The
prominent character was, as usual, the John Canoe or Jack Pudding. He
was a light, active, clean made young Creole negro, without shoes or
stockings; he wore a pair of light jean small--clothes, all too wide,
but confined at the knees, below and above, by bands of red tape, after
the manner that Malvolio would have called cross--gartering. He wore a
splendid blue velvet waistcoat, with old--fashioned flaps coming down
over his hips, and covered with tarnished embroidery. His shirt was
absent on leave, I suppose, but at the wrists of his coat he had tin or
white iron frills, with loose pieces attached, which tinkled as he
moved, and set off the dingy paws that were stuck through these strange
manacles, like black wax tapers in silver candlesticks. His coat was an
old blue artillery uniform one, with a small bell hung to the extreme
points of the swallow--tailed skirts, and three tarnished epaulets; one
on each shoulder, and. O ye immortal gods! O Mars omnipotent! the
biggest of the three stuck at his rump, the point d'appuit for a sheep's
tail. He had an enormous cocked hat on, to which was appended in front
a white false--face or mask, of a most methodistical expression, while,
Janus like, there was another face behind, of the most quizzical
description, a sort of living Antithesis, both being garnished and
overtopped with one coarse wig, made of the hair of bullocks tails, on
which the chapeau was strapped down with a broad band of gold lace.
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