e, through
which the blacks could see Sambo cooking the wreckers' dinner before
a fire. His head was bare, and he was enjoying the genial heat of
early summer, singing snatches of the melodies of Old Virginny.

The hearing of the Australian aboriginal is acute, and his talent for
mimicry astonishing; he can imitate the notes of every bird and the
call of every animal with perfect accuracy.

Sambo's senseless song enchanted the four blacks. It was first heard
with tremendous applause in New Orleans, it was received with enthusiasm
by every audience in the Great Republic, and it had been the delight
of every theatre in the British Empire. It may be said that "jim
Crow" buried the legitimate drama and danced on its grave. It really
seemed to justify the severe judgment passed on us by the sage of
Chelsea, that we were "sixteen millions, mostly fools." No air was
ever at the same time so silly and so successful as "Jim Crow." But
there was life in it, and it certainly prolonged that of Sambo, for
as the four savages crouched behind the hedge listening to the

"Turn about and wheel about, and do just so,
And ebery time I turn about I jump Jim Crow,"

they forgot their murderous errand.

At last there was an echo of the closing words which seemed to come
from a large gum tree beyond the tents, against which a ladder had
been reared to the forks, used for the purpose of a look-out by
Captain Leebrace.

Sambo paused, looked up to the gum tree, and said, "By golly, who's
dere?" The echo was repeated, and then he wheeled about in real
earnest, transfixed with horror, unable to move a limb. The blacks
were close to him now, but even their colour could not restore his
courage. They were cannibals, and were preparing to kill and eat
him. But first they examined their game critically, poking their
fingers about him, pinching him in various parts of the body,
stroking his broad nose and ample lips with evident admiration, and
trying to pull out the curls on his woolly head.

Sambo was usually proud of his personal appearance, but just now fear
prevented him from enjoying the applause of the strangers.

At length he recovered his presence of mind sufficiently to make an
effort to avert his impending doom. If the blacks could be induced
to eat the dinner he was cooking their attention to himself might be
diverted, and their appetites appeased, so he pointed towards the
pots, saying, "Plenty beef, pork, plum duff."