landing-place, halfway up the stair; and down the other flight tumbled
our guide, with Mr. Treenail and myself, and the two blackies on the
top of her, rolling in our descent over, or rather into, another large
mahogany tray which had just been carried out, with a tureen of turtle
soup in it, and a dish of roast-beef, and platefuls of land-crabs, and
the Lord knows what all besides.

The crash reached the ear of the landlord, who was seated at the head
of his table in the upper piazza, a long gallery about fifty feet long
by fourteen wide, and he immediately rose and ordered his butler to
take a light. When he came down to ascertain the cause of the uproar.
I shall never forget the scene.

There was, first of all, mine host, a remarkably neat personage,
standing on the polished mahogany stair, three steps above his servant,
who was a very well-dressed respectable elderly negro, with a candle in
each hand; and beneath him, on the landing-place, lay two trays of
viands, broken tureens of soup, fragments of dishes, and fractured
glasses, and a chaos of eatables and drinkables, and table gear
scattered all about, amidst which lay scrambling my lieutenant and
myself, the brown housekeeper, and the two negro servants, all more or
less covered with gravy and wine dregs. However, after a good laugh,
we gathered ourselves up, and at length we were ushered on the scene.
Mine host, after stifling his laughter the best way he could, again sat
down at the head of his table, sparkling with crystal and wax-lights,
while a superb lamp hung overhead. The company was composed chiefly of
naval and military men, but there was also a sprinkling of civilians,
or _muftees_, to use a West India expression. Most of them rose as we
entered, and after they had taken a glass of wine, and had their laugh
at our mishap, our landlord retired to one side with Mr. Treenail,