with a slight limp, evidently with some pain, but
doing her best to conceal her defect of gait. The auctioneer is a
Frenchman, and announces everything alternately in French and English.
'Now, gentlemen, what is bid? she is warranted, elle est gurantie, and
sold by a very respectable citizen. 250 dollars, deux cent et cinquante
dollars: why, gentlemen, what do you mean! Get down, Maria, and walk a
little more. 275, deux cent soixante et quinze, 300, trois cents!--go
on, gentlemen--325, trois cents et vingt cinq! once, twice, ah! 350,
trois cents et cinquante: une fois! deux fois! going, gone, for 350
dollars. A great bargain, gentlemen.'

"My attention is called to the opposite side of the room: 'Here,
gentlemen, is a likely little orphan yellow girl, six years old--what is
bid? combien? thirty-five dollars, trente cinq, fifty dollars, cinquante
dollars, thank you.' Finally, she is knocked down at seventy-five
dollars.

"Why, there is a whole family on that other stand; let us see them.
'There, gentlemen, is a fine lot: Willy, aged thirty-five, an expert
boy, a good carpenter, brickmaker, driver, in fact, can do anything, il
sait faire tout. His wife, Betty, is thirty-three, can wash, cook, wait
on the table, and make herself generally useful; also their boy George,
five years old; you will observe, gentlemen, that Betty est enceinte.
Now what is bid for this valuable family?' After a lively competition,
they are bid off at 1,550 dollars, the whole family.

"As I have before remarked, everything is done in French and English;
even the negroes speak both languages. I saw one poor old negro, about
sixty, put up, but withdrawn, as only 270 dollars were bid for him.
While waiting to be sold, they are examined and questioned by the
purchasers. One young girl, about sixteen or eighteen, was being
inspected by an elderly, stern, sharp-eyed, horse-jockey looking man,
who sported his gold chains, diamond pin, ruffles, and cane: 'How old
are you?' 'I don't know, sir.' 'Do you know how to eat?' 'Everybody does
that,' she said sullenly.

"Passing up the Esplanade next morning, (Sunday) I saw some forty or
fifty very fine-looking negroes and negresses, all neatly dressed,
standing on a bench directly in front of a building, which I took to be
a meeting or school house: walking by, a genteel-looking man stepped up
and asked me if I wished to buy a likely boy or girl. Telling him I was
a stranger, and asking for information, he to