"Indeed," said Melissa, starting-" a foreigner-and had he not a portmanteau?"

"The same; but have you seen him?"

"O yes," replied Melissa, much agitated, "I have seen that unfortunate youth-has he not a most interesting address, an air of dignity, an eye beaming spirit, tempered with the soft glow of benevolence— his hair was auburn, and

The monk gazed at her with astonishment, and exclaimed," what means all this, Melissa?-surely you forget yourself—”

"Have I said any thing improper, good father?" "Your simplicity, my child, has led you into an indiscretion-you should not talk thus warmly of any man."

"I ask your pardon-I thought there could be no harm in pitying a person in distress; for I remember when a sick goat-herd came to the door, I brought him some warm whey, and pitied him, and wiped the cold drops from his forehead, and you praised me for it; and is not a goat-herd a man?”

"You are young and innocent, my dear daughter," replied the monk, "and know not the world, or the dangers your sex are exposed to in it. Sweet as are offices of humanity-yet in their exercise a prudential caution is not to be neglected... But how came you to know this stranger?"

Yesterday at the opening of the morn, as I sat at my casement, I saw an agreeable looking cavalier approach the cottage, and gently tapping at the door, he retired a few paces in a most respectful dis

Constanzia opened the door, and he addressed her with a foreign accent, and in very polite and engaging terms, requested the liberty of depositing his portmanteau under the protection of this roof ́until he could recover his mule, which had strayed from him-A heart of stone would scarcely refuse him; but Constanzia shut the door in his face, and dismissed him with an abundance of opprobrious epithets-I am sure I never could have acted in such

a manner.

AFRICAN RECREATIONS, WITH THE CEREMONY OF A NEGRO FUNERAL.

SUNDAY is a day of festivity among the slaves. They are passionately fond of dancing, and the sabbath, offering them an interval from toil, is generally devoted to their favourite amusement; and instead of remaining in tranquil rest, they undergo more fatigues, or at least more personal exertion during their gala hours of Saturday night and Sunday, than is demanded from them, in labour, during any four days of the week.

They assemble in crowds upon the open green, or in any square or corner of the town, and forming a ring in the center of the throng, dance to the sound of their beloved music, and the singing of their favourite African yell. Both music and dance are of a savage nature. I have wished myself a musician

that I might take down for you the notes of their songs, which are very simple, but harsh and wholly deficient in softness and melody. Ask the fair chantress, our delighting friend-the next time you meet her, and if she be not afraid of distorting her sweet countenance, she can give you very accurately, all you may wish to hear of an African song.

The instrumental parts of the band consist of a species of drum, a kind of rattle, and their ever delighting Banjar. The first is a long hollow piece of wood, with a dried sheep-skin tied over the end; the second is a calabash containing a number of small stones, fixed to a short stick which serves as the handle; and the third is a coarse and rough kind of guitar. While one negro strikes the banjar, another shakes the rattle with great force of arm, and a third sittting across the body of the drum, as it lies length ways upon the ground, beats and kicks the sheep-skin at the end, in violent exertion with his hands and heels, and a fourth sitting upon the ground at the other end, behind the man upon the drum, beats upon the wooden sides of it with two sticks. Together with these noisy sounds, numbers of the party of both sexes bawl for their dear delight-ing song with all possible force of lungs; and from the combination, and tout ensemble of the scene, a spectator would require only a slight aid from fancy to transport himn to the savage wilds of Africa. On great occasions the band is increased by an additional number of drums, rattles and voices.

The dance consists of stamping of the feet, twist

ing of the body, and a number of strange indecent attitudes. It is a severe bodily exertion, more bodily indeed than you can well imagine, for the limbs have little to do in it. The head is held erect, or occasionally inclined a little forward-the hands nearly meet before the elbows are fixed pointing from the sides-and the lower extremities being held rigid— the whole person is moved without lifting the feet from the ground, making the head and limbs fixed points, they writhe and twine the body upon its own axis, slowly advancing towards each other, or retreating to the outer parts of the ring. Their approaches, with the figure of the dance, and the attitudes and inflexions in which they are made, are highly indecent; but of this they seem to be wholly unconscious, for the gravity, I might say the solemnity of countenance, under which all this passes, is peculiary striking, indeed almost ridiculous. Not a smile-not a significant glance, nor an immodest look escapes from either sex; but they meet in very indecent attitudes, under the most settled, and unmeaning gravity of countenance. Occasionally they change the figure by stamping upon the feet, or making a more general movement of the person, but these are only temporary variations; the twistings and turnings of the body seeming to constitute the supreme excellence of the dance.

For the most part only two enter the ring at a time, but occasionally, as many as three or four; each making a small contribution to the band at, the time of stepping into the circle. They circle vio

lently together until one is tired, and when this escapes from the circle, another assumes the place; thus continuing to follow, one by one, in succession, so as frequently to keep up the dance, without any interval, for several hours.

Both musicians and dancers, seem equally to delight in the amusement. They exert themselves until their naked skins pour copious streams. The band seem to be quite insensible to fatigue, for, in proportion as the fluid distils from their pores, they increase their efforts, raising their voices and beating the drum and the rattle with additional violence; and such of the spectators whose olfactories have no relish for African odours, are sadly annoyed by the high essenced exhalation which spreads itself around.

Having led you to the merry song, and sprightly dance of the slaves, let me now conduct you to the bed of death. Seeing a crowd in one of the streets, and observing a kind of procession, we followed the multitude, and soon found ourselves in the train of a negro funeral. Wishing to witness the ceremony of interment we proceeded to the burial ground with the throng. The corpse was conveyed in a neat small hearse, drawn by one horse. Six boys, twelve men, and fort-eight women walked behind in pairs, as followers, but I cannot say as deeply afflicted mourners. The females were neatly clad for the occasion, and mostly in white. Grief and lamentations were not among them; nor was even the semblance thereof assumed. No solemn dirge was heard, no