irty years; but at railway stations, and
elsewhere, one cannot help seeing what manner of folk, beside mere
holiday folk, rich or poor, affect English races; or help
pronouncing them, if physiognomy be any test of character, the most
degraded beings, even some of those smart-dressed men who carry bags
with their names on them, which our pseudo-civilisation has yet done
itself the dishonour of producing. Now, of that class I saw
absolutely none. I do not suppose that the brown fellows who hung
about the horses, whether Barbadians or Trinidad men, were of very
angelic morals: but they looked like heroes compared with the
bloated hangdog roughs and quasi-grooms of English races. As for
the sporting gentlemen, not having the honour to know them, I can
only say that they looked like gentlemen, and that I wish, in all
courtesy, that they had been more wisely employed.

But the Negro, or the coloured man of the lower class, was in his
glory. He was smart, clean, shiny, happy, according to his light.
He got up into trees, and clustered there, grinning from ear to ear.
He bawled about island horses and Barbadian horses--for the
Barbadians mustered strong, and a fight was expected, which,
however, never came off; he sang songs, possibly some of them
extempore, like that which amused one's childhood concerning a once
notable event in a certain island--

'I went to da Place
To see da horse-race,
I see Mr. Barton
A-wipin' ob his face.

'Run Allright,
Run for your life;
See Mr Barton
A comin wid a knife.

'Oh, Mr Barton,
I sarry for your loss;
If you no believe me,
I tie my head across.'

That is--go into mourning. But no one seemed inclined to tie their
heads, across that day. The Coolies seemed as merry as the Negroes,
even about the face of the Chinese there flickered, at times, a
feeble ray of interest.

The coloured women wandered about, in showy prints, great
crinolines, and gorgeous turbans. The Coolie women sat in groups on
the glass--ah! Isle of the Blest, where people can sit on the grass
in January--like live flower beds of the most splendid and yet
harmonious hues. As for jewels, of gold as well as silver, there
were many there, on arms, ankles, necks, and noses, which made white
ladies fresh from England break the tenth commandment.

I wandered about, looking at the live flower beds, and giving
passing glances into booths, which I longed to enter, and hear what