The party at dinner was a large one; every thing in good style, wines
superb, turtle, &c., magnificent, and the company exceedingly
companionable. A Mr Francis Fyall, (a great planting attorney, that is,
an agent for a number of proprietors of estates, who preferred living in
England, and paying a commission to him for managing in Jamaica, to facing
the climate themselves,) to whom I had an introduction, rather posed me,
by asking me during dinner, if I would take any thing in the long way with
him, which he explained by saying he would be glad to take a glass of
small beer with me. This, after a deluge of Madeira, Champagne, and all
manner of light wines, was rather trying; but I kept my countenance as
well I could. One thing I remember struck me as remarkable; just as we
were rising to go to the drawing--room, a cloud of winged ants burst in
upon us through the open windows, and had it not been for the glassshades
would have extinguished the candles; but when they had once settled on the
table, they deliberately wriggled themselves free of their wings, as one
would cast off a great--coat, and crept away in their simple and more
humble capacity of creeping things.
Next day I went to wait on my relation, Mrs Palma. I had had a
confoundedly hot walk through the burning sand streets, and was nearly
blinded by the reflection from them, as I ascended the front stairs.
There are no carpets in the houses in Jamaica; but the floors, which are
often mahogany, are beautifully polished, and shine like a well--kept
dinner table.
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