miles, as these people often do, for the purpose of joining in a dance, which is to last the whole night, and then walking back the next day, Sunday, or else, as frequently happens, spending that day in sleeping and drinking, and then returning home early on the Monday morning, sometimes to work, often to go into the hospital for a day's rest.

Well, but as I was saying, these negro-dances far exceed in spirit and gaiety scenes of a similar nature in the temperate zones: at any rate, I must say, that I have often been much struck and captivated by the joyousness of a Joe and Johnny.

It is something interesting, in the first place, to observe the anxiety with which the work is brought to a conclusion on the Saturday afternoon: then the great zeal with which the yard is swept up, especially in front of the mill: then your attention is aroused by the sound of the peculiar kind of drum, which the negroes call "pump," and by which a solitary performer, who has stationed himself in front of the mill, now invites the people to the scene of action: anon, a couple of chairs and a bench are brought: upon the latter, two or three fiddlers and two or three pump-players take their seats, whilst the chairs are filled by the master and mistress of the ball, who, by the way, generally make a good thing of it, for although the expenses of music and refreshments, such as porter, &c., fall upon them, each person pays them a fivepenny piece each time he or she stands up to dance, which, of course, is many times in a night: in fact, I have often wondered how those particularly

fond of dancing, could possibly meet the expense, amounting to several shillings in a single night: probably, the funds may have been raised by the sale of poultry or vegetables at the town market, in the morning, where a common negro, you know, often takes a couple or three dollars, ten or twelve shillings, without any inconvenience or sacrifice on his part.

However this may be, the scene becomes animated, and more and more so as the evening advances and the plot thickens: at first only a few persons are assembled, and the couples which stand up to dance are exceedingly dignified, graceful, and formal, and especially studying the effect produced by waving a white handkerchief, a chief feature in the performance in fact, there is rather a want of spirit, but soon there are more arrivals, not only from the negro village on the estate, but from those in the neighbourhood, and even from a distance; the gaiety of the scene is greatly enhanced by the white and coloured muslins, the gaudy ribbons, the cloth dress-coats and pantaloons, and the dapper hats and caps, not to mention the expensive ear-rings, necklaces, and watch appendages, which are displayed on all sides, to the no small self-satisfaction of the wearers.

Presently, the musicians succeed in calling up the spirits of the company, to which end they frequently exert not only their instruments, but their voices; several couples now stand up together, and mingle in a figure, which I suppose they understand, but which I never could make out: the chief thing, however,

seems to consist in the solo figurations of the individual performers, and that as much with the hands. and arms, as the legs. As the shades of evening close in, the party become more and more exhilirated no sooner have one set finished their evolutions, than another succeeds: the music is more rapid and more exciting: the musicians shout, and the dancers follow their example: by this time there is quite a large assemblage, and all who are desirous of dancing, cannot find room in the ring, and consequently, the more ardent spirits fall to dancing in couples round the outskirts of the crowd, and the last thing you can distinctly see of them is, that nearly the whole mass is dancing; but for some time after this, you hear by the shouts and the music that the dance still proceeds, and at last, when it is understood that the mill-yard is to be restored to quiet, the whole company moves off to the neighbourhood of the entertainer's house, and as many as may be, to its interior, where the rest of the night is passed in festivities, which but too often exceed the limits of moderation. By-the-bye, I used in the scarcity of small coin, often to send, next morning, a five pound piece to get changed by the entertainer, and almost always with success.

Nay, but I need to hold my hand, as they say in the boiling-house, or I shall never be up to-morrow morning in time for our early start. By-the-bye, I must give you notice that I shall not be able to continue my correspondence during my projected tour.

1

The particulars of it you shall have vivá voce when we meet, if, indeed, you do not cry in the words of Horace, "Ohe jam satis ;" or in those of Shakspeare, "Hold! enough." "Vive valeque."

Your's sincerely.

THE END

R. LOWE, PRINTER, PLAYHOUSE YARD, BLACKFRIARS

PUBLISHED BY

MESSRS. SAUNDERS AND OTLEY,

CONDUIT STREET.

I.

SIR E. L. BULWER'S NEW WORK
Now READY. In Three Vols., post 8vo.

ZANONI.

By the Author of " Rienzi," "Night and Morning," &c.

II.

THE COMPLETE PROSE WORKS OF SIR
E. L. BULWER, BART.

NOW READY, IN TWELVE SIX-SHILLING VOLUMES,
Bound and Lettered, beautifully Illustrated.

"It is with great pleasure we see announced an Edition of the Works of Sir Edward Bulwer; and our gratification is increased by the circumstance of their adopting a succinct form, being at once extremely neat and extremely cheap. Popular as they have deservedly been, both at home and abroad, they will thus obtain a wider circulation in their native land, and we shall no longer suffer the reproach of knowing that in America, and all over the continent of Europe, a writer of his distinguished genius is more universally read and more highly prized than in the country adorned by his talents. It is for these reasons that we so entirely approve of their issue in this shape; for the more they are read the higher will the reputation of the author rise." Literary Gazette

"Of all our popular authors, there is certainly not one who has run through such a gauntlet of Translations and Piracies as Sit E. L. Bulwer. We believe that some of his Novels have been rendered into the Romaic, while almost all of them have been translated into German, French, Spanish, and the rest of the European languages. It would be a curious piece of literary statistics to trace the number of copies in which he has been thus reduplicated; and we believe we are within the truth if we estimate it at a million. The popularity of his writings on the Continent is, if possible, even greater than in England; while in Germany his genius is regarded with an enthusiasm that can hardly be credited in our sober climate. This very circumstance creates an absolute necessity for the authorized edition before us, which, produced under his own superintendence, will vindicate his reputation from all those mischances to which an author is exposed whose labours have run through so many risks of translation and reproduction." Atlas.

"Well worthy is it to hold its place beside other collections of our Standard Novelists of England, and there, no doubt, in every well-appointed library, it will now be found. Its circulation cannot be too wide for the excel. lent thought and philosophy, the just views of conduct and character, that are lastingly embodied in it, or for the delightful and untiring amusement of which it will remain the enduring source." Examiner.

III.

In One Volume, bound uniformly with the Prose Works,
SIR E. L. BULWER'S

DRAMATIC WORKS.

IV.

Second Edition. In 3 Vols. Post 8vo.,

NIGHT AND

A NOVEL.

MORNING

By the Author of Rienzi," "Eugene Aram," &c.

"The best novel that Sir Lytton Bulwer has yet given to the world." Lit Gaz.

"The vivacity and variety of NIGHT AND MORNING' will carry it. throughout the whole world of novel readers." Athenæum.

"A book of extraordinary interest." Examiner.