Every now and again he shouted out in a
stentorian voice that made the welkin ring; and the burden of his cry
was this:
"'Ere's happles, happles, Vandemonian happles, and them as dislikes the
hiland needn't heat them."
The admirers of the fertile island must have been very numerous, for
his customers soon made his pippins disappear.
We passed a butcher's shop, or rather tent, which formed a curious
spectacle. The animals, cut into halves or quarters, were hung round;
no small joints there - half a sheep or none; heads, feet, and skins were
lying about for any one to have for the trouble of picking up, and a
quantity of goods of all sorts and sizes, gridirons, saucepans,
cradles, empty tea-chests, were lying scattered around in all
directions ticketed "for sale." We quickly went on, for it was not a
particularly pleasant sight, and at some distance perceived a quiet
little nook rather out of the road, in which was one solitary tent. We
hastened our steps, and advanced nearer, when we perceived that the
tent was made of a large blanket suspended over a rope, which was tied
from one tree to another. The blanket was fastened into the ground by
large wooden pegs. Near to the opening of the tent, upon a piece of
rock, sat a little girl of about ten years old. By her side was
a quantity of the coarse green gauze of which the diggers' veils are
made.
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