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ing two little dusky imps, scarcely a year old! God knows where they came from-may have been a present, as it is all the fashion among the Marquesans. Nevertheless, he regarded them with the most affectionate interest, and watched their every movement, even to sucking his mouldering toes and pulling his grizzly top-knot, with the tenderest solicitude. Presently they crawled in front of the dwelling, and actually toddled into the pool. I instantly started up to fish them out, but the old Goblin only chuckled, and the little clfs kept bobbing about the surface of the water with the buoyancy of corks crowing and smiling bravely. I never was more amazed, and taking a dip myself afterwards, found the basin up to my neck.

Native attendants soon produced clusters of cocoanuts, with the crowns of their heads knocked off, ready for consumption. We made cocoanut-milk punch-every man his own punch-bowl; with a sprinkle of lime juice, and syrup of powdered sugar-cane-gently agitated within the milky shells which made as delicious a beverage as ever a regent brewed it is worth a trip to Polynesia alone to enjoy it. Then exploring the resources of the baskets, we discovered a case of sardines, bread, bananas, and oranges; made luncheon, and fed the children on the crumbs.

Pipes were filled, and a native boy quickly brought forth two sticks, and cutting the hardest to a point, and holding the other firmly fixed against a stone, began to wear a groove with the pointed stick in the softest by a measured movement along the surface. Presently a fine dust was deposited at the lower end; the white wood turned dark; quicker and quicker, stronger and stronger traversed the pointed stick; the dust began to smoke, some dry fibres and leaves were laid across, and in an instant burst into a blaze. The operation lasted three or four minutes, and was skilfully performed. I had plenty of lucifers in my pocket, but not having witnessed the native process of striking fire, and thinking a little wholesome exertion would not injure the young Cumulee, I did not produce them.

Throwing ourselves at full length on the mats, we devoted the time to conversation and tobacco. The old Goblin fascinated me, I could not remove my gaze from his lineaments, but by and by I opined that there was a singular odor pervad ing the habitation; and, upon reflection, I experienced something unpleasant upon first entering; but then there are so

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many villanous compounds surrounding native dwellings, and being moreover deeply engaged brewing punch, eating luncheon, smoking, and surveying the Goblin, I forgot other matters for the time being, until a pause in the conversation induced me to inquire the cause of the annoyance. Ah! said the Frenchman, giving a few agonizing sniffs, and looking around: Ah! le voici ! Casting my eyes upward, I beheld a long object, enveloped in native cloth and tappa, hanging slantingly across a beam, like a fantoccino, just before throwing a summerset on the slack-wire! It was a near relative, lately deceased, who from an elevated and unchristian notion of respect, had been suspended under the paternal roof, until dry enough to be deposited in a raised native tomb of stones and thatch. Dropping the pipe, I gained my feet, and bidding our antique host a hasty farewell, rushed into the open air; where, after swallowing a modicum of eau-de-vie neat, I swore a mental vow never-more to visit Nukuhevan nobilility. WISE.

LXXX.-NEW YORK IN THE DUTCH TIMES.

IN those happy days, a well-regulated family always rose with the dawn, dined at eleven, and went to bed at sun down. Dinner was invariably a private meal, and the fat old burghers. showed incontestable symptoms of disapprobation and uneasi. ness at being surprised by a visit from a neighbor on such occasions. But though our worthy ancestors were thus singu larly averse to giving dinners, yet they kept up the social bands of intimacy by occasional banquetings; called tea-parties.

These fashionable parties were generally confined to the higher classes or noblesse; that is to say, such as kept their own cows, and drove their own wagons. The company commonly assembled at three o'clock, and went away about six, unless it was in winter time, when the fashionable hours were a little earlier, that the ladies might get home before dark. The tea-table was crowned with a huge earthen dish, well stored with slices of fat pork, fried brown, cut up into morsels, and swimming in gravy. The company being seated around the genial board, and each furnished with a fork, evinced their dexterity in launching at the fattest pieces in this mighty dish-in much the same manner as sailors harpoon porpoises at sea, or our Indians spear salmon in the lakes. Sometimes the table

was graced with immense apple-pies, or saucers full of pre

served peaches and pears; but it was always sure to boast an enormous dish of balls, of sweetened dough, fried in hog's fat, and doughnuts, olykoeks-a delicious kind of cake, at present scarce known in this city, excepting in genuine Dutch fami

lies.

The tea was served out of a majestic delf tea-pot, ornamented with paintings of fat little Dutch shepherds and shepherdesses tending pigs-with boats sailing in the air, and houses built in the clouds, and sundry other ingenious Dutch fantasies. The beaux distinguished themselves by their adroitness in replenishing this pot from a huge copper tea-kettle, which would have made the pigmy macaronies of these degenerate days sweat merely to look at it. To sweeten the beverage, a lump of sugar was laid beside each cup-and the company alternately nibbled and sipped with great decorum, until an improvement was made by a shrewd economic old lady, which was to suspend a large lump directly over the tea-table by a string from the ceiling, so that it could be swung from mouth to mouth an ingenious expedient which is still kept up by some families in Albany; but which prevails without exception in Communipaw, Bergen, Flatbush, and all our uncontaminated Dutch villages.

At these primitive tea-parties the utmost propriety and dignity of deportment prevailed. No flirting or coquetingno gambling of old ladies, nor hoyden chattering and romping of young ones-no self-satisfied struttings of wealthy gentlemen, with their brains in their pockets-nor amusing conceits and monkey divertisements of smart young gentlemen with no brains at all. On the contrary, the young ladies seated themselves demurely in their rush-bottomed chairs, and knit their own woollen stockings; nor ever opened their lips, excepting to say Ja, Mynheer, or Ja, Jufvrouw, to any question that was asked them: behaving in all things like decent, welleducated damsels. As to the gentlemen, each of them tranquilly smoked his pipe, and seemed lost in contemplation of the blue and white tiles with which the fire-places were decorated; wherein sundry passages of Scripture were piously portrayed-Tobit and his dog figured to great advantage; Haman swung conspicuously on his gibbet: and Jonah appeared most manfully bouncing out of the whale, like Harlequin through a barrel of fire.

The parties broke up without noise and without confusion. They were carried home by their own carriages, that is to say,

by the vehicles Nature had provided them, excepting such of the wealthy as could afford to keep a wagon. The gentlemen gallantly attended their fair ones to their respective abodes, and took leave of them with a hearty smack at the door; which as it was an established piece of etiquette, done in perfect simplicity and honesty of heart, occasioned no scandal at that time, nor should it at the present: if our great-grandfathers approved of the custom, it would argue a great want of reverence in their descendants to say a word against it.

WASHINGTON IRVING.

LXXXI.—A SHORT TRIP TO PARIS.

Paris, October.

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WE were dismally sea-sick. And I cared for nothing but arriving. Oh dear, I would even have given up Paris, at least I thought so. But, oh! how could I think so! Just fancy a place where not only your own maid speaks French, but where every body, the porters, the coachmen, the chambermaids, can't speak any thing else! Where the very beggars beg, and the commonest people swear, in French! it's inexpressibly delightful. Why, even the dogs understand it; every body rolls in a luxury of French, and, of course, is happy.

Every body-but poor Mr. Potiphar!

He has a terrible time of it.

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When we arrived we alighted at Meurice's,-all the fashionable people do; at least Gauche Boosey said, Lord Brougham did, for he used to read it in Galignani, and I sup pose it is fashionable to do as Lord Brougham does. D'OrFirkin said that the Hotel Bristol was more recherché. "Does that mean cheaper?" inquired Mr. Potiphar. Mr. Firkin looked at him compassionately.

say

"I only want," said Mr. Potiphar, in a kind of gasping way, for it was in the cars on the way from Boulogne to Paris that we held this consultation-" I only want to go where there is somebody who can speak English."

My dear sir, there are commissionnaires at all the hotels who are perfect linguists," said Mr. Firkin in a gentlemanly

manner.

"Oh! dear me!" said Mr. P., wiping his forehead with the red bandanna that he always carries, despite Mrs. P., "what is a commissionnaire?"

An interpreter, a cicerone," said Mr. Firkin.

"A guide, philosopher, and friend," said Kurz. "Kurz, do you speak French?" inquired Mr. P., nerv ously, as we rolled along.

"Oh! yes," replied he.

"Oh! dear me!" said Mr. Potiphar, looking disconsolately out of the window.

We arrived soon after.

"We are now at the Barrière," said Mr. Firkin. "What do we do there?" asked Mr. Potiphar. "We are inspected," said Mr. Firkin.

Mr. Potiphar drew himself up with a military air. We alighted and walked into the room where all the baggage was arranged.

Est-ce qu'il y a quelque chose à déclarer?" asked an officer addressing Mr. Potiphar.

"Good Heavens! what did you say?" said Mr. P., looking at him.

The officer smiled, and Kurz said something, upon which he bowed and passed on. We stepped outside upon the pavement, and I confess that even I could not understand every thing that was said by the crowd and the coachmen. But Kurz led the way to a carriage, and we drove off to

Meurice's.

"It's awful, isn't it?" said Mr. Potiphar, panting.

When we reached the hotel, a gentleman (Mr. Potiphar said he was sure he was a gentleman, from a remark he made -in English) came bowing out. But before the door of the carriage was opened, Mr. P. thrust his head out of the window, and holding the door shut, cried out, "Do you speak English here?"

"Certainly, sir," replied the clerk; and that was the remark that so pleased Mr. Potiphar.

My room was next to the Potiphars, and I heard a great deal, you may be sure. I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help it. The next morning when they were about coming down, I heard Polly say

"Now, Mr. Potiphar, remember if you want to speak of your room it is numero quatre-vingt-cinq,' " and she pronounced it very slowly. "Now try, Mr. P."

"Oh! dear me. Kattery vang sank," said he.

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Very good," answered she; au troisième; that means on the third floor. Now try."

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