GUARD-NIGHTS.
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holidays ; and a militia guard stationed at the guard-house in St. John's, in order to protect the arsenal from any attack which might be made upon it by the slaves, who were more at their leisure during that period than at any other part of the year. At such times, the whole body of the militia appeared in their tinselled jackets, and the churches and chapels presented such an array of glittering steel, and burnished epaulettes, blue and gold, and red and silver, that the pews looked like beds of ranunculi. When the guard for the night was comfortably fixed in the guard-house, a complete scene of dissipation ensued. Wine, cards, and dice, were liberally indulged in; and not unfrequently, mirth and festivity paved the way for sorrow, care, and quarrels. Upon one of these guard-nights, a wealthy German, since deceased, met with such a run of ill luck at the gaming-table, that the next morning he was obliged to hire porters, and despatch the dollars he had lost to the house of his adversary in wheelbarrows ! That was, however, in a time when dollars were more plentiful in Antigua than they are at the present dayr, and when doubloons were in such abundance, that, it is said, the possessors of these costly coins found it necessary to deposit them in barrels ! But, alas for the bonny little isle ! that golden age has long ago passed by, and in its place we have one of copper and paper money. Before concluding this part of my work, I contemplated to enlarge upon the "traits and trials" of that portion of the Antiguan community, who, in absence of other qualifications, rest all their claims to superiority upon the reputation of their being white people. As these sketches, however, have been already lengthened more than at first intended, but a very brief mention of this class of individuals can be given. I would not for one moment have it supposed that I am so heartless as to upbraid them with their poverty—far be it from me to hint at such a thing—no ; it is their pride, their overweening pride, I notice, and their hard struggles