All Caribbean politicians have a network of supporters and informants, popularly known as ‘yard-fowls’. The VSN [Volontaires de la Sécurité Nationale, or Tonton Macoute] were the yard-fowl armed.

Crash the cull—down with him—down with him before he dubs the jigger. Tip him the degen, Fib, fake him through and through; if he pikes we shall all be scragged.

When she heard the news about her cousin's death, she lost it.

Here I could breake out into a boundleſſe race of oratory, in ſhrill trumpetting and concelebrating the royall magnificence of her gouernement, that for ſtate and ſtrict ciuill ordering, ſcant admitteth any riuals: but I feare it would be a theame diſpleaſant to the graue modeſty of the diſcreet preſent magiſtrates; and therefore conſultiuely I ouerſlip it, […]