ich I am the chairman, who keep up the twelfth of
April by an annual dinner, and as he never flinched from the enemy, we
never flinch from the bottle, and keep it up till daylight, when we are so
gloriously sober that we are carried home by our slaves." "Is it true,"
said he, addressing the captain, "that Sir Eyre Coote is to supersede the
Earl of B. as Governor of our Islands? Do you know anything of him?" "Only
from report," was the reply; "I think he distinguished himself by a
brilliant victory over Hyder Ali in the East Indies." "Why, the devil,"
said he, "I beg your pardon, ladies, for swearing, do they send us
soldiers as governors? We want something in the shape of a statesman with
a lawyer's head, with his wig and litigation. I have no fault to find with
the earl; he has governed us very fairly, and I hope his successor will do
the same, although we prefer a civilian to a soldier."

After dinner we were amused by the feats of one of his household slaves
named Paddy Whack, who threw somersaults round the drawing-room, walked on
his hands, and afterwards threw himself several times from the highest
part of the bridge, about twenty-four feet, into the river. After coffee
we took leave of our eccentric but warm-hearted host, who, on shaking
hands, insisted on our bloody dogships dining with him once more before we
sailed. We promised to do so conditionally. Eighteen sail of merchant
vessels had assembled, and we expected seven more. The surf had been high
on the bar, and we had not had communication with the shore for the last
two days. A canoe came off from Mr. C. with Paddy Whack, who delivered a
note to the captain. "What is it about, boy?" said he. "Paper peak,
massa," was the reply; "Paddy only wait answer from Massa Captain." The
note was a pressing invitation to dine on shore the following day, and
included the captain and officers. As I had dined with the worthy planter
I persuaded the second lieutenant to go. The rest of the convoy having
joined us, our sails were again swelling to a strong sea-breeze. The
convoy of thirty sail of sugar-laden ships were hovering round us like
chickens round the mother hen. Four others joined us at Bluefields, and
off Negril Point we fell in with the S. frigate, with the former Governor
of Jamaica on board and three other West Indiamen. The captain went on
board the S. to pay his respects and to receive his orders.

After his return on board the signal was made to make all sa