No. 3. It was sheer yachting then, and no mistake: plenty of canvas, plenty of wind, and plenty of sea. Like madcaps, the beautiful little clippers plunged and foamed along. This was the anxious time, for until then it was unknown whether the Sooloo was deserving the good opinions which had been expressed of her. A few tacks sufficed to show she was the wonder of her day, for she passed her formidable rival, and had obtained a considerable lead from the whole fleet, when a heavier sea than any yet encountered during the match, completely destroyed her chance of success; and threw gloom, vexation, and disappointment into the face of every man aboard. The bobstay had given way, and the bowsprit snapped asunder within a few inches of the stem.

"The damage is irreparable," said the Captain, "and the race is lost."

"Never mind," said Charley, "we shall win some other day. I am now quite satisfied that the Sooloo has no equal on the Thames. Our accident is an exceedingly vexatious one; but let us be smart and make the best of it, for it is of no use mourning over trifling misfortunes."

The broken spar was quickly hauled on deck, the jib taken in, and the loose ropes made fast: when the thirty-tonner passed them, and appeared to be making the most of the mishap, by recovering her lost ground. Whilst the crew were repairing the damage as well as they could, two of the other yachts sailed past, and before the stump could be cleared away, and a temporary bowsprit made from the broken spar, every yacht engaged in the match had passed the unfortunate Sooloo. Her active crew had been as expert as possible in repairing the bobstay and adjusting the stumpy bowsprit; and they now ran out a small spit-fire, and again proceeded on their course, but in a different position to that they occupied a few minutes previously: from first they had shifted to last. Every one of the yachts had obtained a considerable lead ahead of the Sooloo, and each was struggling hard for victory. It was upwards of half-an-hour ere our friend Charley could weather No. 5; but he had no sooner done so than he tried hard to serve No. 4 the same: and in a very few tacks he contrived to poke his stumpy bowsprit over the weather-quarter of his next opponent. And so he continued to pass them one after another, until arriving close in the wake of No. 2. He had a hard struggle to pass that yacht, but was ultimately successful; although too late in the day to overtake the 30 tonner, which glided past the winning goal amidst loud and lusty cheering-cheering which was materially hushed and weakened when the Sooloo showed the umpire her stump, and called on him to place her No. 2 in that well-contested match. Charley was not so much disappointed as his crew: they had felt so certain of claiming the Cup, that they could not conceal their vexation, although no one could be blamed it was a sheer accident. It was, however, gratifying to them to find that every yachtsman present acknowledged the superiority of the Sooloo, and expressed their astonishment at the manner in which she recovered herself in the race after the accident; and had there been a few miles further to beat up to windward, it was extremely probable that "Wanhill's last" would, notwithstanding her stump, have placed

herself first.

The result of the race just described is but a picture of one of the many disappointments which attend match sailing; but Charley was

accustomed to that sort of life, and could brook a misforture of the kind as well as most men; and he now began to look forward with pleasure to the next match, between yachts of the same class, to be sailed over the same course, on the week following.

"I'll lay my life," said Capt. Pivot, "we shall not have such a merry breeze next time as we've had to-day; but let it blow high or low, I'm pretty confident in our little craft now. By heaven! she showed 'em her stern in style there, at Sheerness yesterday."

"I think Wanhill has done himself credit, Captain," said Charley. "I have no reason to be otherwise than entirely satisfied with the yacht.' "Depend on it, sir, this is the fastest twenty-five-tonner he ever turned out," said the Captain. "By the way, did you hear what the man Joe Strand said about the bowsprit yesterday?"

"No; I did not," said the yachtsman. "What was his notion? Something droll, I dare say?"

"He says he told Mr. Wanhill when he was fitting the spars to the yacht, that we should never win a cup whilst that bowsprit belonged to her, because it was the very same which a pal of his borrowed from the timber-yard to get up to an attic-window to see his sweetheart; and just as he was about to embrace her with tender affection, the spar rolled over and precipitated him to the ground, leaving him with a broken arm."

"Well, that's quite a sailor's reason, certainly," said Charley; "but I pity poor Joe's pal, as I should think his sweetheart did also. "Tis astonishing how a sailor will climb and cling to his girl."

"It is, indeed, sir," said the Captain; "as a proof of which, I assure you I knew a fellow who used to crawl through a small barrel-drain communicating with a kitchen sink; and after squeezing and cringing through some twenty or thirty feet, he was enabled to lift a small grating, and put his head through at the top of the sink: there was no room for his body to pass: and thus he was rewarded with a peep at the scullery-maid, a girl he was very much in love with."

"I should think he was in love," said Charley; " and his fair scullerygirl must have been equally so, to welcome her sweetheart through so fœtid an aperture. Well, let us have a new bowsprit for the next race, that sweethearts and lovers have had nothing to do with; and then perhaps we shall have better luck."

"No fear of that, sir," said the Captain.

Joe Strand had his own way as to the new bowsprit, and selected a spar that had never, to his knowledge, or that of any one's else, been used for unlawful purposes. He still adhered firmly to his former assertion, that the accident on the regatta-day was solely attributable to the bowsprit having been made from an unlucky spar.

The few days that intervened between the unlucky sailing match and the succeeding one, appeared to pass heavily with the crew of the unfortunate Sooloo; and, although every man aboard was perfectly conscious of her superiority as a racing craft, still there were, apparently, tracings of disappointment in the features of more than one member of that crew. They conversed much together as to the result of the late match every tack and turn was commented upon in true sailor-like feeling. But the carrying away the bowsprit was a source of extreme annoyance, and could never bo mentioned without feelings of regret ;

and then Joe Strand would immediately chime in that it was no more than he expected; and, "for my own part," said he, "I think it's a d-d good job that it's gone adrift; for who knows but what you or I, or some of us, might have tumbled off it, some day or other? I don't like them sort of sticks aboard: you might as well carry a sexton's rod or an empty coffin; it's all ill-luck that attends them."

Although captain and crew all laughed heartily at Joe's superstition, there was more than one man amongst them who placed credulence in what he said. Joe was an excellent sailor-as daring and good a man at sea as ever sailed in a clipper; but he nevertheless had a strange tinge of superstition in his character, which all the mariners in the world could not expel; nor, as before remarked, was he the only one aboard the yacht who harboured such feelings.

At last, the anxiously-looked-for day arrived; but the morning was far from promising. There was scarcely a breath of wind; and Captain Pivot paced the deck, with his hands thrust in his trowsers-pockets, and looked anything but easy-minded. Charley came on deck at an early hour, and cheerily greeted the Captain; for he saw at a glance that he was unhappy as to the stillness of the weather.

"The day is young at present, Captain," said Charley ;" and it will be strange indeed if there's not wind enough to sail the match."

"It will be strange, sir," said the Captain; "but there was no wind yesterday, and the morning broke just as this did."

"There's some very bad luck about this yacht, somewhere or other," said Joe Strand; "for we know very well, that if there should be any wind at all-and no matter whether little or much-we are pretty certain of winning but we all know the devil himself can't sail without wind; nor can anybody do much with an unlucky vessel-no, not if she can go like a 'lectric telegrapher."

:

"Hold your stuff, do!" said the Captain: you'll be scaring all the wind away, with your old woman's bosh.

"I have no wish to do that, Captain," said the man; "but I was just a-saying as how my opinion is, that she's an unlucky craft. Her keel was laid down under an unlucky star, as the 'lossifers say that's my idea."

"Hallo there, Joe!" said some one from before the mast, "what, are you 'lossiphizing afore breakfast this morning? That must be a bad sign, I know. Come, come, man-let us have no 'lossophy thus early: we had quite enough of it last night. Here-fill your pipe, and blow a cloud that's the most likely way of getting the wind up.'

66

Aye, aye!" said Joe, as he accepted the proffered tobacco.

About two hours after this conversation, a light breeze sprang up, which put Captain Pivot in far better spirits; and he went below to breakfast. That ceremony being over, he came again on deck, and ordered up the topsails, and laid out the yards. The length of the Sooloo's balloon-topsail-yard was 48 feet. It makes us shudder to look at it. A 25-ton yacht carrying a 48-feet spar as a topsail-yard! "We shall require our summer-canvas to-day," said the Captain: "get up the balloon-jib also."

"Well, Captain," said Mr. Scupper, "what do you think of it

now ?"

"Well, sir," replied the Captain, "this looks far more cheering than

no wind at all. I should like to have seen a better breeze; but we must make shift with such as we have."

"There's enough for us to keep the lead, I think," said Mr. Scupper. "We are all right to-day, sir," said the Captain; "and, barring unlucky bowsprits and other misfortunes, we shall have the cup in the cabin to-night."

"I hope we shall," said Charley; "but, really, there is so much uncertainty and vexation attending match-sailing, that one ought not to be sanguine. However, it is time to go ashore, and draw lots for stations. Will you order the gig, and accompany me ashore ?"

The gig was immediately manned; and away they pulled, to perform the last office previous to a sailing-match.

SKETCHES OF LIFE AND CHARACTER IN THE WEST INDIES.

COMMUNICATED TO, AND EDITED BY, LORD WILLIAM LENNOX.

CHAPTER XI.

I was acquainted with a gentleman who took a very effectual method of having a sufficient supply of labourers for the wants of his property. He gave houses and grounds rent free to his newlyemancipated negroes, on the simple condition that they should always perform for him any work which might be required at the rate of one shilling per diem; but that, in the event of their being tempted by a higher rate of wages to work on neighbouring estates, he bound them, if ever they absented themselves, when called upon, to pay two shillings a day as a remuneration for a substitute. This system answered admirably; because the negro affectionates the little hut in which he was born, and near which his parents are buried; he does not willingly quit it for another habitation, nor without considerable reluctance and the prospect of increased gain. Here he had all the advantages of a residence without cost, and ground which repaid his exertions ten-fold; besides which, the price of a substitute more than counterbalanced any temporary increase of pay elsewhere.

The negro grounds, to which the apprentices attached so much importance, were in many instances exceedingly valuable. I believe I am within the mark when I say, that they produced £20 a-year on the average, deducting all the expenses of cultivation, and very often much more. In them were planted yams, potatoes (where the climate admitted of it), cocos, onions, bananas, plantains, and all the tropical vegetables. Under the shade of the mangoe were generally to be

seen pigs tied round the body by ropes, and attached to the tree itself: they formed no inconsiderable portion of the negro's gains.

During the apprenticeship there was not a person in these grounds until the Friday afternoon and during the Saturdays; when, for miles around the estates, men, women, and children flocked to them, to cultivate their little gardens. The care they took of these spots of ground, and the manure they put upon it, made it infinitely more valuable to the proprietor of the estate; and, although they were ejected in a violent manner in many instances, and when they objected to give them up, cattle were driven in to eat the produce (which I by no means wish to justify), yet when the planter no longer derived any benefit from their labour, it was only just that, as freemen, he should receive some portion of their gains, or that they should pay a rent for them.

The negro cottages are generally of wicker work, covered with a stiff clay, and thatched with leaves of plantain. Some of the better sort had verandahs and porches. The interior was always comfortably and often very well furnished with chairs and bedsteads, the coverings of which were always delicately white and well kept.

A clever French writer in the Journal des Debats, arguing on the importance of emancipation in the French colonies, has put the matter in a very clear light. I cannot do better than quote his opinion in elucidation of what I have already said with regard to the increase of the number of small proprietors." Jamaica produced during the years which preceded the abolition of slavery more than twice as much sugar as it does at the present moment of all the colonies, it is the one in which the decrease has been the most remarkable. Nevertheless, within the last year we see the exportation getting up again. The abolition of slavery was a complete revolution. It was impossible that it should not cause some perturbation in industry, which the friends of freedom only looked upon as a temporary inconvenience. The crop of this year justifies their foresight, and on that account we attach consider able importance to the last intelligence from Jamaica. But in stating this, we must not be led into error. It is more than possible that cultivation on a large scale may be for ever compromised in the West Indies. If, then, the safety of the colonies depended upon keeping that up, there is no concealing the fact that they would be in considerable peril. It is very possible that small farms may supersede large ones we will even admit that it is probable they will. But the same transformation has been going on in France since 1789, and yet France has been no sufferer by it. Liberty has had no other effect there than to transform labourers and peasants into landed proprietors. Instead of being altogether ruined, France has become much more rich and powerful. Why should not the colonies be affected in the same manner? It is perfectly natural that the black should be desirous of having land of his own, and that he should prefer cultivating that which he has acquired by the sweat of his brow, to any other belonging to a great proprietor.'

Reasoning thus, putting aside every other consideration, there does not seem any good reason why the production of sugar should not be as considerable eventually as it was in times of slavery. The culti vation of the cane would, in that case, be a separate affair from the