124
BARBADOS.
old motto of neither Carib nor Creole, is not true, for a Barbadian is probably the most genuine Creole of the West Indies; yet in spite of that, there are many peculiarities in this island which go a great way in justifying the appellation of Little England. People will differ in their estimates of the degree of comfort enjoyed by the adult slaves, but Mr. Buxton himself could not doubt the happiness of the children. In the changeable climate of Britain, where infants must be wrapped up in frocks and mantles and caps and shoes, we have no notion of the vigorous precocity of life which is so common in the West Indies; there the punchy little Indian Bacchus stands up like a man, in twelve months, and, instead of the unmindful vacancy of our babies, stares at you with the good impudent assurance which Raffael puts into the eyes of his Child. They dance together in rings amidst their fathers and mothers who may be working in the farm court, and throw trash at each other, as Eton boys do chesnuts or snowballs. One naked urchin ran full butt behind me, thrust his curly pate through my legs, and looked up in my face with irresistible impertinence. I believe I should have licked the scoundrel if he had pushed me into the pond, which he was near doing. Jerryjorimbo, a particular ally of mine, must needs climb up my back in order to pat my cheeks, and as to not shaking hands with every soul of them all, it would have been such