He skipped up to us with a white wand in one hand and a dirty
handkerchief in the other, and with sundry moppings and mowings, first
wiping my shoes with his mouchoir, then my face, (murder, what a flavour
of salt fish and onions it had!) he made a smart enough pirouette, and
then sprung on the back of a nondescript animal, that now advanced
capering and jumping about after the most grotesque fashion that can be
imagined. This was the signal for the music to begin. The performers
were two gigantic men, dressed in calf--skins entire, head, four legs,
and tail. The skin of the head was made to fit like a hood, the two
fore--feet hung dangling down in front, one over each shoulder, while
the other two legs, or hind--feet, and the tail, trailed behind on the
ground; deuce another article they had on in the shape of clothing
except a handkerchief, of some flaming pattern, tied round the waist.
There were also two flute--players in sheepskins, looking still more
outlandish from the horns on the animals heads being preserved; and
three stout fellows, who were dressed in the common white frock and
trowsers, who kept sounding on bullocks horns. These formed the band
as it were, and might be considered John's immediate tail or following;
but he was also accompanied by about fifty of the butcher negroes, all
neatly dressed--blue jackets, white shirts, and Osnaburgh trowsers, with
their steels and knife--cases by their sides, as bright as Turkish
yataghans, and they all wore clean blue and white striped aprons.
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