The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-10

sity in jamaica there is no help for it,
and no other way of getting over the
ground. For nay part, however, | detest
riding. A horse is to me a wild beast OF
uncertain temper and incomprehensible
psychological idiOsyncrasies, upon whose
back never mount save at the bidding
of sternest need. A donkey | do not
mind; its character, to be sure, is equally
mystery to me, and its obstinate deter
mination to oppose my most rational de-
sires is certainly provoking; but it is not
big enough or vicious enough to become
an object of personal dread. A horse, on
the other hand, besides possessing an alb
solutely incalculable individuality, urg-
ing it to kick, plunge, rear, shy, bolt, or
stand doggedly still the moment | get
upon lis back, is also of sufficient size to
do me grievous bodily harm by these its
Srivate eccentricities. Therefore cschew
and abjure a saddle-horse, whenever any
other means of conveyance is to be OBJ
tanned. Why this should be so, can not
tell you.
l was brought upin the country, and |
have been accustomed to horse-hesh from
my youth up. But somehow the equine
race has never taken kindly to me. There
are some people who can handle bees and
wasps with impunity-Sir John Lub-
book has even taken out wasp to din
ner in his waistcost- -pocket--while there
are other persons who can not safely
come within five hundred yards of hive,
so strongly does the intelligent bee object
to their personal appearance and peculi-
arities. 1t is the same as regards the re-
lations slbsisting between myself and the
entire community of horses No horse
will endure my presence for a moment.
Some of them throw me over their heads;
some of them sit down on me and at
tempt to roll me like pancake; some of
them only refuse to bulge an inch 50
long as / remain in the saddle; but one
and all regard me as natural enemy, to
be thwarted and humiliated by every
means in their power. regret the situ-
alton, but l am compelled to accept it.
All attempts at Cancellation have faded;
and / now sadly recognize the fact that
open war exists between u.s.
On the present occasion, however, |
must meet my enemy face to face, and
conquer him. 1t is impossible for white
man to walk five miles in length and four
thousand feet in height under this blaz-
ing sky; so l reluctantly place myself
across the broad ribs Of sturdy hill
pony and commence the ascent. For
tunately the Jamaican pony is not saw
age specimen Of his race. Docile. sure
footed, and by no means given to bolt
ing, the only unpleasant trick in which
he INDUCES is habit of jerking his rider
out of the saddle and down precipice
whenever he happens to be passing pe-
culiarly deep and dangerous gully. This
little trait in his character, however, may
be efectually suppressed by holding a
tight rein as you 90 down hill, and CIV
ing him his head as you 90 up. Indeed,
the pony only objects to any reversal Of
this his accustomed mode of procedure
30 manage W set MP the hill with as
little discomfort as any man can loason-
ably expect when he rides on the back of
hostile beast whose fixed desire is the
sudden and violent termination of his
earthly career.
As to my portmmteau, that comes after
me by what may be called the luggage
van Of the country-in other words, on
a negro's head. Haf-a-dozen black men,
attired in graceful costume of sack
cloth, were lying in the soft dust by the
roadside as I dismounted from the buggy
at Gordon Town. The proprietor of the
liverystable informs me that one of these
gentlemen would perhaps be willing to
carry up my portmanteau for a fitting re-
muiieration. So ask them If any fel-
low wants to earn dollar and quarter.
A few negroes open their eyes sleepily
and look inquiringly at one another; so |
20 on rising shilling at time, till I
reach two dollars. AT last the elder men
begin to expostulate with the younger.
The boccra gentleman wants his bag car
ried; isn't any nigger-nagur they call it
going to help him. Nobody responds.
Finally. young man thinks his wife
would take it; for himself. he seems far
too lordly to undertake the task.
So the wife is hunted up and brought
forward comely, strapping negress,
with red bandanna tied not ungrace-
fully round her head, and short petit
coat which shows pair of stalwart au-
kles and feet, innocent Of shoe or stock
ing, underneath. Clemmy-her fall name
is Clemtina Angeiica-takes up my
somewhat ponderous portmanteau as if it
were feather, poises it lightly upon her
head now deprived of its bandanna, and
stalks forward on the road with an easy
grace, straight as an arrow and strong as
horse. These negresses have always
splendid upright figures, because they
are accustomed to carry pals of water
and other heavy weights upon their heads
from childhood upward; and the merest
country wench, going to market with a
basket of yams and mangoes on her wool
ly Uranium, marches with dignity and
ease which few of our European great
ladies could ever acquire.
We make queer solitary procession
up the lonely mountain path. Clemmy
and l. myself, riding first, with white
umbrella opened over my head, urging