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LUMBER YARDS.
From the store we will take a walk into the lumber yard. But before I proceed to describe it, it will be necessary for me to make another digression, and let those of my readers who may be yet ignorant of the real meaning of the term know what " lumber" is. Upon my first acquaintance with West Indians, I was particularly surprised to hear them talk so much about lumber, and of Mr. This and Mr. That dealing in such commodity. As my mind has ever been apt to roam far and wide, I no sooner heard the merits of this peculiar article (if I may so call it) discussed, than my schooldays' tasks presented themselves to my recollection, and I mentally murmured with Dr. Johnson, " lum-ber, lumber, old useless furniture." Having arrived at this definition, again I fancied myself amid broken chairs and tables, sofas minus a leg, shattered looking-glasses, musty, dusty, rusty, grates, antique bottles, and similar chattels, where in one of my hoyden days I had scrambled to look for a bird-cage in which to imprison a poor half-fledged skylark, captured for me by a little ragged protĂŠgĂŠ of mine, known by the true English name of " Bill." Yet still I was not satisfied ; for what, thought I, can West Indian merchants find so particularly valuable in all these divers specimens of mutilation, as to induce them to deal so largely in them ? I could only answer mine own query by exclaiming " 'tis strange! 'tis passing strange!" Time wore on, however, and I arrived at Antigua; then my wonder soon ceased, and I found out that in fact a lumber merchant signifies nothing less than a dealer in timber. Having endeavoured to give the Antiguan definition of lumber, I will now proceed to describe " the yard." It is generally entered by passing through the store, at the hazard of putting your foot into pools of rosin or varnish, slipping over stray peas, or half-breaking your neck over heaps of brickbats. At length the yard is gained, and drawing a long breath, as much from heat as exercise, I look around. On each side of the door are huge stacks of staves, piled up in a very uniform manner, used for making hogsheads or