The Arkansas advocate., 1835-09-18
GFrom the Cruise of the Midge. A NEGRO QUARREL.

l or whom, saiimaker. was busy close to where lay, with his palm and needle, fol- lowing his vocation, aud mending sail on deck-another black diamond, a sort of half-inch carpenter, was busy with some job abaft of him. I had often noticed be- fore the mode in which negroes quarrel. I would say that they did so very classicalIy, after the model of Homer's heroes; for in- stance, they generally prelude their com bats with long speeches-or perhaps it would be more correct to call their method the Socratc mode of fighting-as they com- mence and carry on with series of ques- tions, growing more and more stinging as they proceed, until fight becomes unayoid~ able, as in the present case.
 The origin of the dispute was rather con- plex. There was an Indian hoy on board, of whom more anon; and this lad, Lennox, with spice of his original calling, had been in the habit of teaching to read and to learn a variety of infantile lessons, which he in turn took delight in retailing to the negroes: and there he Is working away at this mo- ment, reversing the order of things the young teaching the old.
 Palmneeale appears very dull scholar, while Chip, can perceive, Is sharp enough, and takes delight in piqung Paluy. Chip says his lesson glihly. 'Ah, daddy Chip, you shall make one parson by and by quite cleber dis morning-so now, Palm needle, come along," and Palmy also ac- quilted himself toleraby for some time.
 "What you call hanimal hab fonr legs?" said Indio, in continuation of the lesson, and holding lip four fingers. Here thought of my cousin Sally.
 "One cow," promptly rejoined Palmnee- die, working away at the sail he was mend 1sYes--to be sure! certainly one COW hab four legs; but what is de COW call!'
 ''Oh some time Nancy, some time Ju- ba.''
 Stupid mean what you call ebery cow"
 ''How de debil should I sabe, Tndio?'
 "Because," said Indo, ''l tell you dis morning already, one, tree, five time: but stop, sal find one way to make you re- member. How much feet you hab your self? Surely you tell mo dat.n
 ssTwo--I hab two feets-dere.''
 ''Den, what is you call?"
 "0ne quadruped. You tink don't know dat?'
 "One quadruped! ho! hol-I know you would say so-you say so yesterday---real- y you wery mosh bloekhead, indeed--ddt IS what de cow is call, man. You!-why you is call one omnivorous biped widout fedder--dat is what you Is call; and de req son, Massa Lennox tell me, Is, because you nyam as mosh as eber you can get, and don't wear no fedder like one fowl--lnnd dat you IS one omnivorous biped." Here Chip be- gun, saw, to quiz Palmy also.
 "Now. massy Indio," said the former, ''et me be coolmaster one leetle piece. 1 say Palmy, it is find dat you hab two feets- dat you eats all you can grab--(aside) your own and your eighbor's--(t then otostd) dat you hab no fedders in your tail--aud dere- fore you is call one somniferous hTpod'' Cat least what he said sounded more like ihis than any thing else,) 'snow, dere is dat ugly old one-foot-neger cooley," (the fellow was black as sloe, himself,) "wid his wooden leg, what would you call he? link we'll now; he only hab one leg, you know"
 ''One anicora,'' said Palmy, after pause and scratching his woolly skull But my l idu9AlCi Ue46 put all Silu lO tue SCuOOIs dlu was the innocent means of stirring up Palmy's wrath, who mortified at perceiving that considered the others had been quiz zing him, was not long of endeavoring to work out his revenge. Slow as he might be at his learning, he was any thing but slow in this. Palmneedle now took the lead in the dialogue. ssChip," said Palmy, "enough ob nonsense; so tell me how you left de good old woman, your moder, eh!' Chip, who was caulking his seam, laid down his caulllng iron and malet, pulled up his sleeve, fdgetted with the waisiband of his trowsers, turned his quid, spit in his hand, and again commenced operations, grumbling very gruffly, "my moder is dead. :" He had clearly taken offence, as Palmy ex- pected he would do; but achy could not di- vine. Palmy proceeded in his lesson of s'teazing made easy"
 f'Nice old lady--sorry to hear dat" The rascal had known it all along. "Ah, now remember, she was mosh swell when last see him-and face bloat--Ah, feared, for long time, she would take to nyam dirt at last"
 ''Who tell you so-so say my moder eat dirt" cried Chip, deeply stnng; for the greatest affront you can put on negro, ls, to cast in his teeth either that he himself, or some of his kin, labor under that mysterious complaint, mat d'eStomac.
 "0h, nobody" rejoined Palmy, with a careless toss of the head; ssI only fought