Chap. XIII.— B. R.J A “ DIGNITY ” AT PORT ROYAL. 219 
much impressed with the situation, and brimfull of 
self-complacency; hut it requires the pen of a Dickens 
to do full justice to the scene. 
The heat was stifling; and the aroma—well, it cer¬ 
tainly had not the fragrance of the desert air, loaded 
as it was with bouquet cPAfrique. I thought seriouly 
of retreating, however one retreat in a day is disgrace 
enough; so there was no help for it, hut to see if our 
sisters of Port Eoyal were better conducted than our 
brothers of Kingston. The native atmosphere was 
wafted about in whiffs sufficiently strong to do away 
with any chance of fainting. Nevertheless, I found 
myself dancing. It came about in this wise: Miss 
Josephine sailed up to me, and, by dint of coaxing and 
entreaty, persuaded me to accompany her across the 
room to a bright mulatto from Hayti, to whom I was 
formally introduced in the most approved fashion, and 
whom I led out for a waltz with as much decorum as 
I could command. She really danced well, and seemed 
to enjoy herself immensely, especially when I stopped 
a perambulating supper-tray and invited her to par¬ 
take of whatever she liked. However, the inexorable 
Josephine came up and told my partner to sit down 
like a lady, and give some one else a chance of the 
captain. 
Fairly in Miss Josephine’s clutches, I had to do as 
she bade me, and ask another lady to dance—this time 
a creole of Jamaica, a countrywoman of mine, as Jose¬ 
phine proudly remarked. The young lady, however, 
did not respond to my invitation with the alacrity of 
the Yankee, who jumped up like lightning, and 
