CHAPTER II.A strange chimera * * * * As the reflections registered in the last chapter were brewing in
my brain, I stood upon the green bank of a majestic stream, whose
waters rolled for miles with a beautiful sheet. The sun was just
sinking behind the western billows, and night, with her gloomy
muffler, about to brood upon the world. A magnificent landscape lay
before me, decked with cottages, statelier dwellings, green groves,
and cultivated patches. It was the most beautiful scene I ever saw; a
balmy twilight rested upon the trees, faintly tinged with a sickly
red, while the atmosphere had a softness that soothed the sense.
While occupied with this scene, my attention was suddenly arrested by
the sound of voices. On looking in the direction from which it came,
I discovered a boat with four individuals in it, two of
which seemed females and black, approaching the shore near which I stood. This circumstance surprised me. The inmates of this bark seemed dissimilar to beings with whom I had ever been acquainted. In fine, I seemed transported to some unknown land—and how, was a mystery. Yet, it was a lovely land! But, the negresses! The skiff landed, and the inmates disembarked. The whites treated their companions exactly as the whites treat the white fair, now-a-days. They hitched the skiff to an old root protruding over the waters, and then locking arms, proceeded slowly up the declivity. The wind blew briskly in my face; the parties gained the summit of the declivity, when, lo! the maidens were transferred to the leeward side, and a most delightsome odour assailed my nose, which explained the cause of this movement. The group then walked on very cozily, and I, interested in the
scene, followed, and soon overtook them. The gentlemen greeted me
very courteously, while the ladies, nodding coldly, ogled me from
under their monstrous palm leaf fans, with inquisitiveness. I gazed
hard at them in turn; they were fashionably dressed, and evidently
skilled in all the arts of bon ton. The
gentlemen had whiskers, silver-headed canes, and gold watches, and
all about them betokened persons of respectability and fashion. This
conviction so confounded me, that I kept mute for a long time,
scrutinising first the faces, then the apparel, carriage, and other
externals
of the damsels; then, glancing over the persons of the gentlemen, bewildered by the scrutiny, for all told a story I had never before heard. What it could mean was beyond my comprehension—Negresses, hooked with white men! A circumstance puzzling, wonderful—for, be it known, O reader! that I live in a land, where the trite maxim, that "birds of a feather flock together," is universally respected. To mingle different species would be utterly abominable; but here it seemed it obtained; those distinguishing lineaments, engraved by the Creator upon his works, were entirely effaced; all was comingled into one hodge podge of black flesh and white flesh, and yellow flesh—an astonishing fact, that black and white flesh mixed, produces yellow flesh, of all kinds of flesh the most disgusting, because it is a compound, and has no purity in it; but is a sort of anomaly or patent right, or new invented specie, of which our Creator knows nothing, and who, consequently, will be much astounded at finding his dominions overrun with interlopers, especially of such an outlandish and mongrel breed. My thoughts, in view of this subject, instantly reverted to the champions of Amalgamation, ********, ********, ***, and *****, and numberless other minor luminaries revolving around the central orb, and shedding their fiery and furious lustre over the regions they inhabit. However, my mind dwelt not long upon this
topic, before one of the gentlemen, as if conscious of the awkwardness of our situations where nothing as yet but strabisms had passed between us, seemed disposed to sociability. "A beautiful evening," was the remark, which betokened this. "Beautiful!" echoed I, mechanically; for my mind was still absorbed by the foregoing reflections. "You seem a stranger," continued the other, staring at me inquisitively. "A perfect stranger," was my reply. "What land is this, sir; you seem a strange people?" I stopped. My eye was on the gentleman I addressed, as I spoke, and I observed, as uttering these words rather confusedly, a partial smile played over his cheeks, and that he glanced at his partner, as it did so. "You are unacquainted with our habits," he said, then reverting his look at me. "A singular clime," I replied, without appearing to heed these tokens of humour, "and singular people, too—that is," I added, looking inquisitively at the ebony belles, "if my present company can be accounted a fair sample." "Oh, sir!" exclaimed one of the belles, giggling, "this is no sample at all; there are stylisher folks than we in the city." "What!—and, blacks!" returned I, with rather a disrespectful air;
and glancing towards her with probably considerable of abhorrence,
for the beautiful
creature blushed from the crown of her head to the oval of her big toe. "Blacks! to be sure," screamed she; "the blacks are the most respectable portion of community." She would have proceeded, doubtless, in the true vein of black indignation, heaping fire and ashes upon my head, at my offering anything like insult to their sable honours, had not a hunch from her pallid groom checked the volumes of lava that swelled to her lips. I perceived at once that my credit with them was over. They, doubtless, considered me (as in verity I was) an inhabitant of one of those far-off climes, where all blood flows pure and taintless, and where innovation and conglomeration have not yet dwelt; and, of course, no proper person to be spoken to, or even treated with decorum. We proceeded on consequently for a long time in utter silence, till at length one of the gentlemen, whose countenance betokened a good deal of humour, being next to me, observed— "You are a stranger, no question, sir; and are, consequently so to our manners and customs; you behold yonder city?" I looked—and, lo! a most beautiful city (we were on a rise of ground) lay basking beneath me in the fading sun-light. Spires, domes, and steeples, appeared clustered in magnificent confusion, the faint lustre of the setting orb, with all its serene richness, tinting each with hues, not of earth. My companion proceeded:— "It is the city of Amalgamation! All are votaries of the amalgamating creed there. It was founded in the year of our Lord 18—, by the famous and ever-to-be remembered——, of whom probably you may have heard. The gates are free to all travellers; perhaps you would desire to visit it—if you should, you can do so without difficulty. We are now on our way thither, and if I can be of any service to you in the place, I will be so with pleasure." "Your information certainly interests me," said I, "and I shall not fail to avail myself of your friendship, Amalgamation," added I, after a short pause, "I have heard of that; and are you a proselyte to the creed?" I rejoined, with a smile. "Not exactly," was his response, and a facetious expression was in his face; "but it has come to be so fashionable among us, that one can hardly keep from it, though there are many dissenters in the city, and some talented men, too, who not only disclaim such principles, but actually preach against them, as an abomination, and utterly subversive of every principle of reason or common sense." On further acquaintance, I found that these benevolent-minded individuals were on their way to the metropolis for the purpose of undergoing what is termed the "Amalgamation process," which, as the reader will soon perceive, was no frivolous pantomine. |