Chapter 7 - Page 2

the Crown and the Bible, where I found a large collection
of people, coming in quest of tickets. As the _élite_ of the town would
not of themselves form an audience sufficiently large to meet the towering
ambition of the players, more than half the tickets were sold, the money
being appropriated to the sick families of soldiers--those who were not
entitled to receive aid from government. It was deemed a high compliment
to receive tickets gratis, though all who did, made it a point to leave a
donation to the fund, with Mr. Gaine. Receiving my package, I quitted the
shop, and it being the hour for the morning promenade, I went up Wall
Street, to the Mall, as Trinity Church Walk was even then called. Here, I
expected to meet Dirck, and hoped to see Anneke, for the place was much
frequented by the young and gay, both in the mornings and in the evenings.
The bands of different regiments were stationed in the churchyard, and the
company was often treated to much fine martial music. Some few of the more
scrupulous objected to this desecration of the churchyard, but the army had
everything pretty much in its own way. As they were supposed to do nothing
but what was approved of at home, the dissenters were little heeded, nor do
I think the army would have greatly cared, had they been more numerous.

I dare say there were fifty young ladies promenading the church-walk when
I reached it, and nearly as many young men in attendance on them; no small
portion of the last being scarlet-coats, though the mohairs had their
representatives there too. A few blue-jackets were among us also, there
being two or three king's cruisers in port. As no one presumed to promenade
the Mall, who was not of a certain stamp of respectability, the company was
all gaily dressed; and I will confess that I was much struck with the air
of the place, the first time I showed myself among the gay idlers. The
impression made on me that morning was so vivid, that I will endeavour to
describe the scene, as it now presents itself to my mind.

In the first place, there was the noble street, quite eighty feet in width
in its narrowest part, and gradually expanding as you looked towards the
bay, until it opened into an area of more than twice that width, at the
place called the Bowling-Green. [13] Then came the Fort, crowning a sharp
eminence, and overlooking everything in that quarter of the town. In the
rear of the Fort, or in its front, taking a water view, lay the batteries
that had been built on the rocks which form the south-western termination
of the island. Over these rocks, which were black and picturesque, and over
the batteries they supported, was obtained a view of the noble bay, dotted
here and there with some speck of a sail, or possibly with some