We were all--the two masters of the
merchantmen, decent respectable men in their way, included--graciously
received, and sat down to an excellent dinner, Mr Bang taking the lead
as usual in all the fun; and we were just on the verge of cigars and
cold grog, when the first lieutenant came down and said that the captain
of the port had come off, and was then on board.
"Show him in," said Captain Transom, and a tall, vulgar--looking
blackamoor, dressed apparently in the cast--off coat of a French
grenadier officer, entered the cabin with his chapeau in his hand, and a
Madras handkerchief tied round his woolly skull. He made his bow, and
remained standing near the door.
"You are the captain of the port?" said Captain Transom. The man
answered in French, that he was. "Why, then, take a chair, sir, if you
please."
He begged to be excused and after tipping off his bumper of claret, and
receiving the Captain's report, he made his bow and departed.
I returned to the Wave, and next morning I breakfasted on board of the
Commodore, and afterwards we all proceeded on shore to Monsieur B----'s,
to whom Massa Aaron was known. The town, if I may call it so, had
certainly a very desolate appearance. There was nothing stirring; and
although a group of idlers, amounting to about twenty or thirty, did
collect about us on the end of the wharf, which, by the by, was terribly
out of repair, yet they all appeared ill clad, and in no way so well
furnished as the blackies in Jamaica; and when we marched up through a
hot, sandy, unpaved street into the town, the low, one--story, shabby
looking houses were falling into decay, and the streets more resembled
river--courses than thoroughfares, while the large carrion crows were
picking garbage on the very crown of the causeway, without apparently
entertaining the least fear of us, or of the negro children who were
playing close to them, so near, in fact, that every now and then one of
the urchins would aim a blow at one of the obscene birds, when it would
give a loud discordant croak, and jump a pace or two, with outspread
wings, but without taking flight.
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