But the colours
were never blended in the same set--no blackie ever interloped with the
browns, nor did the browns in any case mix with the sables--always
keeping in mind--black woman--brown lady.
But, as if the whole city had been tom--fooling, a loud burst of
military music was now heard, and the north end of the street we were
ascending, which leads out of the Place d'Armes or parade, that occupies
the centre of the town, was filled with a cloud of dust, that rose as
high as the house tops, through which the head of a column of troops
sparkled; swords, and bayonets, and gay uniforms glancing in the sun.
This was the Kingston regiment marching down to the Court--house in the
lower part of the town, to mount the Christmas guards, which is always
carefully attended to, in case any of the John Canoes should take a
small fancy to burn or pillage the town, or to rise and cut the throats
of their masters, or any little innocent recreation of the kind, out of
compliment to Dr Lushington, or Messrs Macauley and Babington.
First came a tolerably good band, a little too drummy, but still not
amiss--well dressed, only the performers being of all colours, from
white, down to jet--black, had a curious hodge--podge, or piebald
appearance. Then came a dozen mounted officers at the very least
colonels--in--chief, and colonels, and lieutenant--colonels, and majors
all very fine, and very bad horsemen. Then the grenadier company,
composed of white clerks of the place, very fine--looking young men
indeed--another white company followed, not quite so smart looking--then
came a century of the children of Israel, not over military in
appearance--the days of Joshua, the son of Nun, had passed away, the
glory had long departed from their house,--a phalanx of light browns
succeeded, then a company of dark browns, or mulattoes; the regular half
and--half in this, as well as in grog, is the best mixture after all,
then quashie himself, or a company of free blacks, who, with the browns,
seemed the best soldiers of the set, excepting the flank companies--and
after blackie the battalion again gradually whitened away, until it
ended in a very fine light company of buccras, smart young fellows as
need be--all the officers were white, and all the soldiers, whatever
their caste or colour, free of course.
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