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[Page 270]

Again: "Their songs are accompanied with considerable gracefulness of action, and are poured forth in strains by no means inharmonious: on the contrary, the voice of the singer, and, in many parts, the sweetness of the notes, which are delivered in pretty just cadence and excellent time, afford a species of harmony to which the most refined was might listen with pleasure."

It would appear that Lieutenant Jeffries in his enthusiastic admiration of his black female friends have has somewhat exaggerated. I have in the course of my narrative adverted to the subject, but although the voices and delivery of the native singers and songstresses are not disagreeable I have not ventured to go so far as the British Lieutenant and narrator.

In speaking of their canoes the same writers says that "These when formed are not unlike a catamaran, and, are sufficiently large to support from six to ten persons in crossing the largest rivers."  

Alluding to the Native women Mr Jeffries observes "their husbands act towards with them with considerable harshness and tyranny. These women are sometimes known to run away from that stage of bondage and oppression which they say their husbands subject them. In these cases they will attach themselves to the English sailors who are frequently stationed in different parts of the coast of this island to collect seals. Those who thus forsake their husbands native tribes, assign the following

 

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