Thus caged,
their black heads bound to the grating, the scientific gaoler, who
was something of a humourist withal, would enjoy a nice bit of fun
at seeing the more favoured prisoners (with his kind permission)
exercise their dexterity in throwing peas at the faces of the
bounden. How he would laugh-how the pea-punishing prisoners would
enjoy it-how the fast bound niggers, foaming with rage and maddened
to desperation, would bellow, as their very eyeballs darted fire and
blood! What grand fun it was! bull-baiting sank into a mere shadow
beside it. The former was measuredly passive, because the bull only
roared, and pitched, and tossed; whereas here the sport was made
more exhilarating by expressions of vengeance or implorings. And
then, as a change of pastime, the skilful gaoler would demand a
cessation of the pea hostilities, and enjoin the commencement of the
water war; which said war was carried out by supplying about a dozen
prisoners with as many buckets, which they would fill with great
alacrity, and, in succession, throw the contents with great force
over the unyielding, from the outside. The effect of this on naked
men, bound with chains to iron bars, may be imagined; but the older
Choicewest declares it was a cure. It brought steel out of the
"rascals," and made them as submissive as shoe-strings. Sometimes
the jolly prisoners would make the bath so strong, that the niggers
would seem completely drowned when released; but then they'd soon
come to with a jolly good rolling, a little hartshorn applied to
their nostrils, and the like of that.
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