272 DOTTINGS ON THE ROADSIDE. [Chap.XYI.—B.P. 
“ still, I fear your remark does not hold good as 
regards a Yankee. When I was a hoy, I looked upon 
the Yankees as, next to Englishmen, the most honest 
and truthful people in the world, and I used to read 
at Jamaica and Belize anything relating to the pro¬ 
gress of their nation with delight; hut now I scarcely 
know how to express my contempt for them. Their 
first thought in business is ‘smartness;’ in other 
words, how best to advance their interests by lying 
and cheating; those who succeed through this means 
have the undisguised admiration of their fellow- 
countrymen, and no tricks are too mean or cowardly 
for them to practise to gain their ends. I tell you 
what it is,” said the King, with much emphasis, “ I 
would far sooner be a ‘ poor Indian ’ than the best 
Yankee gentleman in the States,—if such a being as a 
born gentleman is to be found there, of which I have 
my doubts. I have never seen one myself, and I am 
told the same by others who have enjoyed good oppor¬ 
tunities of observing the Yankee at home and abroad.” 
I could only reply, that the King had, no doubt, 
good grounds for his strong feeling against the Yankees, 
if only from the outrage committed by their govern¬ 
ment in the bombardment and subsequent burning of 
the commercial and undefended town of Greytown, 
and I was free to allow that a more wanton, cowardly, 
and unprovoked attack could not have been perpe¬ 
trated ; but still, I thought I knew some who would 
do credit to any country. The King muttered the 
old saying, “ scratch a Russian and you find a Cos¬ 
sack,” which I had often heard applied to the Yankees 
