Another trampoline."
"So alway come--in two tree year,
and so wid you, massa never fear
brown girlfor cook--for wife--for nurse:
buccra lady--poo--no wort a curse."
"Get away, you scandalous scoundrel," cried I; "away with you, sir!"
Here the morrice--dancers began to circle round old Tailtackle, keeping
him on the move, spinning round like a weathercock in a whirlwind, while
they shouted, "Oh, massa, one macaronilt if you please." To get quit of
their importunity, Captain Transom gave them one. "Ah, good massa, tank
you, sweet massa!" And away danced John Canoe and his tail, careering up
the street.
In the same way all the other crafts and trades had their Gumbimen,
Hornblowers, John Canoes, and Nondescript. The Gardeners came nearest
of any thing I had seen before to the Mayday boys in London; with this
advantage, that their jack--in--the--Green was incomparably more
beautiful, from the superior bloom of the larger flowers used in
composing it.
The very workhouse people, whose province it is to guard the Negro
culprits who may be committed to it, and to inflict punishment on them,
when required, had their John Canoe and Device; and their prime jest
seemed to be every now and then to throw the fellow down who enacted the
latter at the corner of a street, and to administer a sound flogging to
him. The John Canoe, who was the workhouse driver, was dressed up in a
lawyer's cast off gown and bands, black silk breeches, no stockings nor
shoes, but with sandals of bullock's hide strapped on his great splay
feet, a small cocked hat on his head, to which were appended a large
cauliflower wig, and the usual white false--face, bearing a very
laughable resemblance to Chief--justice S----, with whom I happened to
be personally acquainted.
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