_niggers_ scamper."
He then stood up in the stern sheets, and pointing with his finger,
roared out, "A shark! a shark!" Away started all the bathers for the
beach, puffing and blowing, from their dreaded enemy; nor did they stop
to look for him until they were high and dry out of his reach. Then,
when we all laughed, they called us "_all the hangman tiefs_," and every
other opprobrious name which they could select from their vocabulary. I
was very much amused with this scene, and as much afterwards with the
negroes who crowded round us when we landed. They appeared such merry
fellows, always laughing, chattering, singing, and showing their white
teeth. One fellow danced round us, snapping his fingers, and singing
songs without beginning or end. "Eh, massa, what you say now? Me no
slave--true Barbadian born, sir. Eh!

"Nebba see de day
Dat Rodney run away,
Nebba see um night
Dat Rodney cannot fight.

Massa me free man, sar. Suppose you give me pictareen, drink massa
health.

"Nebba see de day, boy,
Pompey lickum de Caesar.

Eh! and you nebba see de day dat de Grasshopper run on de Warrington."

"Out of the way, you nigger," cried one of the men who was rolling down
a cask.

"Eh! who you call nigger? Me free man, and true Barbadian born. Go along
you man-of-war man.

"Man-of-war, buccra,
Man-of-war, buccra,
He de boy for me;
Sodger, buccra,
Sodger, buccra,
Nebba, nebba do,
Nebba, nebba do for me;
Sodger give me one shilling,
Sailor give me two.

Massa, now suppose you give me only one pictareen now. You really
handsome young gentleman."

"Now, just walk off," said Swinburne, lifting up a stick he found on the
beach.

"Eh! walk off.

"Nebba see de day, boy,
'Badian run away, boy.

Go, do your work, sar. Why you talk to me? Go, work, sar. I free man,
and real Barbadian born.

"Negro on de shore
See de ship come in,
De buccra come on shore,
Wid de hand up to the chin;
Man-of-war buccra,
Man-of-war buccra,
He de boy for me,
Man-of-war, buccra,
Man-of-war, buccra,
Gib pictareen to me."

At this moment my attention was directed to another negro, who lay on
the beach rolling and foaming at the mouth, apparently in a fit. "What's
the matter with that fellow?" said I to the same negro who continued
close to me, notwithstanding Swinburne's stick. "Eh! call him Sam Slack,
massa. He ab um _tic tic_ fit." And such was apparently the case. "Stop,