It is not always, be it remarked, that “the subscriber is going to England,” although such intimation heads the advertisement that occasions these “auction sales,” for very frequently they are nothing more than an Antiguan scheme for “_raising the wind_.”
Previous to the abolition of the militia, field-days and reviews often occurred, to abstract attention from business. Upon such occasions, the gentlemen took great pride in exhibiting their epaulettes and garnished coats.
In proof of this assertion, I need but relate the following anecdote. A resident of Antigua, who, in days of militia glory, served in the dragoons, went to a neighbouring island, of which he was a native, to pay a visit to his friends. In order to astonish the inhabitants, and create a “sensation,” Mr. ——— determined to land in full uniform. The dress of the dragoons was very smart, and the swords and steel scabbards they carried, very long and heavy. Fancy, then, our brave _militaire_, who, by the bye, is a very short and corpulent personage, with a redundancy of colour, landing upon a sandy beach, beneath a burning sun, in all the glory of blue cloth and yellow worsted, with his Goliah-like weapon, scarcely twelve inches shorter than himself, dangling, or rather dragging, gracefully by his side. Although of little stature, he is big of heart; and proudly erecting his head, and settling his shoulders, he marched along, amid a herd of astonished boatmen and sea-side loiterers, with all the dignity of a commander-in-chief. The news spread like wild fire— astonishment was at its height—for rich and poor, black, white, and coloured, all thought their _ci-devant_ neighbour was Fortune’s child, and had been promoted governor of his native island. Before, however, any procession could be formed, or salute fired to welcome his arrival, his real rank was discovered; and as the truth became known, the assembled multitude one after another departed, and left our gallant dragoon “alone in his glory.”
In speaking of the militia, I am reminded that I have not yet mentioned the Christmas guards. Before the emancipation of the negroes in 1834, martial law was put in force upon the 24th of December, and continued during the three following days, which, by law, constituted the Christmas holidays; and a militia guard stationed at the guard-house in St. John’s, in order to protect the arsenal from any attack which might be made upon it by the slaves, who were more at their leisure during that period than at any other part of the year.