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commit them to the house of correction ; when the period of their punishment is expired, and they are again at liberty, they return to their illegal habits with redoubled avidity, as if to make up for lost time. I do not say this is the case with all ; a few weeks spent in confinement has often the effect of restoring to society a reformed member. To thieving we must add lying, and in this accomplishment many of them are so well skilled, that Ferdinand Mendez Pinto must have hid his diminished head. It is really wonderful to hear to what extent they will carry their lying ; for example, if you miss anything and inquire after it, they will deny peremptorily they ever saw it, when, at the same time, they know full well where it is, but do not want the trouble of fetching it.. They will rather tell a story at any time than be forced to use the least exertion. While I am writing, I hear complaints of this. A servant of ours has just drawn a lucifer match, and knowing how careless all negroes are of throwing about fire, the question has been asked her, Where did you put the match after using it ?"—“ Upon the table," was the reply.— “ Are you sure of that, and that it was extinguished before you left it ?"—“ Yes, sir."—“ Susan, go and look ; I cannot believe her, I am sorry to say." Susan returns with the box of lucifers ; the match, still burning, has been replaced in the box, and the lid put on, to the imminent hazard of setting the house on fire, had it not been fortunately discovered. My attention being drawn by this colloquy, I ask, “ Grace, how can you use yourself to tell such stories?—are you not a Sunday-school scholar?"—“ I forgot, ma'am." They never own they do tell a story ; they always forget, or else they boldly stick to their first assertion, let the contrary be as plain as it may. Another bad practice of theirs is, that if they have committed any error which might be remedied, or neglected to do anything which might afterwards be performed, they will never let you know, until it is too late. I had a very beautiful pair of canaries, who greeted me every morning with the sweetest of songs. I loved the little creatures— VOL. II.
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