with unabated vigour. 
All the female population had now turned out, and although 
they were rather fatigued from over-exertion and too much 
liquor, they still persevered with unflinching courage. Th e 
H h 
