taken to make the negroes sensible of the nature of the change that had taken place in their condition, and the great benefits they had to show their gratitude for, under Him who had brought them out of bondage, to their benefactors both at home and in England, who expected of them to be good Christians, good citizens, and good servants. Indeed, in all the sectarian churches I have visited in different parishes, I have never heard other advice given than that which was favourable to the maintenance of industry and obedience; and if I were to particularise any sectarian instructer whose constant endeavours were directed to the public advantage, as well as to the moral improvement of his flock, I might name a poor negro preacher of the Baptist persuasion. "Parson Kellick," as the negroes call him, who officiates in a spacious chapel nearly opposite my present abode.

The first of August passed over without the slightest disorder. I did not see a single drunken negro, nor any great appearance of exultation, except that which in the subdued form of grateful piety I witnessed in the churches.

In fact, for a great festival, it was as quiet a day as can be well imagined. The only symptoms I saw of turbulent joy were on the part of some negro urchins, who were throwing stones at a drunken sailor, and who, whenever poor Jack made a reel after them, scampered away, shouting most lustily to each other," What for you run away? we all free now! buckra can't catch we! hurra for fuss of Augus! hi, hi, fuss of Augus! hurra for fuss of Augus!" Then the young élite of the liberated blacks would courageously wheel round and give poor Jack another volley of pebbles, and cut all manner of ridiculous capers before him. This was the only emanation of the great spirit that had just walked abroad, that I happened to get a glimpse of.

There was a large dinner, however, of negroes and of free coloured people in Kingston, at which there

was no dearth of negro eloquence after the removal of the cloth.

But on the north side of the island the sable exclusives got up some dignity balls on an extensive scale, to one of which the lady patronesses invited Sir Ames Norcott and the officers of his staff; and the worthy General, who has no need of haughtiness for the maintenance of that respect which his character commands, I am told, attended one of the Almacks that is really in the west.

The letter which did the office of the Morning Post, describes the party as being numerously attended, and breaking up at a late hour; and omitted not to state that nothing could exceed the urbanity of the lady patronesses, and the indefatigable exertions of the Sambo stewards. Miss Quashabo, belonging to Mr. C—, led off with Mr. Cupid, belonging to Mr. M-, while Mrs. Juno, belonging to Mr. P-, received the blacks and buckras. But as there are no more slaves to be registered, I will dispense with the owners. Mr. Wilber

force danced with all his might and main with Miss Whaunica; Horace tripped it on the light fantastic toe with Mrs. Mackaroo; while Mr. Mangrove thumped it on the long projecting heel with Miss Diana Pullfoot. The harmony of the evening was only once disturbed by Mr. Quacco, a coppersmith, intimating to Wellington, a free tailor, that he was a dam black neger, for putting his arm by accident round the waist of his partner, Mrs. Weenus; but as the miss-take of property was nothing else, and could be nothing but a mistake, the intimation and the apology were only made in a whisper: so the dancing was resumed, and one of Hart's best-known quadrilles was done great justice to on a bonjoo and a gombah, the violoncello and kettle-drum of the negro orchestra. On the whole, there never was such a twinkling of black feet in Jamaïca as the night of the first of August in Montega Bay: it seemed as if the Abolition Bill had made the limbs of the dark-com

plexioned ladies and gentlemen as lively as their hearts; and there was no end to the pleasure and perspiration of the evening, till the head of the gombah was fairly beaten in, and the last string of the bonjoo was scraped to pieces. I am, my dear Sir,

Yours, truly,

R. R. M.

LETTER XXIII.

THE LIONS OF KINGSTON.

To MRS. HOLLAND.

MY DEAR MADAM,

Kingston, August, 1834.

When it pleases the Jews to execute the drama, the poor victim to the injured laws of histrionic art is led forth before the eyes of the Hebrew multitude, (literally, in the place of public execution,) and, after various mutilations and unheard-of cruelties, that most unfortunate man, Mr. William Shakspeare, undergoes the extreme penalty of a representation of his plays in Kingston. Figure to yourself Romeo and Juliet in the agonies of such a representation-the most sentimental of lovers in the hands of a strapping Hebrew storekeeper-and the beautiful Juliet enacted by a lubberly Jew-boy from a linen-drapery establishment: fancy the awful strides of Capulet's daughter in the garden scene: imagine the terrific screams in the balcony, Romeo swearing like a trooper of Mantua by the

"Blessed moon,

That tips with silver all the fruit-tree tops-"

that he is desperately in love: while the gentle Juliet, whose petticoats are rather too scanty to conceal the

peeping extremities of a pair of Russia-duck inexpressibles, is straining her cracked voice,

"To lure her tassel-gentle back again."

But Romeo, in all probability is swigging some lastimported London particular at the wing, and can hardly be brought to time, while

"Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud;

Else would she tear the cave where echo lies,

And make her airy tongues more hoarse than hers,
With repetition of her Romeo's name."

As it is, however, she manages to "split the ears of the groundlings," and to inform the real "black Orangemen," and women outside the walls, "how silver sweet sound lovers' tongues by night;" while the genuine black-guards from the adjoining barracks in the gallery are struck all of a heap, at the idea of cutting up the poor fat buckra, in the tight hose, into little stars, and converting his grease into tallow candles,-which is the only way they can imagine of making the heavens look more bright by means of buckra's fatness.

On Saturday night the theatre is generally open in the cooler months: the lower tier of boxes is filled with the beauty and fashion of Israel in Kingston; and some wondrous pretty women there are too among the daughters of Zion in Jamaica, whose black, brilliant, oriental eyes possess the power of transfixing those on whom they chance to fall. No "stony limits can hold love out," where so much beauty is often assembled in one small box. Excellent Stilton cheese and admirable salt butter may be purchased in the morning of some of the fashionables, who are the "observed of all observers," in this same theatre in the evening; but what signify Stilton cheese and salt butter in comparison with the diamonds and pearls, and precious stones, and trinkets of gold and silver, which glare and sparkle in the front row of the dress-circle. There is one of the performers who plays melodramatic characters with a

considerable degree of talent. A passion for theatricals unfortunately induced him to assume the sock and buskin; he got tired of the stage, and, getting tired of the stage, he got tired of his life, and swallowed poison. To make assurance doubly sure, he dissolved a large quantity of an active poison in a very powerful menstruum; and, as a matter of course, having said, like Romeo," Here's to my love," he drank the potion. But the deuce of the matter was-the menstruum was so nauseous-the poison would not stay down: a medical man was sent for in great haste: the poor actor was said to be in the agonies of death: the doctor found him in a very perilous situation, but still entertained some hopes of his recovery. In the midst of this unpleasant scene, a brother actor of his entered the room in the slow and measured step of theatrical affliction, with one dusky finger pressed on his left temple, and a whole big hand expanded over the region of the heart: he walked towards the doctor. This is a sad business, sir," said the doctor.-" Awful, sir!" responded the actor, in a tragic tone that one might expect to issue from the ghost of Talma-" very awful, indeed!" He approached the bed-side of the poor gentleman. "Ah, my friend," he exclaimed, "is it come to this? Is it thus that I see you? The play for Saturday announced but yesterday your name in the bills, and no chance of your appearance!"

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The poor gentleman, however, ultimately recovered, and is at present the only tolerable actor of the corps dramatique of this island. The actors are not always the only performers at this theatre, for the rising generation of the Hebrews sometimes performs pugilistic exploits. A scene of this kind lately occurred, which relieved the actors on the stage a good deal; for, as the attention of an audience cannot be directed two ways at once, however good the performance, it invariably turns from the stage to the scene of action in front of it.

A country of which our earliest knowledge is only of