116
CURSING.
their acquaintance are near at hand to enter into conversation with, they talk to themselves, maintaining different characters, and answering their own questions. I have often thought two persons were conversing, but upon inquiry, have found it to be only one. One peculiarity of expression among the negroes is, that if you have to find fault with them, and you express your dislike of what they have been doing in the mildest terms, they immediately say you have been cursing them. When speaking, their tongues are very vociferous, and prove extremely disagreeable to a stranger. Upon my first arrival in this island, I was one day seated in a back apartment, and wandering with Milton through the blissful shades of Paradise, when I was aroused by hearing one of our domestics speaking in a most clamorous manner. I bore it patiently for some time, until finding it appeared to have no terminus, I exclaimed—“ My good Sarah, I should feel particularly obliged if you would not speak quite so loud." How was I surprised, a few moments after, to hear the same servant calling, in a still louder tone, to one of her companions—" Sissy, (Ang., sister,) war for y ou 'peak so loud ? Me 'bleive you no hear how missis curse me just now for doing dat 'ting !" But the market is the place where the chattering is the loudest and longest ; it is a complete Babel—a scene of confusion almost unimaginable. Black, brown, and yellow— indeed, almost every tint which “ sober autumn" wears—may be met with in the crowds of men and women, boys and girls, who frequent the busy spot. The women scream— men shout—the boys and girls, clad à la nature, laugh—the little pic'nees, (as the negroes call their babies,) clinging round their mothers' hips, squall. In this warm country, where meat is obliged to be dressed soon after it is killed, most of the stock is brought to market alive ; so to this tumult of human voices is added the cry of goats, squeaking of pigs, cackling of poultry, &c. To increase the noise, the venders call out the different articles they have for sale “ Want any compoon?" (Ang., pudding)—“ Wantany green